The Best Cardio Program

Q: "Hey it’s CW from Vegas again. Just received the new book and cannot wait to get back into the gym. The reason I’m writing is I’m hoping you can resolve a debate in regards to cardio. As you know in law enforcement, cardio is a must. However the question is: how and when to do it? Some say do 30 to 40 minutes of light cardio after weights and some say HIIT. Other say to do it on non-gym days or do cardio in the morning then lift at night. Getting to the gym 4 times a week is tough enough let alone twice a day. One guy I know is preaching the Max-OT cardio program from AST. So if you can tell me what the best cardio program is I will be most grateful." 

Thanks, 

CW 

My Answer: Every cardio method that you mention works to some degree. But what you should be asking is: what works best for you? You're a peace officer with limited time to train (that almost sounds redundant!) So what you should be interested in is minimal investment in the gym with maximal performance in the field. 

Forget about 2 a day training. It's very effective, but what's the point if you can't make time for the workouts? Forget about light cardio for 30-40 minutes. You're training your body to be slow and weak. Forget about Max-OT cardio, which requires you to do cardio on a recumbent bike or stair climber machine. 

Your job requires that you run, so why practice a different skill when you do cardio? So that leaves us with HIIT. Sprint interval training is the best form of cardio for law enforcement officers. You want to train to be fast and to end the chase quickly. To save you some time, do 15 minutes of HIIT after 45 minutes of strength training. This way if you hit the gym 4 times a week, you'll be doing cardio 4 times a week.

Q: "Hey, my name is Jessica. I just came across your website and saw your email on it. I hope I'm not bothering. I just had a few questions I hope you don't mind answering for me.

"Well, basically I'm 18, and I'm still in high school, almost done. My plan after high school is to go to college and become a police officer. I'm 5'5", and I weigh about 220. I know, that's very bad!

"I recently started a diet, because I know in order to become a police officer you must be fit in order to pass the fitness test. I live in NYC, and I was wondering if the fitness test is different in different places, and if it would be possible to find a personal trainer to help me train for that fitness test?"


My Answer: The PT tests will vary somewhat from state to state. I don't know what NYC's PT test involves, but if I were you, I'd find that out. You can find a personal trainer to help you prepare for the PT, but of course you should first concentrate on slimming down. After you make weight, then focus on your performance on the PT test. If you do hire a personal trainer, then make sure the trainer knows what the hell s/he is doing. I hate to tell you this, but most personal trainers don't know jack.

Q: "I know you are a fan of interval sprints for cardio. I use sprints in my training but for the sake of variety what's your take on rope skipping and sled pulling?"

Thanks
- MB


My Answer: I actually recommend jump roping for my clients for variety, so yes it would be perfectly fine as a cardio substitute. Sled pulling is better for active recovery, meaning you should use it to get the blood flowing and aid in recovery, not so much for fat loss. Interval training can be done on a variety of apparatuses, such as rowing machines, stationary bikes and elliptical machines. So substitute any of these for variety. Kickboxing is a cardio workout that resembles interval training, because your expending energy in short pulses with the combinations of punches and kicks.

So as you can see, you have a lot cardio options to choose from.