Would you like to burn more fat in less time? Well you can with these interval training workouts which are proven to increase metabolism and burn more fat than just doing exercises of steady intensity in the same time period.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends an aerobic heart training zone of 55% to 90% of the maximum heart rate to achieve cardiovascular exercise benefits.
Before you start the exercise programme below, please do the One Mile Walk Test evaluation, it will take fifteen to twenty minutes to do.
If you come in the “low aerobic fitness” category in the One Minute Walk Test, then you are in the right place to start shredding that fat!
You will need a heart rate monitor which you can pick up from Amazon for about $78 (£50). I highly recommend you use one as it will give you an indication of how effective your exercises are. It will tell you if you are exercising moderately, are in the aerobic weight management zone or in the peak aerobic fitness zone.
You will also reach your fitness goals a lot faster by monitoring your heart rate.
Warm-up: Walk @ 5.6km/hr (3.5mph) for five minutes or until you start to slightly sweat and you are slightly out of breathe;
Interval 1: Two minutes of fast walking @ 6.4km/hr (4mph), 60% of max heart rate;
Interval 2: One minute jog @ 8km/hr (5mph), 60% to 70% of max heart rate;
Interval 3: Two minutes of fast walking @ 6.4km/hr (4mph), 60% of max heart rate;
Interval 4: One minute jog @ 8km/hr (5mph), 60% to 70% of max heart rate;
Interval 5: Two minutes of fast walking @ 6.4km/hr (4mph), 60% of max heart rate;
Interval 6: One minute jog @ 8km/hr (5mph), 60% to 70% of max heart rate;
Interval 7: Two minutes of fast walking @ 6.4km/hr (4mph), 60% of max heart rate;
Interval 8: One minute jog @ 8km/hr (5mph), 60% to 70% of max heart rate;
Interval 9: Two minutes of fast walking @ 6.4km/hr (4mph), 60% of max heart rate;
Interval 10: One minute jog @ 8km/hr (5mph), 60% to 70% of max heart rate;
Interval 11: Two minutes of fast walking @ 6.4km/hr (4mph), 60% of max heart rate;
Interval 12: One minute jog @ 8km/hr (5mph), 60% to 70% of max heart rate;
Cool down: Walk @ 5.6km/hr (3.5mph) for five minutes.
Total workout time: 28 minutes.
For someone who is fairly unfit and has had an inactive life this is the ideal starting point. You can reduce or increase the intervals, until you get used to the above.
Do the above every second day or three times a week for eight weeks. If you are really struggling, then do a few intervals for two or three weeks then start to gradually increase the number of intervals you do.
For the first couple of training sessions have a gym instructor supervise you. Attach the safety cord to your shirt (if using a treadmill) which will automatically stop the machine if you faint or fall off. If you are using a public area ask a friend to join you for motivation.
You can vary the intervals by doing longer peak intervals or you can run instead of jogging. You can also reduce the active recovery interval.
If you feel faint or dizzy stop the exercise straight away and seek medical advice. I also recommend that you see your physician irrespective of whether you have any medical conditions as you might have an undetected medical condition like high blood pressure.
In the coming weeks, I will make up some more effective interval training workouts for intermediate and advanced trainers.
¤ Best Abdominal Exercises Proven to Get You Stronger Faster I discovered this study when researching for the most effective abdominal exercises. This American Council of Exercise study has been a great discovery and I based the beginners training on this.
¤ 15 Great Benefits of Strong Abs. This was my very first post on the site. I needed to tell you why you should do abdominal workouts and give you the motivation to workout when you are feeling low.