Burst Training By J.J. Virgin
Maybe you’re like many of my clients whose athletic shoes are worn to a pulp. Why? They’ve spent the last year walking…and walking…and walking their way to fitness. At the break of dawn or after dinner, they put on their workout clothes and grab their IPODS to walk for 45 to 60 minutes.
And guess what?
Maybe they’ve lost a few pounds and then the progress just seems to get stuck.
The answer isn’t adding minutes to your walking routine. Walking is simply controlled falling and there is a law of diminishing returns here. You can walk your tootsies off and not get much for your efforts.
That’s why I want you to CUT DOWN YOUR EXERCISE TIME and make it work for you through burst training.
This is a special type of training that’s the most effective and efficient because it teaches your body to become a better fat burner.
Burst training is short, but intense periods of an exercise for 30 to 60 seconds. You should go hard enough to feel the way you did as a kid racing across the playground. Remember how your lungs and legs felt like they were on fire? You felt like you couldn’t go this fast for another second, but exhilarated that you did it. That’s bursting — and it’s my secret weight loss weapon.
A quick science lesson: When you burst instead of just going at a steady pace, you create lactic acid which in turn triggers the rise of Human Growth Hormone (HGH).
This is good stuff! In fact, movie stars pay big money to have HGH injected into them. It helps you hold onto or build more muscle mass, burn off fat weight and keeps your skin supple and younger looking.
Your body will also take more time to recover from bursting than traditional aerobic exercise which means a bigger boost to your metabolism post exercise.
How to Burst
You want to incorporate at least 4 minutes of total burst training every other day. Burst for 30-60 seconds with an active rest break between sets. Your bursts should be a 9-10 in terms of intensity on a scale of 1 to 10. You truly need to feel like you can’t go another second during your burst. If you can go more than a minute then go harder. The goal isn’t to exceed that one-minute mark, but to incorporate more intensity as you get better. In fact, you will be amazed at how quickly you get better.
Only you know what’s intense for you. Maybe your intensity is walking super fast or walking up a hill with more zeal. Or maybe you’ve been working out for a while and bursting to you will be a hard sprint. Challenge yourself and mix up your activities, so you don’t get bored.
MY FAVORITE WAYS TO BURST
* Sprint/walk. You set the intensity levels. Your sprint might be a really fast walk or walking up a hill.
* Stationary cycle. Go at level 0-1 at 70 rpm and then push up the level as high as possible while keeping the rpm’s over 100. To take it to the next level, stand up and cycle during your bursts.
* Stairs. Walk or run as many as you can in 30 seconds and then walk down and repeat. This is a great exercise if you’re out of town at a hotel.
* Jump rope. Jump as fast as possible for 30 seconds and then walk around to recover. This is another great one for out of town or if it’s cold/raining/windy out and you don’t feel leaving your house.
* Use a stationary stepping machine called the Xiser. It’s the most effective piece of equipment. It’s also portable and you can take it anywhere.