Confusing state of affairs.
Following on from yesterdays challenge post I have decided to offer some workouts to you all in order to give you some inspiration. Fat loss training can sometimes be an exasperating experience and feel like you are simply going through the motions with little or no progress. It doesn't help that the majority of fitness information out there often directly contradicts itself and others leading to a confusing state of affairs.
Even the Spartans are confused.
We often align ourselves and invest in certain exercise programs or systems in the hope that it will yield the wondrous results that we desire. The truth of the matter is that there is no magical program to solve your problems out there but we can look at what has been shown to be effective. At the other end of the spectrum, I often see trainees in the gym unsure of how to approach their fat-loss training who end up sitting on a treadmill or bike rather aimlessly. So the solution I offer you is the fast, furious but most of effective concept of interval training.
Arnie approves!
1. Interval Training
Goal: Fat Loss
Time: Around 20-30 mins
When: 1-3 times a week (depending on how fat-loss focused you are)
Equipment: Stationary bike, running or preferred cardio equipment.
Why: Superior to steady-state cardiovascular work for fitness and fat loss and only a fraction of the time.
Get sexy, Do intervals!
Warm-up 5 mins at a steady pace, then pick an option below.
Option 1: 15 sec sprint, 45 sec rest x 6-10 intervals.
Option 2: 30 sec sprint, 90 sec rest x 6-10 intervals.
Option 3: 60 sec sprint, 120 sec rest x 6-10 intervals.
Progression: You can increase the difficulty as you get fitter in several ways.
- Increase the number of intervals.
- Decrease the rest, all these current templates have a 3:1 work: rest ratio. You can reduce the rest and move towards a 2:1 ratio.
3.Increase the resistance of the movement i.e. increase the level of the bike or speed of the treadmill etc
Conclusion: Fast, effective and challenging. You will see improvements in aerobic and anaerobic fitness while losing fat. Enjoy!