Exercising for weight loss has always meant spending thirty to sixty minutes on a treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, etc. To me, nothing is more boring than running on a treadmill for that long. I did run outside which helped with boredom but my knees took a beating.
One day I found an article in Men?s Health that talked about interval training and how much more effective it is for weight loss when compared to sixty minutes of exercise on a treadmill, jogging at the same pace. What really attracted me to interval training is the length of time required to complete a workout; twenty to thirty minutes.
Interval training is not easy but instead requires an all out effort.
There are virtually endless way to perform interval training, some with equipment and some with out. The most basic form of interval training would have you walking for a minute, then running as fast as you can for a minute and continuing the cycle for twenty minutes.
I will work this basic interval program into my workouts, but only occasionally. In fact, because there are so many variations you can develop, I only perform the same interval program about once a month or so.
Here is an example of an interval cycle I perform, actually, this is the workout I did yesterday.
100 yard walking lunge
800 meter run
100 body weight squats
I live across the street from a high school track so I did the workout there. The idea was to complete the three exercises as quickly as possible, so the only equipment I need was a stop watch. It is also football season so the field had yardage markers on it making is very easy to complete the 100 yard walking lunge. When I finished the lunges, I completed two laps (800 meters) around the track as quickly as possible. Then I immediately started the 100 body weight squats, going very deep on each. Total time 14:38. In less than twenty minutes I completed an effective and intense workout.
Here are a few other routines I perform:
400 meter run
20 burpees
20 push ups
I complete five rounds moving as quickly as possible. This routine typically takes me 25 minutes to complete.
Peddle as quickly as possible for three minutes on a stationary bike.
15 Pull ups - Many times I have to put one foot on a chair to complete all 15.
15 Dips
Again, five rounds a quickly as possible for time.
400 meter run
30 box jumps - an exercise step works great for this. Standing in front of the step, jump onto the step then back off, repeat 30 times????.. Can you say OUCH!
20 body weight squats.
Complete five rounds for time.
When the weather turns cold, I don?t like exercising outside. I know it takes about 2:45 to complete a 400 meter run so I will run on the treadmill for three minutes. If my workout requires a 800 meter run, I go for six minutes.
It is difficult to overcome the exercise paradigm thinking you need at least 45 minutes of exercise. Let me share my success story with you. One of my old cardio routines had me peddling for 45 minutes. In that 45 minutes I would travel around seven miles. After two months on this program, I took that same 45 minute ride following the same course I always have. What I noticed was this, I did not push my body any harder than before, but at the end, my odometer told me I had traveled 9.3 miles! Not too shabby for 20 minutes 5 days week. My extra weight continues to come off and my body is taking on a shape this 47 year old man has not seen in sometime.
