Being precise with your cardio - why machines are better than burpees
Firstly, the majority of you reading this probably hate burpees. But that's not the point of this blog - some people hate cardio machines too. So the point of this blog is not to say that burpees are bad, but that they are likely an inferior option for a cardio stimulus in comparison to cardio machines.
There are a number of reasons why this is the case. For starters, the screens on the machines allow us to be far more precise and planned. The ability to apply progressive overload - a key factor in any successful program - is a lot easier with the help of this screen technology, as you can see the exact speed you're travelling at, what distance you're getting per rep, even as detailed as how many strokes/revolutions per minute you're completing.
As mentioned, this allows us to program in progressive overload using a variety of metrics to actually allow us to see progress with real-time feedback. In order to continue getting fitter you need to continue to apply stress over time. You can do this in a number of ways using the screens, you could aim for a slightly faster speed each rep next week, or hit a slightly further distance per rep, as well as obviously adding more reps/sets, decreasing the rest time between reps, and so on.
This is obviously a lot harder to do with random sessions or circuits with AMRAPS or burpees, as you often don't know how many reps you've done or what speed you're travelling at.
Having set times allows us to delve into even more precision if you wanted to. For instance, you can incorporate other metrics like heart rate - eg how high it gets per effort or how quickly you get it back down between efforts, a sign of improved cardiovascular efficiency.
In the final image below, you will see it also provides us with a 'projected finish' value, so for example, if you have to get 500 metres in 2 minutes, it will allow you to see if you're travelling at the right pace to reach that target right from the get-go, so you can either hold the speed or adjust as needed.
One of the other reasons machines can be beneficial is the low impact and 'joint-friendly' nature of them. For example, the risk of stress fractures/shin splints compared to running is obviously very low. When you run, you put up to 2-4 times your bodyweight force through the ground (Malhotra, 2021). Additionally, the heavier you are, that number obviously gets amplified (thank you physics). Burpees would also fall into the higher impact category, probably a higher impact than people think, particularly when under fatigue (think shoulder joint too).
The aforementioned reasons are why we have even implemented our 'machine-only' conditioning sessions here at SOF on Thursdays.
In terms of making your own intervals, if you don't know where to start, you can create precise targets based on an aerobic test. If you complete a 5 minute time trial, you can calculate your max aerobic speed based on your total distance achieved in the test (distance/time = max aerobic speed). When creating your intervals, shorter and faster intervals will likely be somewhere between 100-120% of that speed, which can be easily calculated. Conversely, longer interval efforts will be a bit under (around 75-100%).
See an example 30 minute session based off some average aerobic speed scores (MAS) below:
In terms of setting up intervals on a concept 2 machine (generally the gold standard, found in a lot of gyms) - see below:
Select workout - new workout
Intervals - Intervals: time
Set work time + rest time - click tick bottom corner.
In summary, creating some structure and precision in your conditioning will help you assess your progress and be more scalable than random bodyweight exercises (burpees, we're looking at you!).
That's not to say you can't have some random blow-outs every now and then, after all we do love a good team sweat.