There has been evidence that shows that high intensity interval training provides the same benefits or maybe even be better  than longer workout routines with liberal breaks in between. High intensity interval training is exactly how it sounds, it consists of high intensity activities with “recovery breaks” in between activities. For example, sprinting for X minutes, jogging for Y minutes, then sprinting again, and repeat. This article provides you with an example of a routine “which essentially combines a long run and a visit to the weight room in about seven minutes” (The Scientific 7-Minute Workout By Gretchen Reynolds)

What high intensity training does for you is it effectively burns calories, pushing your body to its maximum capabilities allowing for high calorie burn during and after the workout. Interval training allows for a boost in metabolism and helps increase your endurance effectively, by requiring your body to recover itself in between intervals.

Putting the 2 together gives you high intensity interval training for more effective workouts and allows you to utilize time more efficiently (refer to the infographic below)

As always, if you have questions or requests Ask Me

Whilst preparing for competition, I try to work out twice a day. Once, and usually in the morning, I do a cardio session of around 45 minutes. This cardio is quite low-intensity and usually consists of walking on an incline treadmill or using the stairstepper. About 2 times per week I like to ‘step it up’ and I do some HIIT cardio.

I find HIIT cardio to be much better than steady-state cardio because:
a) I get bored easily
b) I hate running
c) long cardio sessions are said to deteriorate muscles (compare the body of a sprinter to the body of a marathon runner for a good idea of what I’m talking about) and I’m trying to grow mine, not break them down
d) I find that the intervals bring up my heart rate more which allows me to burn through more calories.

Then after my weights session (usually at night), I do about 40 mins of cardio. Again, I either use the stair stepper or the treadmill at a walk on incline or run in intervals.

The intervals I do are either sprinting for about 1 minute and then resting for 20 seconds before repeating it. Alternatively, I sometimes run for 1 minute, then walk for 2. There’s no set way to do HIIT and you don’t even have to do it on a treadmill but I do what keeps it interesting for me and what I feel works best for me.

As for the heart rate monitor, I’ve always wanted a Polar watch but to be honest, I just haven’t had enough money to purchase one because they are relatively expensive. Until I decide to invest in one, I’ll just use the heart rate monitor on the cardio machines at the gym. If you’re not at a gym, just put a 6 second timer on your phone, find your pulse (neck or wrist works best for me) and count how many beats you feel in the six seconds. Multiply that number by 10 and you’ve got a good estimate of your heart rate.

Check out http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=HIIT for more information on HIIT.

This is the full-body Crossfit workout I did on Tuesday that totally left me collapsed in Eisenhower park and I loved it. A lot of work here, but if you want to make that 30-minute workout count, you have to go hard!

Squat Jumps

There’s no equipment needed, just your interval timer.  And as usual, if you are not sure on how to do these specific exercises, you can find detailed videos on YouTube, so go after it! I promise, in the next month or so, I will have mini vids on each and every exercise I do.

10 seconds rest, 50 seconds work, repeat circuit 3 times for a total of 30 minutes.

1. High Jacks

2. Push Ups

3. Box Jumps (in a park you can use the benches instead)

4. Bicycle Crunches

5. Squat Jumps

6. Lying Leg Lifts

7. Split Lunges

8. Burpees

9. Bridge

10. Double Crunch

I don’t like traditional conditioning much. Steady-state cardio can be detrimental to your long-term physique goals, and I really don’t think you can get the most out of such workouts. Steady-state cardio, such as running on the treadmill at the same pace for long period of time (20+ minutes), causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone, which breaks down muscle tissue and causes you to retain/gain fat.

Hit intensity interval training (HIIT) or any other intense conditioning workout causes the release of anabolic hormones, such as growth hormone, while keeping cortisol at bay or negating its effects altogether. However, doing sprints on a treadmill is not very fun and can be dangerous (and doing sprints on the elliptical is just plain boring). Instead, I have listed a few workouts below that my clients and I do instead of looking like a hamster running on a wheel.

Kettlebell Swing Pyramids

This is my variation of a conditioning drill I picked up from strength and conditioning coach Dan John. Pick up 5 kettlebells of increasing weight: the first 2 should be pretty light, the 3rd should be moderate, and the last 2 should be pretty heavy. Line them up in front of you from lightest to heaviest. Now, select either 10 or 20 reps. That is the number of reps you are going to do with EACH kettlebell, up and down the line.

