This week I’ve enlisted my EXL Cardio Boot Camp guru, Shawn Webb to tell us a little about cardio and more specifically interval training. Shawn always has creative body-weight only exercises in his bi-weekly cardio boot camp to light up his clients’ metabolism and he doesn’t even need any fancy equipment. ~ Mat “the trainer”
Hello fellow boot campers! Tell me if these are two common complaints that people have about cardio.
1. I do not have the time!
And, the excuse for those that actually do have time for cardio…
2. I do my cardio, but I don’t see any results.
Does that sound familiar? Well one great solution that resolves both of those common problems is INTERVAL TRAINING!!!! Interval training involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with what is called active recovery, which is typically a less-intense form of the original activity. So instead of running on the treadmill for miles at a steady pace, do sprints from 30 seconds to a minute as hard as you can, and then get off the treadmill and do a stretch for 1- 2 minutes, depending upon your time intervals for the workout that day. Repeat 10-14 times. You can apply these to a plethora of exercises. According to research that has been done, a 20 minute high intense cardio interval workout is 9 times more effective than steady state cardio. So that solves the time issue. Who honestly doesn’t have 20 minutes a day to exercise???
What are the advantages that I mentioned about interval training?
Interval training utilizes the body’s two energy-producing systems: the aerobic and the anaerobic. The aerobic system is the one that allows you to walk or run for several miles, that uses oxygen to convert carbohydrates from various sources throughout the body into energy.
The anaerobic system, on the other hand, draws energy from carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) stored in the muscles for short bursts of activity such as sprinting, jumping or lifting heavy objects. This system does not require oxygen, nor does it provide enough energy for more than the briefest of activities. And its byproduct, lactic acid, is responsible for that achy, burning sensation in your muscles that you feel after, say, running up several flights of stairs.
Another added benefit of interval training is the post exercise calorie burn, you will be burning calories for up to 24-48 hours after these high intensity workouts. Another nice advantage is that anybody, at any fitness level can do intervals. You control the intensity and the amount of time per set. A word of advice; when you are doing your work intervals you want to pretend you are running from Godzilla. You need to be working like you are running for your life. Your heart should feel like it’s about to jump out of your chest.
If this doesn't make you run fast, I don't know what will!!
How to set up your own workout
Despite its simplicity, it also is possible to take a very scientific approach to interval training, timing both the work and recovery intervals according to specific goals. I’ve listed the four variables to keep in mind when designing an interval training program.
- Intensity (speed) of work interval
- Duration (distance or time) of work interval
- Duration of rest or recovery interval
- Number of repetitions of each interval
You will get fast results by following these steps. And another advantage is that you can apply interval training into any kind of fitness activity: biking, running, swimming, medicine balls, etc……Make it fun!!!
Here’s a basic interval program. In fact, this is the same format we teach our rookie boot campers.
5 minute warm-up (the “workout b4 the workout is ideal”)
30 seconds- work interval (High Knee “T’s”=> see video)
90 seconds- active recovery interval (walking or even stretching…for you veteran campers/clients think “spiderman stretch” or “sumo squats”)
30 seconds- work interval (Frog Jumps)
90 seconds- active recovery
Repeat alternating work intervals with active recovery intervals up to 10 times for a 20 minute workout. Follow that with a 5 minute foam rolling session and your golden. You’ve ignited your metabolism, you didn’t need a gym pass and you can get back to your hectic schedule feeling good about taking care of your health.
If jumping hearts are happy hearts than your heart will be smiling ear to ear while it's jumping out of your chest with these exercises.
Always feel free to ask me questions about anything with intervals. Also, if you haven’t tried my cardio boot camp on Tuesday and Thursdays mornings at 6:30am come see for yourself how effective intervals are.
Gain more time and get better results!
Until next time, DIG DEEP!!!
Shawn Webb
And I know you’re going to get a good 
We just recently finished our Fit 4 Fall Body Transformation Contest. A no holds barred contest comparing total percent body fat lost and visual changes when comparing before and after pics. It was just a 7 week program but both our winner lost 4% body fat. I’ve never seen such a dichotomy with winners. In the men’s division Kelly Wilkinson lost close to 20 lbs with over 17 lbs being body fat. He did lose 2.5 lbs of muscle, but I’ll gladly trade 2.5 lbs of muscle for 17 pounds of fat any day. In two boot camp phases Kelly has lost 69 lbs. Way to go Teek!! In the Women’s division Angela Oakeson also lost 4% body fat. She started in the teens with her percent body fat which is considered lean already. Losing 4% is quite remarkable, she also lost 2 inches in her waist. Both win a free month of EXL Fitness Boot Camp.
Here is a full body, metabolism boosting boot camp workout with exercises I consider to be fundamental movement patterns. Most other exercises are some variation of these basic exercises. The advantage here is that it can be done virtually everywhere. The only piece of equipment required is the best piece of equipment you will ever own…your body. If you’re on the road traveling and don’t want to miss your workout or you can’t get away from the house to go to the gym. This 20 minute workout will really rock your world.
We just finished our first ever Skinny Jeans Lifestyle Transformation Contest. And the results are nothing short of amazing. If you weren’t involved, the contest was a test of compliance and making healthy lifetstyle changes. Each contestant was given a score card and a scoring system by which to earn points. Points were awarded for nutrition, strength training, cardio and supplements. Who ever had the most points at the end of the 6 week contest won. It was called the “Skinny Jeans” contest because you had to comply to the latest fashion trend and borrow your teenagers tight jeans and workout in them for 6 weeks. Just kidding, I actually wonder how some of the those kids actually get into those jeans…it’s a mystery. But really, each contestant brought in a pair of jeans that didn’t fit real well, or maybe were reserved for those “skinny days”. Pictures were taken, the jeans were left at the gym and after 6 weeks pictures were taken again to see if there was a change. Every contestant that refused to truckle to their bad habits and finished saw a difference. I think the results were amazing. Here are the winners. Remember, this was a contest on compliance. We didn’t measure anything except if they were adherent to an exercise and nutrition routine, and it was only 6 weeks long.
In the last couple of posts I have spewed forth rhetoric on the most important factors of fat loss in the order of their importance. For those of you that know me realize that I don’t just make suggestion blindly, these are factors that are not only backed up by my real world experience (over 21,000 hours of training) but by scientific research. I don’t think anyone will dispute the value of the first 2 factors…nutrition. Though some may differ with what constitutes “good” nutrition, it is however, the keystone of a fat loss plan. Factor 3 is strength training, but not just body building or isolation type programs, but highly metabolic strength training incorporating full body routines done in super set, tri set or circuit format. The key with strength training is that it raises metabolism and promotes muscle maintenance or growth. Factor #4 includes…
In the last post I introduced the 2 most important factors in fat loss…nutrition and nutrition. In fact, nutrition is so important I don’t even bother measuring or testing a client’s body fat unless they have committed to a nutrition plan (preferably Precision Nutrition or The Carb Rotation Diet). This week I’m continuing with the Fat Loss Hierarchy with #3…
