Rule number 1: don't beat yourself down if you don't achieve your goals as successfully as you intended. BUT get back on track as soon as you realize you're off! The good news is that some great changes are in store for me...but they probably won't happen on this blogspot. Stay tuned for more info....
Rule number 2: Turn it into a Lesson!
On Again Off Again refers to more than just my dedication to this blog. It also refers to INTERVAL TRAINING!
Of course, interval training doesn't mean exercising one week and resting for 2 weeks. It refers to much smaller intervals that happen within a single training session.
Intervals are GREAT for:
- Burning a lot of calories in a shorter time frame
- Improving your performance in either speed or endurance or both!
- Putting a spark in your workout when you've become bored with it
- Keeping your mind focused on how your body is responding to the workout (rather than what song is next on your iPod)
So how do you do interval training?
You may have to experiment with the times, based on your own fitness level, but I recommend that everyone start out with a 1:2 ratio. This means for every 1 (time period) you WORK, you will rest for 2 (time period).
For example, let's say you like to run. You can run at a steady pace for a whole hour, no problem. Well, what you'll do instead of running at a steady pace, you'll SPRINT (run as fast as you can) for 30 seconds. After that 30 seconds, you'll walk for one full minute. Note the 1:2 ratio. Repeat this 10 times. Ultimately, you will sprint for 5 minutes, with a full minute of recovery in between each sprint.
Don't worry if the first 2 or three seem easy, it will get tougher. If after 5 repetitions it still seems easy, then try decreasing your rest time so that you have a 1:1 ratio (or you could increase the Work time accordingly).
Your body will tell you if you need more rest vs. more work. But be sure you are still challenging yourself. You should feel comfortably uncomfortable. It should be difficult, and you should be all out fatigued at the end of your work period, but your recovery period should be long enough to allow you to be able to do it again!
Imagine you are someone who wants to improve their time to run a mile. Intervals are a great way to do so! After warming up a bit, start running at your goal pace. Maintain that pace as long as you can and take note of that time. Walk for your recovery, but walk 2x the time you ran at your goal pace (remember 1:2 ratio). At the end of the recovery period, begin running at the goal pace again. Repeat this interval several times, and for several training days. After 3 training days at this interval, reduce your recovery period so that you have a 1:1 ratio. Train with this ratio for several days...you might need more than 3 at this interval or you might not. When you feel ready for another challenge, INCREASE your work time to double, but MAINTAIN the same recovery period. Now, you have an interval that is 2:1. Try it on for size. If it is too difficult, increase the recovery time, but keep the work time the same.
Continue in this manner, slowly increasing work and decreasing recovery until ultimately you are running the full mile at your goal pace!
At that point, be ready with your next goal!
Of course, this doesn't apply only to running. Lately, I've been using the stair mill at the gym. I hate the stair mill. Using intervals, I have worked up to running -- yes, running on the stair mill -- at level 20 (I don't think it goes higher on this particular model) for one minute and one minute of rest. That really gets my heart rate up and gets me burning lots of calories!
Tell me what you plan on doing with Interval Training!
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