Start with the lightest and workout your way up to the heaviest, then go back down the line to the lightest. This works out so that you use the heaviest kettlebell once and the rest of them twice in one pyramid. Make sure to do all the reps at each kettlebell (if you lose track, start counting again from 1)! That’s one pyramid and either 90 or 180 reps – or more, if you lost count!  Select either a number of pyramids or a time and reach that goal.

Not only will this get your heart rate through the roof, but it will also help to build your posterior chain and increase your grip strength. Make sure to be explosive with each swing and not just go through the motions, all the power should come from your hips.

P.S. If you can swing the heaviest kettlebell without explosive movement, increase the weight.

Sprints

I really enjoy doing sprints because of my track and field background. These sprints can be done either on a track or on a big hill.

If you’re on a track, pick a distance between 50 and 200 meters (I like to do 100 meters). Then set a time for recovery depending on what you want to work on. A 1:1 to 1:2 work to rest ratio will work on power endurance and cause a big boost in metabolic rate and growth hormone output.  It’s also better for fat loss. A 1:3 to 1:4 work to rest ratio will help you develop speed and power as well as build up some big hamstrings. It’s better to choose this option if you’re not dieting strictly or just trying to keep body fat at bay.

If on a hill, sprint up the whole hill and then either walk or jog back. Hill sprints help to develop the quads as well as the hamstrings. You can also sprint down the hill as long as the grade is not too steep – be careful! This will help to develop speed by opening up your stride and increasing your turnover rate, but it is not very good for fat burning.

Regardless of whether you sprint on a track or up a hill, you’ll want to keep your total distance under 1000 meters.  Remember to wear a watch or have someone time you to keep track of your rest time!

Strongman Circuits

While strongman training is typically done as strength training, it can also be used for conditioning. Strongman training usually includes a lot of grip and posterior chain work, which most people need to improve. Farmer’s walks, tire flips, log clean and press, sand bag work, and other strongman training can be used as conditioning tools when used with slightly lighter weight.

These should be done one after another, with sprints or jump rope in between exercises, or whatever you want to do. Experiment with rest periods, weights, distance, and other variables to find what works for you and your goals.

If your goal is fat loss, try to keep your rest periods shorter, incorporate active rest, and use slightly lighter weights. If strength and building muscle mass while keeping fat off is your goal, then use longer rest periods and heavier weights.

“Torture Hour” Training

I picked this style of training up from my girlfriend. This is a MMA style workout is extremely intense and caution should be used before attempting it. (Seriously, I did this once when I was dehydrated. Nearly threw up.) Work time is either 2-3 minutes with 30-15 seconds rest. Pick 10 body weight exercises, and perform one exercise per round. You will probably have to take mini breaks during the sets which is okay, just try as hard as possible to perform the chosen exercise for the entire time. You should be exhausted by the time you finish – I wind up sprawled on the mat gasping for air by the end.

Although this workout is meant to be done in about 30 minutes, you can follow up with heavy bag work or target work to make it a full hour (if you have access to those things).

Heavy Bag Work

I like martial arts and nothing takes the stress away quite like beating the crap out of something. Make sure you have experience with a heavy bag and have the proper equipment (such as gloves). There are two ways I will typically do this:

1) Like the torture hour training, pick about 10 techniques and do them for 2-3 minutes but rest 15-60 seconds. Pick different variations and combinations of knees, kicks, elbows, and punches.

2) Set a round timer for 2-5 minutes. Work the bag at random, using combinations as well as single strikes, much as you would in a fight.

Hiking

Sometimes you need to just get out of the house and gym and get some nature time. Not only is hiking relaxing and fun, but you also burn fat because most of what you do is walking. Walking helps to promote recovery by getting blood moving while not tiring you out.  Plus, 80-90% of the calories you burn while walking will be fat!

This could be a 1 hour hike or it could be 10 mile hike that takes all day. Pick a trail and get outside. Just make sure that you have the proper items to be safe while hiking, especially in extreme weather conditions (water, food, first aid kit(s), and proper clothing).

