High Intensity Interval Training

High Intensity Interval Training

I am a big fan of this type of workout. You will burn more fat in half the time and it will actually help your body to naturally produce HGH (human growth hormone) which helps keep us young and healthy. For those of you are unfamiliar with this type of workout I will give you a basic overview. If you are already a "runner" you can use a treadmill. If you are not really a runner you can do a similar workout on an elliptical machine and work your way up to a treadmill.

First off, try to find the machine at your gym that cycles through speeds quickly. (I like the FreeMotion incline runner.) It can be a pain in the ass if you have to keep pressing the speed button while you are trying to run fast or it takes forever for the machine to get up to speed.

For the first minute do a brisk walk.

Minute 0:00-1:00 = 3.0 mph (depending on you level and the machine, but this is my routine)

After the first minute start a light jog until just before minute 3:00.

Minute 1:00-2:50 = 5.0-5.5 mph (again this is my routine, you may have to adjust your speeds)

Now at the 2 minute 50 second mark I start pushing up the speed. I have gaged that the machine I use takes about 10 seconds "to get up to speed" thus why I start at minute 2:50.... if your machine is slower then start earlier... the reason being is you want to be "up to target speed" by minute 3:00.

At minute 3:00 you are going to go ALL OUT.... I mean sprint like your life depended on it for 15-30 seconds (again this is depending on your level... I go about 20 seconds).

Minute 3:00-3:30 = 9.5-10.5 mph (like I said you want to go ALL out, but again-adjust according to your own fitness level).

At this point you are running so fast and you are pushing yourself so hard that I don't recommend you try to lower the speed.... just grab the handrails and "jump off" the treadmill to the "sides" of the machine.... and THEN lower your speed to what your minute 1:00-2:50 jog was.

Minute 3:30-3:50 = "jump off", lower speed, rest and just get on the machine in your "jog speed" just in time to speed up again....So at this point it takes about 15 seconds just to lower the speed back to a jog and catch your breath.... I usually jump back on at 5.5 mph around the 3:35-3:40 mark, so I am able to start pushing up the speed by the time it gets to the 3:50 mark.....

This is the basic jog, sprint, rest timing you need for interval training. I repeat this 8 times so by the time I get to minute 10:00 it is my last "sprint"....

Minute 11:00-13:00 = 4.5 mph, I do a light jog to cool down a little.

At this point you can do one of two things.....

1. Continue a "static run" until you get to the 20 or 30 minute mark. A static run is basic jog without any huge changes in speed. So if I were to go this route I would just continue at 4.5 maybe pushing it up to 5.5 mph.

OR.....This is where I get all the weird looks at the gym......

2. You do a DEAD stop for five minutes. Get off the machine and stand there. Yes, just stand there. I actually keep the treadmill on 0.5 mph (as slow as it will go) just so the clock will keep time for me. I don't walk on it though. I stand behind the machine and wait for minute 18:00.

Minute 13:00-18:00 = 0.0 mph. Stand there and do NADA.

From research I have done the theory is: fat cells that are floating around in your bloodstream (which were released there from the sprinting) will take the five minutes to dump into your liver. Why is this good? Because in minutes 18:00-30:00 or beyond (you can go to 40 or 50 minutes if you want), you do a "static run" which will burn off these fat cells that just got delivered to your liver. At least that is how it was explained to me. I might have the science wrong, but hey, it sounds good! LOL! And I have noticed huge results with it. I only go to minute 30:00 too.... so my "static run" is about 12 minutes....

Minute 18:00-30:00 = 4.5-5.5 mph jog/run

I do this 3 times a week. If you really want to see major results do this with a low carb day if you are "carb cycling". I will talk about that more in later posts. If you try this method please let me know how it works for you! Happy sprinting!!!!