Don't plan on reading a magazine while you do these workouts. You're entering a no-slacking zone.By Annabelle Robertson WebMD Feature
Looking to blast calories? Get ready -- it's going to be intense.
"It’s got to be high intensity, whatever the workout is, if you’re going to torch calories -- not just burn them,” says Bret Emery, a behavioral psychologist and weight loss specialist based in Weston, Fla. “Heart rate is key. That’s the speedometer of the body. If we speed the body up, it will burn more calories, just as a car will burn more fuel if it speeds up.”
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Also, you need to mix up your workouts so they stay challenging. This will help keep your heart rate up and force your body to burn more calories, Weston says.
The following workouts will zap calories, but they’ll also push your body way past your comfort zone. So check with your doctor before taking on the challenge. Don't just tell your doctor you want to work out -- let him or her know exactly what you're planning to do. That way, your doctor can make sure you're ready.
If you're not active now, remember that it is better to ease into exercise in order to help prevent injury. Even though you may want to go all-out immediately, it's wiser not to.
Interval training is all about challenge and recovery -- over and over -- for a cardio blast.
You can do intervals many different ways -- running, on any sort of cardio equipment, or in a pool.
This particular workout -- which comes from Michael Banks, certified personal trainer and owner of Body by Banks Corporation in Salt Lake City -- uses a treadmill. If you're already fit, you can add dumbbells for an extra challenge.
1. Warm Up: On the treadmill, with the incline set at a challenging angle, power walk at a speed of 3-3.5 for 7 minutes. Keep your elbows up above your heart. Stop, get off the treadmill, and stretch.
2. Sprint: Drop the incline to 0, increase the treadmill speed, and sprint hard for 30 seconds. Aim for 90% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring your speed down to 3 and walk for one minute.
3. Squats: Get off the treadmill and squat, with your bottom out to the rear and your legs slightly apart. Then jump from the squatting position into the air, landing in the same squat position as before. Do this for one set of 15 or 20, working your quadriceps. If you’re already in good shape, hold dumbbells by your sides.
4. Overhead Presses: Do 15 or 20 overhead presses with the weights, pushing them straight up and directly over your shoulders.
5. Sprint: Get back on the treadmill and sprint for 30 seconds (no incline). The goal is to be at 80% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, decrease your speed to 3.0 and walk for one minute.
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Looking for a way to drop extra pounds and get in shape ASAP? Then it may be time for you to start interval training.
Interval training combines short bursts of intense activity, called intervals, with periods of lower intensity, or rest periods. Switching between the two makes your body work harder, burning more calories faster than it would at a steady, moderate pace.
"You’ve got to be disciplined with it, but you don’t have to do it much, or for too long," says Doug Katona, a strength and conditioning coach who trains world-class athletes at his CrossFit Endurance gym in Newport Beach, Calif.
"Instead of 45 minutes on a recumbent bike, reading a magazine, give me 15 minutes of interval work," Katona says. "It will be more challenging, but the workout will go by a lot faster and you’ll really like what your body starts to look like. After a few sessions, you’ll actually enjoy the workouts."
How to Start Interval Training
In some sports, including swimming, you’ll stop between intervals. In others, such as running, you may keep running, only at a more relaxed pace. Or you may walk. It depends on your level of conditioning and what you hope to accomplish.
It's not just about how fast your heart is beating.
"The important thing about interval training is not the rate of activity; it’s the rate of recovery," Scott Nohejl, a champion rowing coach and founder of the Chatham Area Rowing Association in Savannah, Ga.
If you're not active now, talk to your doctor before you start an intense exercise program.
Walking or running: Warm up first, then mix short bursts of speed of varying lengths, or sprints, into your walk, run, or jog. Those bursts of speed may last 30 seconds to a minute. After each interval, slow down and let your heart rate come back down. Swimming: Swim a length, rest for 30 seconds, swim another length, and repeat until you've swum six lengths, suggests Guy Edson, technical director of the American Swimming Coaches Association. Two days later, aim for seven lengths with 30 seconds of rest, and so on. Then begin shortening your rest. Eventually, you'll do 10 lengths with 15 seconds of rest between lengths. Rowing: Row hard for two minutes, then rest for one minute, and repeat that cycle 10 times, Nohejl suggests. After two weeks, move up to three-minute intervals with one minute of rest.
You can also do intervals on a stationary bike or with a jump rope.
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