I could say that you should just go for a walk, but going hiking is way more fun! You could also go kayaking, rock climbing, play sports,  or whatever other outdoor activities you enjoy. I don’t recommend hiking or other outdoor activities when preparing for a bodybuilding competition unless you have a way ofaccurately keeping track of your intensity, duration, and calories burned.

So which one works best? The one you will do and “enjoy.” The kettlebell pyramid is great when you’re short on time.  Got a bit more time? Try torture hour. Day off or just need a break from the gym? Go for a hike. Choose the conditioning workout that you like and that will get you closer to your goals.

Let me know via e-mail what questions you have related to conditioning!

The more I trained using various methods, the more I realized there was something missing.  I noticed that even though I was significantly more fit than most of my peers, my experience in training was not the same as the “younger crowd.” The higher my fitness level became, the more I realized the value of fitness and lifestyle factors that I paid less attention to in the past. This is true for almost any athlete seeking higher levels of performance and capacity. Any inexperienced athlete can make quick and sometimes astonishing gains.

40fit programming is based on my own personal experiences as an athlete, evidenced based science and the collective experiences of the community. The programming model is a conjugate of these inputs and represents an adaptive construct to support the maximum genetic potential of each individual athlete. There is no one system that can meet the needs of all individuals, and anyone who would tell you otherwise is selling something for the purposes of selling something. The programming in the training model will constantly change and be a work in progress. We will not follow fads or training techniques just because someone else recommends them or they have become sexy. The foundation of any training should be based on what works, not what sells. I know that puts us at a significant disadvantage to spread the word, but I hope that the results of those who engage in our training will be evidence enough. The overall structure of programming is more important than the specific exercises. Not to say that some exercises aren’t better than others, but the volume, frequency, duration, and progression of the programming creates the foundation for everything else to work within.

There is no cost associated with using the masters programming. Individuals can request personalized programming on a fee for service basis. Competition programming is also available.

I must stress that if you want to be a competitive athlete, and you have already developed a significant base of fitness that is at an intermediate to advanced level, you should follow personalized or competitive programming! Athletes that have developed higher levels of performance should be ranking in the top 10% of their classes either on an open, regional or world level.

Masters Programming Model

Programming is a conjugated model supported by the following principles;

Masters athletes should train in a method that reflects their age, genetic potential, environment and desired goals.

Programming should be consistent with the lifespan, experience and potential of the athlete and should progress from general to specific based on these factors

Mobility and stability are the two most important determinants to human movement

Mobility and stability have an inter-relationship and must be balanced

General physical preparedness (GPP) and fitness are the primary goal and competitive fitness is secondary

Strength and mobility are the foundation for all other fitness factors, which include power, endurance, stamina, balance, agility, coordination, accuracy

Programming Structure

Weekly programming is for general fitness (GPP) and based on;

5-6 days per week of training

No more than 3 HIIT (CrossFit style workouts)

Mobility/Flexibility performed daily and then tapered as needed

Strengthening movements for both barbell and weightlifing performed 4-5 days per week (clean, snatch, jerk, squats, presses, bench press, deadlifts, thrusters, etc…)

Mono-structural endurance workouts 2 days per week

Training Interval Structure

2 on – 1 off

3 on – 1 off

3 on – 2 off

5 on- 2 off

All training should be supported by proper diet/nutrition/supplements, rest, and recovery, and training should be modified if fitness and lifestyle markers are not being positively affected. A general sense of wellness should be perceived when the program is being applied correctly to an athlete. Your specific on/off cycle should be directed by how your body recovers. A sense of readiness and positive adaptation should be present with whatever on/off cycle you choose. Programming will start with a basic foundation of mobility and strength. Without mobility, movement tolerances and mechanics are affected and aches/pains start showing up that don’t need to be there. Each athlete should also focus on basic barbell strength work for improvement in not only strength but tissue acceptance to dynamic loads.

In the last few weeks, I started getting up around 6:30 in the morning (which I haven’t done for a while) and started doing “Tabata” training.  The Tabata method was developed by Japanese scientist, Izumi Tabata.  It involves doing eight sets of ”all out” intensity cardio/callisthenic exercises, done in twenty second on/ten second off intervals.  It takes all of four minutes to complete.  His research found that athletes who utilized this method five days a week for six weeks experienced a greater increase in their aerobic fitness than athletes who performed moderately intense cycling for an hour during that same period.  These same athletes also saw increases in their anaerobic capacity while the cyclists did not. The results sounded compelling so I decided that I would try this.

