I HATE doing cardio!

In fact, I haven't really done any aerobic or cardio training in years.

Even though I've told myself many times I need to start, I always wind up blowing it off after my workouts.

It's mind-numbing boring for me to sit on an exercise bike or walk on a treadmill for 20 to 30 minutes.

But since turning 42 in December and wanting to lean out and get my "wind" back... I've decided there's no way to avoid it. I HAVE to start doing some form of regular cardio training.

I had been psyching myself up for weeks trying to prepare for those boring treadmill or stationary bike sessions. And last week I mentioned to a gym buddy how I decided to start doing cardio even though I hate it.

He's a successful regional bodybuilding competitor who always stays in lean condition. He revealed one of his most jealously guarded secrets for staying ripped and muscular.

And imagine my surprise (and delight) to discover...

A training secret that burns body fat like crazy... in only 3 minutes per session!

It sounds to good to be true... but it's working like crazy for me.

Here's the scoop...

Have you ever observed the differences in physiques of distance runners and sprinters?

Distance runners usually are rail thin and their muscles have a flat stringy appearance. They usually have low body fat levels but (to me, at least) don't look all that healthy.

Sprinters on the other hand usually have well-developed, defined muscles and a more athletic look. Some even have physiques that most bodybuilders would envy!

The difference is their training.

Distance runners train at low to moderate intensity for long periods of time. Sprinters do short bursts of all out intensity with breaks in between cycles of sprints.

Here's a dirty little secret about cardio training very few bodybuilders know...

For most "less than genetically blessed" bodybuilders, long sessions of aerobic training actually burn more muscle tissue than fat.

That sucks.

So my ripped friend's big fat-burning secret is this:

Do your cardio training like a sprinter.

I'll take you through a typical cardio session done "sprint style"...

Let's use the stationary bike in this example but it applies to whatever machine or activity you want to do.

First, you'll need a watch with a second hand or a stopwatch.

Plop your fat butt down on the stationary bike and start pedaling at an easy pace. Do that for a minute or so or until you feel adequately warmed up.

I always do my cardio after my workout so I'm already warmed up. I just do an easy one minute of pedaling to get adjusted.

OK, now it's time to kick it up a notch.

Do an all out "balls to the wall as hard and fast as you can go" sprint for 60 seconds.

(I like to increase the resistance on the bike and stand up while pedaling during my sprint.)

What's that you say? 60 seconds sounds like child's play? Ohhhhhh... just wait til you try it. 60 seconds will seem like an eternity if you're really giving it all you got and pedaling as fast as you can!

So you've just completed a 60-second sprint on the bike. You're probably gasping for breath at this point. So what do you do next? (You're gonna LOVE this part!)

NOTHING! Get off the bike and rest.

Rest for 2 to 4 minutes.

Now get back on the bike and do another 60-second sprint as fast as you can pedal. Imagine you're being chased by that angry Stay Puff Marshmallow Man and he's only inches away from eating you. (I loved that scene in Ghostbusters!)

Trust me... if you're really pedaling as fast as you can for 60 seconds this ain't gonna be a walk in the park. You'll get a lactic acid burn in your legs and your lungs will feel like they're gonna burst!

But fear not, my gasping friend, for after this 60 seconds you can plop on the floor and rest again for 2 to 4 minutes.

After you pick yourself up off the floor, get your posterior back up on what now looks like a torture device (the stationary bike) and do another 60-second "I gotta pedal as fast as I can or that huge pissed off marshmallow guy is gonna eat my fat ass" sprint just like before.

That's it. You're done.

That's a grand total of 90 seconds of actual exercise time. Do this three times per week.

That's a helluva lot better than spending a painfully boring 30 minutes on that thing, isn't it?

And let me tell you what those 90 seconds will do to your metabolism. It will be significantly raised for hours and you'll be burning body fat for the rest of the day.

Well, I say that with a caveat. You gotta be eating right to support body fat loss. Click here to read a brief article explaining how to eat to lose fat.

As you advance on this program you can do more cycles than just three if you want. But I don't think it's a good idea to do more than 5 or 6 cycles. It's pretty intense so 5 to 6 should be the limit.

Here's another idea...

Once you get in better cardiovascular shape, instead of getting off the bike and resting after the 60 second sprints, lower your intensity level and keep pedaling during your 2 to 4 minute rest periods. Then when you've caught your breath again start another 60-second sprint.

But if you're just starting on this program, I'd recommend you stay with the rest periods for the first 4 weeks or so.

Give this a try and let me know how it goes.

All the best,

Doberman Dan