Interval training has gained in popularity over the last few years, but it is far from a new scientific practice. I actually don’t know who first coined the term ‘interval training’ but it’s been around as long as we’ve been doing exercise (i.e. since ancient Greek/Roman times), but it wasn’t really until the 1970’s that it started to be studied in sports science laboratories.

Interval training has gained in popularity due to a number of great research articles coming out that showed shorter more intense workouts were better at burning fat and delivering fitness capacity gains than one paced cardio sessions.(steady state cardio is the actual term).

It’s because of these studies that a new type of interval training has been popularised.

It’s called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

HIIT is the type of training that I use with a lot of my clients and in a lot of my programs as it gives great results. However, it does not mean that HIIT is the only type of interval training you can do.

Have you ever heard of Fartlek training?

It’s a Swedish word that means Speed Play.
Unlike HIIT it uses lots of different and varying levels of intensity to deliver results.

So your typical HIIT would look something like this:

Work Hard for 20 secs (resistance training or some form of cardio machine, running outdoors)

Rest 10 secs

Repeat for 4-5 minutes.

Rest 1-2 mins and then do another set of exercises.

A typical Fartlek Program might look a little like this:

5 mins easy jog

5 mins fast pace run

2 mins flat out pace run

100m strides (i.e.over striding type drills or skipping type drills), rest 30 secs x 5-10

5 mins easy jog

10 x Hill sprints with walk back recovery

Etc etc

Until you have completed a workout that lasts 30-50 minutes.

So not all of work would be carried out at a really high intensity.

You can also apply this sort of thing to a cardio workout on a fitness machine. So that you may just have small and less intense changes in the interval ‘paces’. If you are only able to walk for instance then you might do this:

Walk @ 6 km/h up a 7.5 gradient for 5 mins

Walk @ 6.5 km/h up a 5 gradient for 5 mins

Walk @ 5.5 km/h up a 10 gradient for 5 mins

Etc etc

By now you should be getting the idea that if you are not ready to do HIIT then you can still get some of the benefits by working at lower intensities. So there is no excuse to continue with your long, slow, boring, one paced cardio workout anymore.

So what's the myth I hear you say...well the myth is that interval training has to be of the high intensity type. You'll get decent results doing lower intensity intervals (maybe not as good as with HIIT) but then not everyone is at a level where they can do HIIT.

Tweet This Post

One of the biggest issues a lot of people experience today is how to lose fat fast.  And which are the best exercises to burn fat.

Life is super fast paced for most people these days.

Ever forgotten your cell/mobile phone?

You know how lost you’ve felt by not being able to contact people immediately? Yet only 20 years ago nobody but the ‘Gordon Gekko’ crowd had them.

So without a doubt society has changed.  It’s been known for years that we have been changing out lifestyle habits and progressively getting more and sedentary and less active.  We now have the ability to fast forward through commercials on TV…the world has changed and so has our demand for everything ‘now’.

Unfortunately I haven’t invented a pill yet that can give you all the results you want, let alone instant results (either way I’d probably be the richest person on earth if I did come up with it…hmm!).

The old school way that most people adopt is to try running to lose weight.  Unfortunately in the super fast paced world I just outlined, that’s not the most effective way of burn fat off.

So, what is the best fat burning exercise?

Well you have to challenge yourself.  Staying within easy limits will lead to small improvements initially but you’ll soon stop changing….that’s the problem with say running to lose weight, especially if time is short and you can’t increase the time you workout for, first up it works but soon your body becomes more efficient and burns less fat….dull hey!

So with society moving quickly, and with most people lacking the time for 90 minute sessions every day.  What is the answer?

Well it’s not the traditional fat loss method of running as mentioned above, but instead using the latest research from the past few decades and designing programs that utilise these scientific principles.

The science has taught us that you can get incredible results in very time efficient bouts of exercise as long as they are structured correctly.  We’ve come to understand that if fat burning exercises and the  fat burning processes can be manipulated in the right way, they can bring about amazing success very quickly.

Now let me just re state that.  I ‘m not saying that someone who can only do a limited amount of exercise could get as fast results as someone who can dedicate 90 minutes a day to exercise, but the relative gains from the extra time don’t warrant it if you are time poor.

Recent studies have reported that just 20 minute sessions enabled the participants to burn fat off at 9X faster speeds when compared to people who had done 45 minutes (steady, no change of pace).

By using these types of methods you can get almost as fast results in just 30 minutes a day as you can in one and a half hours a day.  The important thing is having a plan and consistently implementing that plan to burn fat off.

The plan needs to include a system that will challenge you, even if you do start really easily.  The best exercises to burn fat are those which require a lot of muscle to be used.

With the correct program that is progressive and coupled with a health dietary plan, fat loss can definitely be achieved in as little as 30 minute sessions.

As part of the 2009 Twelve Days of Fitness campaign I’m giving away my entire 5 week fat loss system for free.  Visit http://www.12daysoffitness.com to sign up for what will be the biggest give away in its three year history.