I figured that I had two things  had to do before starting.  The first was to choose my self-torture methods:

• Kettlebell swings (left hand)
• Mountainclimbers
• Kettlebell swings (right hand)
• Sumo jump squats (with kettlebell)
• Kettlebell clean and press (left hand)
• Cable rows in squat position
• Kettlebell clean and press (right hand)
• Hindu pushups

Next I needed a timer better than the simple timer I had in my basement gym.  I downloaded an app for my iPhone called Seconds Pro.  I found one that allows me to to type in the exercises, the time I want to perform them as well as the rest period between each exercise.  As an added benefit, when starting the timer, it can be set to read aloud each exercise and the time I will perform it.  The only funky thing about it is the robot voice that phonetically reads the routines.  Otherwise it was the perfect tool for the job and well worth the 4 bucks I paid for it.

The first morning I went to attempt this, my first daughter who got up a few minutes before I did was already downstairs walking on the treadmill.  I plugged my iPhone into the sound system and started the timer up.  “Kettlebell swings right for 20 seconds…” in her best robotic voice, and my kettlebell is swinging.  “3-2-1…Rest for 10 seconds…”.  It was a short twenty seconds, but an even shorter ten seconds. “3-2-1…Mountainclimbers for 20 seconds…” and so it goes. And because I set it to the repeat the whole routine three times with a one-minute rest period between each complete Tabata set, at the end of my first set of Hindu push ups, little Miss Timer goes “3-2-1…Rest for one minute”. The best one minute ever.

At the end of the second Tabata set, I am breathing hard.  Those exercises seemed so harmless when I started, now and I wondering what have I done.  By the time I finish my third and final set, my heart is pounding and I am really huffing and puffing.  I walk upstairs and when I see my wife, who is in her office, I can hardly talk.  I felt like  got hit by an invisible bus or something.  I hydrated, washed up, and got dressed and started my day.

I would have thought that after a few periods of this, it would get easier. While I found that I could push the intensity a little harder each time, my heart still beats like crazy.  I guess when I first read about the Tabata training, the intensity sounded so tough I thought it would be too tough to do.  

I am enjoing doing these Tabatas, but the fact that I am able to complete three rounds of this grueling workout, leads me to wonder, am I really doing these as prescribed?  Are these what Professor Tabata would have approved, or should I be wiped out after the four-minute workout?

What do you workout buffs think? Please respond!

We are supposed to be getting quite a bit of rain over the next couple of days so when I saw the sun rising this morning I took advantage of the nice weather and started with a morning run.

Sunrise

I was getting impatient when my Garmin could not locate satellites immediately and decided to just start running.I had run about half a mile before it noticed I was actually moving. I ended up running a little closer to 4 miles but this is what my Garmin recorded:I drove over to the gym and headed in for a brand new workout!

Burpee-based HIIT

• 90 second Tricep Pull Downs
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second Lateral Raises
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second Bicep Curls
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second Alternating Lunges
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second TRX Push Ups
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second KB Swings
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second Squats
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second Core Crawl Push Ups
  -10 Burpees
• 90 second Ball Slams
  -10 Burpees

Complete as many reps as possible in 90 seconds then immediately begin the 10 burpees. I rested for about 30 seconds after each set of burpees. Not a fan of burpees?! Try doing 20 squat jumps, plyo lunges, mountain climbers, or a sprint instead!I really enjoyed this workout. Yes, burpees can be evil. But my body was craving some intensity and my heart rate stayed elevated. I think I got some extra energy from last night’s workout.

Can you guess what I had for breakfast? Just another amazing Vega protein shake. (Minus the usual 1/2 banana)I ended up drinking this on my way to work because I was busy packing my meals for today:

1/4 cup mixed nuts, apple, salad & asparagus

And now I’m sipping on my Gingerberry Kombucha which is extra berry-tasting today!

Super refreshing! Hope you’re having a great day!

