Intervals | Time to Sprint

Is your goal to burn fat?  Then you better make intervals a key part of your program.  I discussed the benefits of Tabatas earlier this week, but what if you are a runner?  Can any runner make intervals a part of their routine?  You bet!  Speed work and sprints are not only going to help you burn more fat, but they will also make you stronger in certain points of a race, especially when trying to cross the finish line with nothing left!

There is a certain magic to doing intervals that they have an ability to continue burning fat and calories event after you leave the gym.  Here's the real science, your body is not able to bring in enough Oxygen during periods of hard work and you start to accumulate a "debt" of oxygen that must be repaid post workout.  Your body must help you recover and bring you back to your normal.  This leaves your metabolism revved for hours after you leave the gym.  This is what we like to call excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC.  

Intervals should be made into a regular part of your routine for the best results.  You can always start with slower intervals with more rest to work.  As you improve, shorten the amount of rest you take or make the interval faster.  Ideally, interval training is best when you complete it a couple times a week.  Make sure to have at least one rest day in between.

On to the next point, how do they make you stronger/faster?  Intense intervals stimulate muscle building hormones, which help you to build lean mass.  You will also be developing your cardiovascular system at the same time.  This will increase your cardio ability and strengthen the heart.  Not only will you be able to push harder and harder the more you improve, but you will be able to recover faster and faster!

Here is a treadmill sprint workout for an intermediate to advanced athlete:

1 minute Sprint

90 second Recovery

1 minute Sprint at 3% incline

90 second Recovery

1 minute Sprint at 6% incline

90 second Recovery

1 minute Sprint at 9% incline

90 second Recovery

1 minute Sprint at 12% incline

2-3 minutes Complete Rest

Repeat three to six times depending on level of conditioning.  Recovery should be light walking while complete rest means to stop.  Do this by jumping your feet to the sideboards of the treadmill.

Be sure to include at least 5 minutes of warm-up and a good walking cool down with light stretching.  Post number of sets to comments.

Good Luck! Em

FITNESS & FASHION | Nike Fuelband, Fitbit Flex, & Up by Jawbone

I love a good fitness gadget and these 3 are at the top of my list.  What an awesome constant motivator to move and exercise.  If you always have a competitive nature like myself, you will constantly be pushing yourself to do more.  Other than being competitive, I am super analytic.  I love numbers, charts, graphs and visuals, and these devices will give me just that.  I personally love Nike gadgets, but the other 2 can do a few things that the Nike Fuelband can't, such as track your sleep/quality of sleep and food intake.  The Up will even go so far as to help you take the perfect power nap.  It has a silent vibration wake alarm that if you set for 25 minutes, will wake you 25 minutes after you actually fall asleep!  Overall, these cool gadgets will get you set on the right page when you need to be.  What do you think?  The next hot thing, or completely overrated?

Nike Fuel band ($149)

Fitbit Flex ($99.95)

Up by Jawbone ($129.99)

Birthday Blogger

23 | Review of the Year:

• First job in the clinical setting
• Ran a PR half marathon
• Celebrated my sister's marriage & her courageous move to Okinawa
• Toured Niagara Falls
• Moved half way across the country (ND to MA... road trip!)
• Moved from a small town to the city
• Visited Paul Revere & Robert Frost's place of residence
• Moved in with my boyfriend (of 5 years) and am loving it! :)
• Swam in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time
• Ate lobster, oysters on the half shell, and a cannoli in the North End (another first) 
• Went to my first Red Sox game
• Hiked the Quechee Gorge
• Started working in corporate health promotion
• Enjoyed an Army Navy Football game in Philly (I enjoyed the Philly Cheesesteak too!)
• Re-learned how to ice skate (in the Boston Common)
• Made a lot of new friends
• Met my little sister from Denmark (staying with my family in SD)
• Drove through NYC
• Spent quality time with my family
• Found passion in my work

It has been a great year, I can't wait to see what this next year has to offer.  I am truly blessed and love my life!

oxox, Em