Tweet This Post

The amount of people who use high intensity interval training (HIIT) in recent years has grown rapidly as people move away from the old traditional execises like steady running and cycling in favour of this relatively new type of training that really is not up to scratch.

Here are the 9 reasons why HIIT sucks!

1.  It’s not liked it’s based on any real scientific data!  The studies conducted by Tabbata et al  showed that doing steady long durnation training like running and cycling lead to massive fitness and fat loss benefits compared with the HIIT group who hardly improved at all!!

 

2.  Another really annoying thing about high intensity training is that you have to have specialist pieces of equipment.  You have to be a member of a gym or health lub to actually do HIIT, unlike other training that can be carried out anywhere in the world with minimal amounts of equipment!!

 

3.  If fat burning is an issue for you then avoid HIIT like the plague, you’ll never get any real benefits from doing this type of intense exercise.  Doing long slow boring cardio will give you the best fat burning potential!!

 

4.  If you have hours to work out in the gym then HIIT may not be the best for you, it takes ages to do a full workout.  When you consider that other sessions can be done in a as little as 20  minutes you need to make sure that the high intensity sessions are never used unless you camp out at the gym!!

 

5.  Another physiological reason for avoiding this type of intense workout is that it really doesn’t do much for your aerobic capacity.  When this increases your heart and lungs work more efficiently, HIIT really does not do this!

 

6.  It’s not adaptable.  Interval training is a one size fits all type of workout.  there is absoloutley know ability to adapt exercises or workout times to match the individual person doing it.  Wouldn’t it be great if it was applicable to a whole variety of the population!

 

7.  It’s rubbish a delivering results in a only a handful of sessions, it takes ages to feel the benefit.

 

8.  Some other programs have some really simple and cheap apps that make it easier to get variety in the workouts.   There is one on the iPhone that costs less than the cost of a chocolate bar – I wish they’d bring out something for HIIT.

 

9.  Unlike other types of exercise intensity training, you need to do HIIT at least a couple of times a day to get any results, can you imagine using other techniques where you could workout everyother day and still get long term results.

 

 

Ok, so I was lying really, HIIT doesn’t suck and is actually one of the best forms of exercise you can do (if you’re up to it).  Every point I made obviously is one of the benefits of HIIT and therefore makes HIIT one of the best fat loss training tools.

Tweet This Post

I’ve been a little quite recently as my physical business
has been through a tough time which eventually lead me to close the doors on my
gym.

The good news is it gives me more time to write and post on
my blog, so you should be seeing a lot more of me.

I have also been working with a college of mine on a
training regime called The Hardcore
Workout – 4 Week Training Program.

 

We’ve had loads of questions about what to do and how to
best use the program to get long term fat loss results and try and get in shape
for the summer.  So we decided to run a
free webinar to tell everyone what it’s about and how to ‘read’ the program.

If you haven’t yet downloaded your free 4 week program (or
seen the videos that go along with it) don’t worry, you will get immediate access
when you register for the free webinar.

Click here to register now.

Any way if I don’t see you tomorrow night on the webinar
have a good couple of days and make sure to check back soon for my latest rant….I
can feel it brewing.

Tweet This Post

So as promised here’s a sneak peek at some of my own training.

My goal is to shift about 18lbs of fat in as short a space of time as possible.

To enable me to do this I have started some high intensity training that will definitely burn up fat. My fat burning workout looked like this:

Warm up 5 min cycle.

A) Kettlebell Swing – 2 hands, x10 – 2 sets, 30secs rest

B) Kettlebell Swing – single arm, x10 left & right (LR) – 2 sets, 30 secs rest

C1)* Lat Pulldown – wide overhand, x 10 – 2 sets, 15 secs rest
C2) Barbell Bent Over Row – wide under hand, x 10 – 2 sets, 30 secs rest

D1) Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift – snatch grip, x10 – 2 sets, 15 secs rest
D2) Single Arm Horizontal Biceps Curl, x 10 – 2 sets, 15 secs rest
D3) Single Arm Triceps Press down – reverse grip, x 10 – 2 sets, 30 secs rest

Bike sprints, 30 seconds at RPE (get a full RPE explanation by downloading my fitness foundations manual by entering you name and email above) – 9 followed by 30 secs RPE 5 – five minutes total.

Cool down 5 mins.

Total workout time less than 30 mins!

You can see me doing the exercises in the video below, but unfortunately exercises D1-D3 didn’t come out very well, so I didn’t add them and will record them again.

See my ‘Fat Burning Results Workout’ here on my YouTube channel

*NB. Exercises that have a letter followed by a number means that you do the A1 followed by A2 before returning back to A1 for the described number of sets.

Let me know what you think?

Alex

Tweet This Post

Let’s face it most of us are under some type time pressure these days. For this reason people are constantly trying to come up with the fastest and most reliable ways to burn fat.