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”  - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

Working out is not just about strengthening your muscles and becoming more fit; it is one way to be a more faithful steward of the body that God has given you. As you exercise, I encourage you to devote the practice to the Lord. Pray that He would bless the time that you spend working out by awakening your heart to what it means to worship and honor Him with your body, soul, and spirit.

Workout

Tabata training, a type of high intensity interval training, inspired today’s Wellness Wednesday workout, which alternates between short, vigorous periods of leg work and shorter periods of rest. Traditionally, Tabata training follows this format:

-       20 seconds of very high intensity exercise

-       10 seconds of rest

-       Repeat 8 times for 4 minutes

Originally used by Japanese athletes to boost their cardiovascular threshold and to improve performance, this style of training enables exercisers to reap the benefits of intense exercise in a relatively short period of time.

Like a traditional Tabata-style workout, this leg workout incorporates 20-second intervals of work with 10-second intervals of rest. However, it is unique in that you will perform 11 exercises back-to-back, rest for about 1 minute, and repeat the entire sequence 4 times. The workout, which takes about 25 minutes to complete, leaves your legs burning and your heart pounding. It’s a great way to squeeze in some effective exercise when you only have a half hour or so to devote to physical activity.

I pray that God would use your exercise to make you into the strongest version of yourself that you have ever known! I encourage you to focus on Him as you work out, and remember that He desires to transform you both inside and out. May He use your newfound strength to bring glory to His Kingdom!

Sincerely,

Marcela  Matallana

Tanita-HD-372-bathroom-scale-l (Photo credit: Thinking Tree)

I am one week into my life reset & the progress so far has been positive. Not all of it in the right direction, but in general I have achieved some major health gains.

Below are some physical measurements I am keeping note of. I will only post them when I think it’s necessary & educational & I thought I’d give up today’s numbers because we could all learn something from them. Keep in mind I’m not showing my water % here, but this morning it was actually up 0.3% on last week & so the fat change value is pretty accurate. Mind you these are all calculated on a home body composition machine & the way I use my measuring tape won’t be the same all of the time so these numbers won’t ever be exact. Speaking of which I just found out the proper way to measure ones waist (at or just above the belly button, I was below, which gives a slightly larger figure so to speak ). So I have reduced my initial number by half an inch.

Below is a summary of the changes.

So what does this all mean?

Looking just at the first column in the summary table you might think to yourself, wow that’s a pretty good weight reduction right there. However, it’s not that great due to the fact that I’ve actually reduced muscle mass more than fat. In all honestly though I am more concerned with the last column. I am very happy seeing my waist size go down as it just so happens waist size matters & visceral belly fat is not only ugly, but life threatening.

Okay so just a little heads up on how this all came to be in the past seven days.

I basically went extremely low carb (almost none), which included two fast days (where only dinner was allowed & these days were mainly for detoxing the body of previous sugar in my diet), a daily freshly pressed green juice, & I just ate real food such as boiled meats, chicken, healthy fats like coconut oil, & a whole lot of home made bone broth. The broth is key for anyone trying to gain health because on it’s own it packs a very nutritionally dense punch, but when you add it to a meal, woo-hoo! You just get vitamins & minerals you never would have gotten without it. Do not underestimate the power of the broth!

Is extremely low carb the way to health gain long-term? Nope. You see while the above numbers paint a picture of weight reduction there are other factors to consider here. I am keeping note of these other factors also, but will mention two that have directly affected me the past week.

1. Movement in terms of exercise. My performance has taken quite a hit. My HIIT cardio sprints took a dive yesterday where I couldn’t complete it. I barely got through half my 20 minute routine. Reason? Not enough carbs. Obviously I wasn’t getting enough energy from the fats & protein & my body was screaming for more when I just ran out. Carbs could have helped with this.
2. Movement in terms of the bowel. Yep I talk about poo so if that upsets you get over it (who wants to be under it right). You poo, I poo, we all poo! You should be having at least one movement a day… not happening for me since going extremely low to no carb.

I would not recommend restricting your carbs to the level I did long term (specifically more than one week) as you’re really asking for trouble down the line. I mean in less than a week I lost muscle, stamina, endurance, & my ability to eliminate toxins from my body on a regular basis. Even though I was consuming quality whole foods, eating to fullness, & feeling satisfied after & in between every meal, I still experienced some negative outcomes.

