Level up your training with these cardio workouts for men to achieve that body shape you deserve!
Push Yourself Further with These Cardio Workouts for Men
1. Bodyweight Movements
Workouts for cardio can be done using any movement that raises your heart rate. This means you can come up with a fat-burning cardio routine without the use of gym equipment.
Give this interval workout a try. Do 4 sets of the circuit below, resting for a minute after the burpees.
- As many pushups as you can in 30 seconds
- 60 reps of jumping jacks
- 20 reps of burpees
2. Sprinting
Running in short bursts at near maximal effort can definitely get your blood pumping. Although exhausting, the benefits you get from sprinting are definitely worth it.
For one, you burn more calories not only as you sprint but also a few more hours post-exercise. You also get to train your glutes and leg muscles.
Tabata Training fits well with sprinting. This is a training method developed by Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., with the following structure: work out hard for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, repeat for 8 rounds.
When you apply this method to sprinting, you run as hard as you can for 20 seconds and rest for the next 10. Continue this pattern for 6-10 cycles (about 3-5 minutes) and adjust depending on the intensity you prefer.
3. Rowing
What makes rowing a great cardio workout is it trains your upper and lower body without exposing your joints and ligaments to high levels of impact. It’s also a good exercise for weight loss.
In fact, a person weighing 180 lb can burn more than 800 calories after an hour of moderately-paced rowing. Here’s how to do this exercise:
- When doing the exercise, use your entire body and always keep your chest up.
- Sit on the sliding seat and place your feet on the footplate.
- Keep your back straight, knees bent, and grab on the handle.
- Then, push the footplate with your legs and simultaneously pull the handle towards your torso.
- Make sure to tighten your core and hinge at the hips when your legs are fully extended.
- Finish by returning to your original position.
Here’s a rowing routine you can try:
- Set 20 minutes on your clock.
- Row 250 meters as fast as you can, rest for a minute after.
- Repeat until the time’s up.
4. Farmer’s Walk
Hold the dumbbells as you would a pair of suitcases and tighten your core before walking. Make sure to keep your spine straight to avoid injuries.
Walk back and forth in a straight line for about 1 to 3 minutes. You can do 5-10 rounds with 90 seconds of rest in between.
This exercise can train your cardio endurance and posterior chain at the same time.
Tip: Wear wrist straps to avoid the quick fatigue of your forearms.
5. Jump Rope
Ever wonder why most boxers have the jump rope in their training routines? Well, that’s because it’s affordable, great for conditioning and coordination, and burns a lot of calories.
In fact, according to the Compendium of Physical Activities, a 10-minute jump rope session burns the same calories as running at an 8-mile pace.
Try doing intervals of fast and slow jumps for 30 minutes. If you tire easily, jump as fast as possible for 20 seconds and rest for the next 10. Repeat as desired.
6. Uphill Running
Defy gravity and burn more calories. Due to the pull of gravity, uphill running works your legs harder.
Because of this, it can help build stamina and improve strength. This is one of the many reasons why it is favored by many bodybuilders and athletes.
Look for a hill that’s not too long or steep near your area. It should have at least 5% grade and preferably little to zero traffic.
If finding one is a problem, stairs or bleachers at a local stadium are good alternatives.
Sprint uphill and rest 60-90 seconds between runs. You can start with five rounds and work your way up.
7. Cycling
This won’t be a great list of good cardio workouts without cycling. It’s known to improve your cardio endurance, aid in weight loss, and build your lower body.
Depending on your weight and the intensity, an hour of cycling can burn 400 to 1000 calories.
Here’s a sample workout based on the Tabata method: Cycle as hard as possible for 20 seconds, coast for the next 10. Repeat 6-8 times.
Here’s another sample workout that might work for you:
- Ride 1 mile. Bike the first .25 mile at 90% maximum effort.
- Then, bike the middle .50 mile at 75% maximum effort.
- Bike the final .25 mile at 95% maximum effort.
- Rest for 3 minutes; repeat 2 to 3 times.
8. Elliptical
Elliptical trainer, also called cross-trainer, is a stationary workout machine that helps you simulate running, walking, and climbing without the risk of excessive pressure on the joints, decreasing the chances of injuries.
Although training impact is low using the machine, it can be a great tool for intensive training. You can level up its performance by switching up the resistance, speed, and intensity levels of the machine.
You can best use this workout with these tips:
- Increase the incline to work your leg muscles more.
- To bulk up your quads even more, increase the resistance and lower the incline to give you a cross-country skiing feel.
- For the stepmill, just hold on the rails lightly to prevent wrist or shoulder pain.
9. Kettlebells
Kettlebells are another exercise equipment for cardio workouts for men. They are cast-iron steel balls with a handle on top that allow you to perform flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular exercise.
