Oh Hello Stranger! It’s been a while since we last got together, but today I am bringing you something a little extra special… A guest piece from my friend from high school, Kate. Today we’re talking all about fitness and the right way to get that blood pumping. With “bikini season” fast approaching, I know we are all trying to work a little harder on those summer bods. But are you taking the right approach? Read on to find out! And if you missed my recent post about a healthy start to your day through a green smoothie check it out here 🙂 A message from Kate: Back in the day I used to be a total cardio junkie. I would get to the gym, head straight for a treadmill, “Quick Start” it, and get right into counting my minutes of cardio. No warm-up. No strength training. No stretching. Nada. I did this for years and years because I believed that burning a lot of calories with cardio was the best way to lose weight and get a good figure… Maybe the cardio-only routine works for some people, but it certainly didn’t work for me. After years of the same treadmill routine, I realized that my body wasn’t changing in the slightest. I wasn’t gaining weight so of course I had to keep doing it, but I certainly wasn’t losing fat or “toning” my body. I had conditioned my body to adjust to an hour of steady-state cardio every day, and I stopped benefiting from exercise. I started needing the cardio just to maintain my weight. Now, don’t let me lose you here because I know a lot of you probably LOVE cardio. Hear me out… I’m not saying you should stop doing cardio because it does have some incredible benefits, especially in terms of cardiovascular health (hence “cardio”). Long-duration cardio is also necessary if you’re training for a race or some sort of endurance event. And honestly, cardio can be a really fun way to exercise (group fitness, sports, etc.). Long-duration cardio is totally fine to do for these reasons, but if you’re doing it because you want to lose fat and change your physique then it’s definitely time to freshen up your workouts. If you want to burn fat, you need to start doing the right kind of cardio. Instead of slightly raising your heart rate by jogging or going on the elliptical for an hour, cut that time in half and really push yourself. If you want to change your body shape, it’s time to prioritize resistance training. Adding muscle to your body will increase your metabolism and burn more calories over the course of the day, plus it helps us to get the curves that we want where we want them. And no, you will NOT get bulky. There are countless benefits to strength training aside from fat loss and aesthetics. You can read about them in this post. Here’s what you can do RIGHT NOW to start making these changes… Drop the long-duration cardio for a week. I know…This will be the hard part. But just give me one week. Instead, when you get to the gym, head straight to the free weights and find yourself some space. Side note: If you’re like I used to be, you’re thinking “But I want to sweat and get out of breath, and I can’t do that with weights!” Not true. Trust me. I get more out of breath and sweaty with metabolic conditioning (with weights) than I ever did on the treadmill. Once you find some space and some dumbbells, give this👇 workout a try. It should take less than 20 minutes, it’s a lot of fun, and it will totally kick your butt. If you need help with the moves, check out my Instagram video of the workout. If you like this workout, make sure you sign up for my email list to get exclusive access to a BRAND NEW PROGRAM that I’m releasing later this month. And if you have any questions, shoot me an email to info@katehoerner.com. Hi, I’m Kate! I am a certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and a certified nutrition consultant with Metabolic Effect. I help women gain confidence and feel empowered by teaching them how to take care of their bodies through exercise and healthy lifestyle choices. Check out my blog for workouts, recipes, and tips on fitness, nutrition, and a healthy mindset.