Now short term on an extremely low carb diet (a few days at most) & you might be onto something. You could do this like me as a way to detox, but I went pretty extreme. I think I gained most benefit by just eating real food & getting rid of the two major inflammatory ‘foods’, sugar & gluten, that I was consuming daily before my lifestyle reset adventure began. So even if you just remove these two ‘foods’ from your diet you’re bound to see some health gain. Just don’t restrict the fruits & veges or you might get some unwanted side effects.

I did gain a few noticeable advantages over the  past week. My mind is much clearer & more focused than it has been in a long time & my appetite has levelled out to the point where I can deal with three appropriately proportioned sized meals a day. Compare this to my previous need for food throughout the day & I would say that is a huge win (hey, procrastinating on my studies had made me really hungry). My sugar cravings have also taken a nose dive & that is a huge relief. In fact it was my sisters birthday this past Monday & guess who had to buy the cake? Me! But you know what, it was all good in the sugar-free hood that I now reside. The cake looked about as appetising as the box it came in. Seriously how are sugar & gluten going to nourish me? They won’t. In fact it’s going to take vital nutrients out of my system just to deal with those two bad boys. Mindset people. It is the key to all that ails ya. Cake is no longer a ‘food’ for me at this point in my adventure. Never say never though.

So what lessons have I learned? Be aware of the positives & negatives in whatever diet or lifestyle you choose to go with. Listen to your body for any signs that maybe you need to change something as I had to. I know now that my level of activity requires more energy & I need to find the right level of fats, proteins, & carbs that will meet that level & perhaps even exceed it.

Remember one key thing: quality is of utmost importance when selecting nourishing foods. When I talk about carbs I’m focusing on real carbs, whole foods, fruits & vegetables. I am not going to increase my carb intake by eating a bowel of Coco Pops or PB & J sandwiches. I just need to eat more of a variety of vegetables instead of just one green juice a day!

Work in progress though right.

Here is to more veges.

Peace & take care out there.

Here is a link that gives you more detail about the Stability Ball – Plank Push-Up

Make fitting The Box by MCycle a priority in your workout schedule each week. You know what they say…if you fail to plan you can ultimately plan to fail. The Box by MCycle has made it easy for you to avoid this. Make it a priority just like you do all of your visits to MCycle. We are a part of the MCycle family here at The Box and we want you to experience an explosive and dynamic way to work out. We PROMISE that you will take away great things from your training with us. You can just add to the list of options you have here at MCycle!

When you think The Box by MCycle, think INTENSITY. High intensity interval training to be exact. We specialize in functional movements, combined with excellent training by CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coaches, performed at high intensities. You will push to your limits and beyond them with various types movements. Gone are the days of working out one-two body parts for 90 minutes a day. Get an ENTIRE FULL BODY workout in an hour or less. Every time. We promise!

This workout is similar to what you may have already experienced in our H.I.T. or circuit training workouts at MCycle Gym. We will warm you up to increase your flexibility and mobility and then it is time to WOD! We post the Workout Of the Day (WOD) to our Facebook page daily. From running and rowing to box jumps and rope jumping, rarely will you repeat the same WOD twice here. You will also learn proper Olympic weightlifting techniques and apply them in each day’s WOD. Unlike exercises like long distance running or cycling that focuses one training specific discipline, the WOD’s at The Box incorporate several different movements in each WOD. The intention is to always change it up and always keep your body guessing.

Come check us out after your next workout at MCycle. There is always room for one more awesome athlete inside The Box by MCycle. Add a new dimension to your MCycle training today!

Like us on Facebook today to get up-to-the-minute updates on what’s happening inside The Box.

In part 1 of this blog I discussed two training methods I believe should be an integral part of your training, one basic method for beginners or those new to exercise and one advanced method for more those more experienced and looking to really improve their performance. If you missed this blog then please check out the post titled ‘the Training methods you absolutely have to include in your programme part 1’.