The best way to perform this workout is as follows:
- Don’t go too light or too heavy with the kettlebell.
- Do an exercise for 30 seconds.
- Rest for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat the exercise as much as you can.
- Do this workout in 30 minutes to see how many sets you can perform.
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10. Swimming
This total-body workout simply begins when you start treading water. The catch with swimming is you’re fighting gravity in the water, so your muscles work harder in keeping you afloat without breaks.
The important thing to remember though is to incorporate various strokes when swimming as some strokes, like the breaststroke, burn fewer calories than others. You can train better with these tips:
- Simply tread water and do a few laps.
- Have some intervals, say 2 minutes water treading and then 1 minute resting, especially if you’re not a strong swimmer.
- Repeat as much as you can.
- If you can swim at a higher level, swim faster as possible.
11. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a new and popular form of exercise that gives an intensive aerobic option, which is shorter to complete than the traditional cardio training.
Compared with aerobic exercise, HIIT eliminates the steady state pace where your body has adjusted to the speed of the workout, conserving some calories.
HIIT can be performed better with this sample exercise, finishing the circuit four times with a 1-minute rest after the curls in every round.
- Jump rope in 1 minute.
- Do dips in 12 to 15 reps.
- Perform high knees with 30 reps in each knee.
- Perform curls with resistance bands for 20 reps.
12. Small Climb Endurance
Here’s one of the cardio workouts for men that increases the work on your legs. What you need to do is perform a treadmill routine to strengthen your entire lower body and build stamina.
Before doing the proper exercise, begin with a 5-minute stretching first and then do three sets for the following workouts with a 60-second rest between each set:
- 5-7 MPH for 2 minutes (2% incline)
- 7-9 MPH for 2 minutes (2% incline)
- 5-7 MPH for 2 minutes (6% incline)
- 5-7 MPH for 30 seconds (2% incline)
- sprint max effort for 30 seconds (2% incline)
13. Track Practice
This cardio workout is advantageous to those who are near a track field because you’ll be utilizing the oval.
Because this involves running, it improves your cardiovascular health, increases muscle mass, and burns body fat. Do this weight training to the next level with these steps:
- Start with a 10-minute warm-up.
- Run on the field with a 60-second rest for each interval, beginning with 6 to 8 intervals to complete a round in the oval.
- End with a cool-down exercise for 10 minutes.
14. Barbell Complex
This workout does not use any piece of cardio equipment, only a barbell, but it provides intense training. You can start with a 95-lb barbell, but you can adjust the weight according to your body level.
You won’t have any rest in one set, so you’ll work on one exercise to another immediately. Here’s how you do it:
- Do 15 front squats.
- Do 15 shoulder presses.
- Perform 15 bent-over rows.
- Do 15 Romanian deadlifts.
- Rest for 2 minutes and go for 5 to 8 sets.
15. VersaClimber
VersaClimber is an exercise tool that conditions your body to enhance power, strength, and cardio through flexibility, speed, and endurance. It primarily challenges your upper and lower body’s muscles, like you’re climbing a mountain. Perform the exercise using the following time and rest in seconds (with rest in parenthesis):
- 45 (45)
- 50 (50)
- 55 (55)
- 60 (60)
- 60 (45)
- 55 (50)
- 50 (55)
- 45 (60)
Rest for 3 minutes and do 3 sets.
16. Cardio Boxing
This cardio workout for men conditions your entire body by increasing your coordination, strength, speed, and stamina, with a complete exercise for your cardiovascular system.
You can adjust the intensity according to what suits your body. Here’s the right way to do it:
- Shadowbox or hook for 3 minutes by bending an arm and performing a rapid rotation of your core and hips.
- Do a lateral shuffle for 3 minutes.
- Jump rope for 3 minutes.
- Rest for 3 minutes and do this in 3 sets.
17. Burpees
Burpees use your entire body to perform the exercise, enhance your cardiovascular strength, and check your coordination and balance.
It requires no equipment so you can do this cardio exercise at home. Here’s how you do it:
- From a standing position, drop into a squat, resting your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
- Move into a plank position quickly, keeping your torso straight.
- Go back to your squat position, take a deep breath, and explosively jump upwards.
- Do 12 reps with 3 sets.
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Create the perfect cardio strategy using these best cardio workouts for men and reach the figure you desire faster. The above cardio training exercises are a great tool for assessing your progress. As your cardiovascular endurance improves, you experience less fatigue after your usual workouts. As a result, you get to increase the intensity of your training and make great cardio workout routines.
What other cardio workouts for men or ideas for a cardio workout can you share with us? List them in the comments section below!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 20, 2018, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.