FREE Calorie Burning Secret #2

What if you could burn 75% of the calories but only do 25% of the work?

Let's say that differently:

What if you could do a workout that burned almost as many calories as some killer all-out sprint that makes you feel like you are going to die, but this workout was only 1/3 as hard?  Wouldn't that be something to get excited about?  You bet!  What is this metabolic freebie?  Interval training.

Interval training is exercise done at very high intensity for brief "sprints" with longer recovery periods of easier exercise in between the sprints.  Although it can be done for both cardiovascular and strength training, it's the cardiovascular workouts I'd like you to think about right now: You might be walking on the treadmill for 4 minutes, then run for the fifth minute, then back to walking.  That brief interval of running will spike your heart rate, calorie burning, and conditioning much more than a longer, slower, easier segment will.

So wouldn't it be better if you just did the all-out sprint for 30 minutes?  Not really.  The intensity you jump into for 1 minute is likely much harder than the intensity you would select if you knew you were going to have to sustain it for 30 minutes.  And that very challenging intensity imparts amazing improvements to your fitness, substantial calorie burning, and extended "after-burn" even if the intervals are only done for 1 minutes.

In fact, if you do your intervals in ratios something like 1:4 (1 minute hard : 4 minutes easy) or 1:3 (1 minute hard : 3 minutes easy) you are only working hard 20% or 25% of the time, depending upon which ratio you choose.  However, you are not just standing around in between those 1 minute sprints, right?  You are still working, albeit easy.  You are still cooking calories while recovering from your sprints.  This combination of active recovery and high intensity brief sprints and lower intensity recovery phases burns about 75% of the calories you would have burned had you done the entire workout at the sprint level.

Think about that!  Work hard 25% of the time, or even 20% of the time, and burn 3/4 of the calories you would have burned if you had done the killer all-out sprint workout for the entire time.   Talk about a free lunch!  Plus, your workout "after-burn" lasts much longer and is significantly higher than if had just done a long-slow-easy cardio workout.

Common Questions About Intervals:

Can I do intervals for longer than 30 minutes?  Sure, but this is about getting more results in less time, so why not take the freebie!

Can I do the high intensity segment for longer than a minute?  Sure, but you lose some of the benefit if you drop things down so that you can go "high intensity" for 2-5 minutes.  Keep the intense phases short and hard.

If I'm just starting, can I do shorter sprints?  Sure, try 20-30 seconds.

Can I make my recovery phases longer than 3-4 minutes?  Yes, but if you keep your intense phases short and sweet (for your fitness level) you will proabably be ready to go hard again after 3-4 minutes of recovery.  If not, try making the recovery easier rather than longer.

Do intervals have to be done on the treadmill?  No, be sure to try them on bikes, ellipticals, rowers, stairclimbers, or even out on the pavement!

Do I just go faster during the high intensity phase?  You can add speed, incline, and/or resistance to increase the intensity during the high intensity portion of your intervals.  It partially depends on the type of aerobic machine you are using, as well as your own capabilities and preferences.  People who always hold onto the treadmill while walking uphill might even notice a significant spike in intensity simply by taking their hands off the rails during their high intensity interval.

InfoGraphic Courtesy of Greatist.com

More Speed? More Time? How to Burn More Fat - Part 1

Treadmills are the most popular cardio machines in health clubs, and a lot of people ask the best way to use them for burning the most fat.  We'll start with the two best answers, and next week, we'll give you a third suggestion for burning FREE calories.  These ideas pretty much transfer to other forms of cardio as well.  For now, we're not going to worry about the perfect heart rate zone.

1. The best answer I can give about burning fat in any cardio workout is to pick the one you will ACTUALLY DO on a regular basis.  This is so obvious, many people discount it.  But think about it:

OPTION 1: Do the cardio workout from hell, that you begin to dread, and leaves you sore so you don't do it for several days afterward or maybe not at all.  High impact and high intensity also increase your risk of using bad form, getting hurt, and/or repetitive motion injuries.

OPTION 2: Do a cardio workout that is challenging, has you huffing/puffing/sweating but not burning, and leaves you feeling invigorated and inspired.  Because you won't get sore, you can do it most days of the week, with some variety thrown in.  Plus, you won't be a slug the rest of the day or be tempted to eat back all the calories you worked so hard to burn off.

2. One way to maximize your calorie burn with minimal impact is to choose incline, SIGNIFICANT incline - even if you have to slow the speed down in order to do it.  Why?  Well, think of a cow sleeping, often standing up with its legs completely straight.

It is basically balancing on its leg bones - not using much muscle at all.  It doesn't wake up in a froth of sweat, it wakes up pretty rested.  Similarly, we walk with relatively straight legs, much like the sleeping cow.  In fact, we are so biomechanically efficient at walking that there is very little muscle actually involved, no matter how much speed we add.  This changes drastically when we run because we are bending continuously at the ankle, knee, and hip during running.

But since not everyone can or will run, there is another great way to get all of that fat-burning muscle of the legs involved: add incline.  When we walk uphill, our ankles, knees, and hips are all bending to go uphill and all the muscle that bends and straightens those joints gets recruited.  It is virtually impact-free, with all the muscles of the leg and hip sharing the workload.  Even if you have to slow your treadmill speed down significantly, it is much better to go uphill with a significant incline than to just walk fast on a flat.

If you're new to uphill walking, start easy and add incline slowly.  This will give your gait, hips, and low back time to adapt to the incline.  A simple, easy, and effective method is to start with 0% incline and add 1% incline per minute.  You'll be at max incline in 12-15 minutes depending on the capabilities of the treadmill you're using.  Adjust the speed down if your incline becomes too challenging.  Enjoy, and happy walking!
Next week:  FREE calorie burning!