In this blog I will carry on where I left off in part one, first off I will explain another basic training method followed by the more advanced one:

The basic method: Circuit training

A circuit training session is made up of a sequence of different exercises, repeated one after the other with little or no rest between each exercise; participants usually complete each exercise for a designated time before moving onto the next one. Once participants have completed all exercises in the sequence they usually rest for a period of time before repeating the sequence again, a designated number of times.

 Usually when you mention ‘circuit training’ people think back to the days of school PE session and dreaded rope climbs, this image of circuit training is harsh and misleading. When conducted properly in a well instructed, well motivated, safe environment it can not only be fun but also one of the best methods for improving all round fitness. From cardiovascular endurance to muscular strength, circuit training can improve most aspects of fitness and its flexibility makes it suitable for pretty much any sport. So what if you don’t want to improve your sports performance, you just want a 6 pack? Well a 60 minute session can burn up to 1200 kcal depending on how hard you are working, interested now? There are a number of things you need to decide when planning a circuit, these are as follows:

·         Number of exercises: I would usually suggest 10-15 exercises in each circuit with each consecutive station exercising a different part of the body, for example press ups followed by squats, followed by sit ups, followed by pull ups.

·         The time spent on each station: I would usually suggest exercising for time; this means that you still work hard during easy exercises as you complete more repetitions, anything up to 1 minute per exercise depending on fitness levels will be suitable.

·         The rest period between each station: you will need time to change between stations and maybe pick up equipment so anything from 5 seconds to 30 seconds depending on the difficulty of the exercises and fitness levels will be fine.

·         The number of times the sequence will be repeated: If you are a beginner I would suggest repeating a sequence of 10 exercises no more than twice, as your fitness improves you can increase the number of times through the sequence.

·         The rest period between sequences: You will need a rest period once you have completed each sequence where you can get a drink and fully recover before repeating, start at 3 minutes for beginners and work down to 1 minute as fitness improves.

 The advanced method: Strength and conditioning

Strength and conditioning training has become very popular in recent years with its use become more widespread in elite sports, it is a highly flexible training method and should not be limited to use by professional sportsmen and women. It is essentially a combination of weight training, circuit training, high intensity interval training and plyometrics. Due to its flexibility it is very easy to adapt training sessions to suit the needs of individual sports. These sessions are very tough and not for the inexperienced or unfit, even for an experienced athlete I would recommend not using this training method more than twice per week. Below I will give an example structure of strength and conditioning training sessions for you to adapt to meet your own sporting or physical needs.

·         Warm up with 6-8 dynamic mobility exercises. For example: lunges, squats, bear crawls, football kicks, butt kicks, high knees, football cross overs and crab walks. Complete each exercise 6-8 times over a distance of around 10 metres, twice.

·         Next complete a series of explosive jumps, hops and bounds to increase blood flow and heart rate. For example: high skips, bunny hops, single leg hops, explosive press ups, Burpees, hurdle jumps. Complete 2 sets of 4 exercises, with 4-6 reps in each set.

·         Now you should be fully warmed up so move onto the main set, I would recommend starting off the main set with a big compound lift such as a squat or deadlift combined with a cardiovascular exercise such as cycling or running. For example: pick a weight you could squat no more than 8 reps with, then complete 6 squats followed straight away by 2 minutes of cycling where you sprint for 15 seconds, then spin for 15 seconds repeated for the whole 2 minutes. Repeat this set 3-4 times depending on fitness, with 1 minute rest between sets.

·         For part 2 of the main set I would recommend a ‘Push and pull’ circuit or something similar, for example you could push a weighted sled 20m, then turn around and pull it back to the start, repeated 4-5 times with 30 seconds rest between sets. If you don’t have access to a weighted sled or something similar you could supplement push and pull exercises. For example: pulls ups and press ups, or bench press and upright row.

·         The last part of the main set should be a complete muscle and cardiovascular overload, there are a number of ways to achieve this, either with weights or a cardiovascular exercise such as rowing, I will give an example of both. Weight exercise overload: choose an exercise which uses a large number of muscles in the body such as the clean and press and then pick a weight you could complete no more than 10 reps with. Complete 5 repetitions of that exercise, on the minute, every minute for 5 minutes. So if you finish the 5 reps in 20 seconds then you have 40 seconds rest before the next set, if you are slower then you have less rest. Cardiovascular exercise overload: Complete 200m rowing flat out, rest for 1 minute, then row flat out for 150m, rest for 1 minute, row flat out for 100m, rest 1 minute then finally row flat out for 250m.

