To Your Health
April, 2011 (Vol. 05, Issue 04) |
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Step 3: High-Intensity Interval Training
Many of my patients perform steady-state running - two, three, four miles at a time, two to four days a week, 45-60 minutes at a time.
Many think they are doing it for weight loss. When I show them the comparison between the
calories being burned from diet alone, diet plus aerobics, and diet plus aerobics plus weight resistance, they quickly realize that incorporating all three tactics (diet / aerobic exercise / weight resistance training) will help them lose more fat than diet alone, aerobic exercise alone or even a combination of the two. After that, they're often willing to change it up to high-intensity interval training for 30 minutes at a time three to four days a week.
Choose your inner-child cardio method and begin by performing 15 seconds of a "sprint" (if you cannot maintain the sprint for the whole 15 seconds – back down so that you can) and rest for 30 seconds. Repeat 10 times or until you feel "done" – in other words, don't get sick performing this routine. After three to five sessions of this, it should begin to get easier.
When 15 seconds feels alright – bump it up to 20 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 10 cycles for three to five sessions. Then go to 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off for 10 cycles for three to five sessions. And then go to 30 seconds on 20 seconds off for six cycles (that's right, more work than rest – but lower volume) for three to five sessions. These three to five sessions are not consecutive. Be committed to perform the intervals two times per week with a day of rest between. Add in one 20-minute session of "moderate" cardio activity.
Do the math: an hour and a half a week of high-intensity training to hit the cardiovascular system well enough for leanness, versus old-school running or cycling for 2-3 hours per week. Sounds like an easy choice to me.
A Sample Workout: 8 Exercises to Burn Fat and Build Lean Muscle
Here's a sample program that actually trains the entire body; every muscle group gets trained hard, frequently and with an intensity that creates a large metabolic push, helping you burn fat and develop lean muscle. That's healthy weight loss in a nutshell. I teach my patients weight-loss programs that start with body-weight circuits and band exercises, and progress to using free weights and kettlebells with heavy weight – enough weight to really stress the muscles (a weight you can lift for five reps, but seven reps is considered heavy/difficult).
To get you started, do each of the following body-weight exercises for one minute, and go from move to move without any rest. For weighted exercises, select a weight you can lift 5-7 times. Allotted time: 30 minutes. That means once you complete the following circuit, start it again until you have exercised for 30 minutes total.
Prisoner squat: Strengthens the quadriceps, gluteals and trunk muscles and helps strengthen the legs for running. Place your fingers on the back of your head and pull your elbows and shoulders back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body as far as you can, pause, and return to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Repeat for 60 seconds.
Push-ups: Strengthen your pecs (chest), triceps and abdominals. Assume a push-up position, with your hands slightly beyond shoulder-width apart; feet together, and body in a straight line from head to ankles. Lower your chest until it's an inch above the floor, and then push back up. That's 1 rep. Repeat for 60 seconds. If you get tired, hold the "up" position in a plank pose until your time is up.
Mountain climbers: Strengthen your arms, abdominals, and hip flexors. Kneel on all fours with your hands in line with, but slightly wider than your shoulders. Straighten your left leg completely and lift your right knee toward your chest. You should be on the balls of your feet, positioned like a sprinter in the starting blocks. Now quickly switch leg positions as many times as you can for 60 seconds.
