With intervals, you can forget about the calories on the machine.
Just work hard, do the intervals, then leave the gym and let your muscles continue
burning calories on its own while it recovers from exercise.
OK, time is up, so I'm going to leave off here for Part 1.
I apologize, you don't have your Master's of Science Degree in
Interval Training yet, but you will after Part 2.
So your homework between now and next week's class is to start incorporating interval
training into your fat loss program. For beginners, see the outline above. Make
sure to include a 5-minute specific warm-up and cool-down.
And if you truly did just peel yourself off the couch last week and you have not
exercised in years, I insist that you see a doctor before you take up any exercise
program. Believe me, you'll thank yourself for it.
For more advanced fitness levels, let's start with 60 second
intervals.
Do a 5-minute specific warm-up, then exercise for 60 seconds at a slightly harder
than normal cardio pace.
Follow that with 90 seconds of exercise at a very easy pace. (Don't exercise too
hard in the recovery period - that is one of the biggest mistakes people make with
interval training!). Repeat this sequence for 3 more intervals (let's just do 4
intervals for your first session).
Through trial and error, find an intensity that allows you to work to near fatigue
- but not complete fatigue, there should still be some "gas" left in the
tank - by the end of the 60 second interval.
In the next newsletter, I'll discuss at least 6 different interval
durations and when you should use them, as well as the best
interval training methods - and don't miss when I expose the most ineffective machine
in the gym.
Hint - It is also the most common machine these days, yet I've yet to see a single
person change their body by using this machine for their cardio and intervals.