·         Finally warm down with 4-6 x 45 seconds at a steady, not slow pace of; running, rowing or cycling with 15 seconds rest between each effort. This may seem too taxing for a warm down but it will speed up the lactic acid clearance from your body which will have built up during the session.

Workout of the week:

If you are unsure what any of the exercises are, YouTube has excellent video demonstrations of all the exercises listed in this blog. You can also use it to check your form is correct.

This workout is aimed at those beginners who have never completed a circuit training session to give them an idea of what sort of session they should be completing. The only equipment you will need is a mat to lie on and a pull up bar. Complete the following exercises:

·         Press ups

·         V sit ups

·         Jump squats

·         Pull ups

·         Hanging knees to chest

·         Burpees

·         Wide arm press ups

·         Plank hold

·         Lunges

Complete 3 sets of the exercises above with 2 minutes rest between sets. For the first set complete each exercise for 30 seconds, the second for 45 seconds and the third for 20 seconds. Take 15 seconds  rest between each exercise if you need to.

Suggested warm-up:

1. 5-10 mins steady running/rowing/cycling/cross trainer
2. 6-10 dynamic flexibility movements such as lunges and deep squats (6 reps of each)
3. 5 press ups, 5 sit ups, 5 squats repeated 3 times (30 seconds rest)
4. 10 Burpees ( 30 seconds rest)
5. 10 press ups, 10 sit ups, 10 squats repeated 3 times (30 seconds rest)
6. 400m run at a challenging but comfortable pace (roughly your 10km speed)
7. Rest for 2 minutes and get ready to start!
8. Start workout!

]]> http://fitandfabulousat30.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/my-first-outdoor-run/ Tue, 07 May 2013 05:14:16 +0000 Courtney http://fitandfabulousat30.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/my-first-outdoor-run/ What a way to end my Monday! It was such a beautiful day! It was +30C! With my first ever outside the gym run! No treadmill. No watching my feet in the window. No staring at the same door on some persons house and wondering what goes on inside! It was SO nice! I’m so glad Alberta got the memo about spring finally! It was beautiful the entire  weekend and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Sunday I rested! I was pretty sore after my HIIT class Saturday! My calves are still sore! I did a bunch of walking but no run, no gym! I’m glad I did. Tonight I went to TRX. It was brutal. It was like HIIT but TRX style. A bunch of different exercises done 7 times each for 30 seconds with 10 seconds of rest in between. The worst part about this class was that I didn’t have a towel. I was dripping! I had sweat in my eyes and hands suck at wiping off sweat! I like that Mr.Trainer is changing it up but he is so confusing! I get used to one of his methods and he goes and throws this at us! The lack of rest is hard. I like my water when I work out! This one got my heart rate up big time. My butt hurts too. Mr.Trainer Invented a new exercise. We had one leg in the TRX in plank and he had us do a knee tuck then into plank with leg extension/lift. Ya try it. It sucked big time. I did like 5 good ones and then failed!

Then my run! I walked back home, got my arm band and more water and off I went. I didn’t really know what to expect! It was so different! It wasn’t all flat. There was wind and bugs. I kept to a nice main road and ran from my house to the last street possible then turned around. I ended up being just under 6k. I was tired by the end. My legs were done but I really enjoyed it. The scenery was so much better. The wind was nice too! Kept me dry, I didn’t even need a towel! I think I’m going to like this outside running thing! it’s going to take a while to get use to the road though. Bumps and cracks, uneven cement. Now I’m sore. Really sore! I’m probably going to be sore tomorrow too.

On a GREAT note I am down to 187. I am 7 pounds away from my goal weight. I will have lost a total of 70 lbs. Over 25% of my starting weight gone. I’m so close! My original date for completion was my 31st birthday but I think maybe I can hit it sooner! I’m going to start really watching my food. I haven’t decreased my calories yet so it might be time! I’ve been doing really well with my food but I can do better. Time to really up my veggies again! Salad a day here I come! I know I can do it! I think it might be time for a goal board. Or vision board. I think that’s what it is called. Time to revisit all those goals I have!

Courtney