How to Build a Cardio Routine

Cardiovascular health is vitally important in any training program. Less than 50% of adults in the US are meeting the AHA requirements of 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes/week of vigorous activity. It’s my guess that people know about the guidelines and that they should be more active, but they have trouble knowing exactly what to do, and how to structure a plan. Below is a plan that progresses your cardiovascular ability over the next 12 weeks. It is cardio-specific and does not include any weight training, and it is a 4-5 day/week program; however, if you cannot commit to that frequency, it will become a 20-week program to perform all the sessions.

Before beginning any new exercise program, especially one involving cardiovascular training, it’s important to consult with a physician to ensure it’s safe for your individual health status.

Program Overview

• Frequency: 4–5 days per week

Intensity Breakdown:

• Zone 2: 60-70% HRmax (aerobic base, stroke volume improvements)
• Zone 3: 70-80% HRmax (moderate intensity, increased cardiac efficiency)
• Zone 4: 80-90% HRmax (anaerobic threshold, lactate clearance)
• Zone 5: 90-100% HRmax (max effort, VO2 max improvement)
• Modes: Running, cycling, rowing, swimming, walking, etc. If you are planning weight training during this, I recommend choosing a low-impact modality such as cycling or rowing.
• A 5-10-minute warm-up and cool-down is advised during this training cycle.

Phase 1: Aerobic Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Objective: Build aerobic capacity and stroke prevention through steady-state Zone 2 training. Zone 2 increases the size of the left ventricle (the part of the heart that pumps blood) to improve stroke risk.

Phase 2: Strengthening the Heart (Weeks 5-8)

Objective: Increase intensity with Zone 3 and introduce short Zone 4 bursts.

Phase 3: Performance & Max Output (Weeks 9-12)

Objective: Maintain endurance while incorporating Zone 5 intervals to improve VO2 max.

Intervals/HIIT: 20-30 sec all-out sprint with 90-120 sec recovery. 3 sprints week 3, 4-5 sprints week 3, 8-10 sprints week 4.

Cardiovascular health is very important for overall well-being and disease prevention. Building your routine can be tough if you don’t know what you’re doing, but this framework laid out above will help you get started. It can be repeated almost indefinitely with different cardio modality styles and can be adapted to a lower frequency if needed. If you have any aches and pains preventing you from fully participating in a cardio program, contact your local Athletico today for a free assessment.

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*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.

The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.

References:
1. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db443.htm
2. Hellsten Y, Nyberg M. Cardiovascular Adaptations to Exercise Training. Compr Physiol. 2015;6(1):1-32. Published 2015 Dec 15. doi:10.1002/cphy.c140080