Hey everybody, I wanted to share with you a Cardio routine I’ve been using that is yielding some pretty awesome results. It is called Interval Training. Yes, I know, it’s kind of a fad right now, but it has really been helping me. The basics of it are very simple, you alternate “intervals” of high intensity sprinting with intervals of medium intensity running. If you research it online, a lot of people will suggest that you sprint for 1 minute, run lightly (or about half the speed of your sprint) for two minutes, rest for about 30 seconds, and repeat the series 2-5 more times. If you want a tougher workout, increase it to 10 intervals of each. Well, that’s not quite how I did it. After all I’m not training to run a marathon or anything, and I didn’t want to get bogged down and feel horrible after my first try (I’d never do it again!). So I started a little easier:
1st Interval - Light Running for 2 minutes 2nd Interval - Sprint for 40 seconds 3rd Interval - Walk for 2 minutes Then I repeated it once! (I told you, I didn’t want to burn out!)
I followed this routine for about 3 days… and realized it was a little too easy so I added a 3rd set of Intervals for the next couple of days. Pretty much, I just kept adjusting it, going so far as to remove the Walking Interval completely, and this made it a lot more challenging. If I noticed one day that I did not feel quite as challenged at the end as I had the day before, then the next day I’d try to sprint or run a little faster (never longer because I was on a time constraint). After all the adjustments I ended up with this setup:
1st Interval - Sprint for 40 seconds 2nd Interval - Run for 2 minutes
Repeat this 2 more times with no rest interval, and then finish with one last Interval of Sprinting, and this is where I'd really push myself to give it my all. With this setup I end up running for about 9 minutes, and run approximately 1.5 miles. This may not sound like much, but when you push yourself to your top speed you end up feeling like you ran 10 miles. On rainy days I would move inside on the treadmill. I changed things just a little bit sense the treadmill was set up on a quarter mile lap system. So I would sprint 1 lap and run 1 lap. This ends up taking a little more time but it is also a greater distance. However, I also felt like a treadmill wasn't the same workout as running outside, so I think the greater time and distance make up for it. So if anyone would like to try this, I encourage it. But I do suggest starting slow, and working your way up. Feel your own pace and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Also, make sure you warm up for about 5 minutes before, I suggest to just walk, do some high knee and butt kicker steps, and you'll be good to go. The real judge is to see how you feel after your run. Once I get a drink of water, shower, and catch my breath, I feel great. This exercise doesn't make me feel languid and drained for the rest of the day, and I think that is the most important part, not to mention the results I’ve seen. I started this process 6 weeks ago, and would run 5 or 6 days out of the week, combine that with a well balanced healthy diet, and I’ve managed to lose 18 lbs. -Mike Davis- http://iwillbeanactor.blogspot.com
