Cardio :
 

Cardiovascular (cardio) training is probably be the most important part of reaching your goal. It builds your endurance, increases your recovery time and helps your body to use up the stored fat. Cardio workouts is consisted of getting your heart rate up for a short amount of time. It is recommended that a workout should last anywhere from 20-40 minutes (55-65% of the maximum heart rate) with a few `spikes' included during the time. Spikes is referred to as getting your heart rate as close to your maximum heart rate (80-90% of the maximum) as possible for 10-20 seconds. You can increase the intervals as your fitness levels increases. To calculate you maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Even if you use to do cardio or never started, you need to start off slowly. For first timers, start out twice a week for 20 minutes and as you become more fit, then increase up to as many days as you want for however long as you want. If you have access to a gym, the machines there to use is the stepper, rower, bicycle, treadmill and any aerobic classes that is offered. To avoid getting bored, do not just use one machine. Switch around to different ones. If you cannot afford a gym membership, start out be walking. Do not go by miles, go by time. Start out, say, 30 minutes. When you are able to jogging, then start logging in the miles. It does not matter if you walk/jog/run for so many miles, you are going to burn the same amount of calories. The latter two will just get you through the mile faster. If you never plan to run, do not worry. There are other types of cardio exercises to do. If you are a spouse with little children running around, that will get worked up. Bicycling, hiking, jump roping are other good varieties of cardio workouts. you want to add variety to your cardio workouts because it will reduce the chance of injuries and keep you from getting bored.