The old adage that we all want to look better naked is exploding as celebrity culture hits even bigger heights – who else wants to do a Paris Hilton ‘home’ movie??

Seriously if you want to find ways to burn fat really quickly then the best bet is to be doing a mix of weight training and interval training.

Here’s a sample workout program you can do if you have a lack of time.

Warm Up 5 mins

A1 Squats
A2 Chest Press
A3 Seated Row

Complete 10 reps of each exercise one after the other with no to little rest and continue for 15 mins.

So in the end you may well have done 10 rounds of the three exercises (completeing 10 reps each time) which would add up to a jaw dropping 300 reps – not bad for a quick 15 minute workout.

Finish with an interval cardio session like this.

Hill Sprint on Treadmill
30 secs on at 14.5 km/h up 7.5 incline
60 seconds rest
X 10

Cool down 5 mins.

Start to finish you can be done in less than 45 minutes and really given your body a boost so that you continue to burn fat for hours and hours after you have finished.

Give it a go.

Let me know your results in the comments section below.

Tweet This Post

I have been snowed under recently and unable to get much up here.

However, I have to tell you about this great new exercise training tool that can help you shed pounds and increase your fitness level.

If you are into interval training and want to utilise some of the most up to date computer programs then you really need to check out ** Body Bot**

This is a brand new way of training, launched just this week.

My friend Ryan Lee has been working on this for some time after the success and unprecedented feedback he received for his Quattro Fitness DVD’s – **Click Here to See What the Quattro Fitness DVD’s are about**

If you want to use a fitness program that will help you burn belly fat, and get you to have six pack abs then this is most likely one of the best tools you can invest in.

Go and check out what it’s all about by visiting ** The Body Bot Page**

Tweet This Post

Firstly I want to reiterate that I think any games consol manufacturer of software programmer that brings out a game that get s people off their backsides and being more active is a great thing. So well done Nintendo Wii.

However, if you think that playing a video based game will get you to lose body fat and get fit then I think you are sorely mistaken…sorry.

I mean I’ve had a good look at some of the games and there are a few that will make you sweat and work relatively hard but with regards to long term fitness and physique transformation I’m afraid the answer in almost every case is – No.

As the video below shows (don’t watch it all it does get boring) you need to think about what you consume as well….

…did you see all the booze on the table! Not what the inventors had in mind I guess.

Anyway if you want a fun interactive video game that is going to make you more active then this is a great purchase but if you want the real information on how to get in shape for the summer, burn fat and get sexy abs then you need to join the free community I’ve put together with some other fitness leaders from the UK.

It’s absolutely free and we are giving away over 20 hours of free recordings where we tell you exactly how to get there.

**Click Here**

See you on the inside!!

Tweet This Post

If you want to get in shape increase your fat loss so that you look great on the beach and have that ‘celebrity body’ for summer, then keep reading.

I know it may sound like there is a catch but I promise you there is not, as long as you’re one of the first 500!

I have joined forces with 9 other top fitness leaders from all over the UK.

We plan to give you the information you need to make a real difference in your life.

There will be help and advice on all types of training:
Fat loss,
Interval training,
Muscle building,
Nutrition and healthy eating
…and many other top tips.

How are we going to do this?

You will get access to 10 recordings (one per week for the next 10 weeks) that will give you immediately useful information on how to get the body of your dreams for the summer.

You will also get access to a forum and social networking site so that you can ask questions, update us on your progress and have some level of accountability plus plenty of support.

All you need to do is get over to ** Lead Britain to Wellness ** and sign up for it.

This is a fantastic opportunity and one that I would recommend you take us up on, what have you got to lose!

I hope to see many of you on the fitness forum and fitness social networking page.

Here’s the site again just **Click Here**

Tweet This Post

I hope you found the diet section interesting (I’ll be making some guidelines available very soon), today it’s time to talk about the fitness exercises element of the workout.

What you are going to utilize is the power of body weight interval programmes.

The basis behind this fantastic fat loss programme is that you are going to rev the body up so that it continues to burn fat for hours (up to 24) after you have finished.

A growing body of evidence from the past decade has increasingly reported that the intensity of the exercise is a bigger factor in burning up calories than doing longer steady pace exercise such as one pace jogging/cycling.

When you use short but intense workouts you are able to force the body to continue burning calories for longer and at a high rate. More calories infact than you can burn if you use the more traditional approach to fat loss of long (boring) slow cardio training normally seen in parks and gyms across the world.

This effect is technically know as EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption) but basically means that the demand placed on your body is such that the cumulative fat burning potential is massively increased.

The following is a great example of a short 18 minute programme that could be done at home, in the park, in a hotel room or anywhere you can find a small amount of space.

A1: Forward Lunges – 20 seconds work – 10 seconds rest (move on to A2)
A2: Press Ups – 20 seconds work – 10 seconds rest (move back to A1)

Continue the pattern above until you have completed 4 minutes.
i.e. A1 + A2 x 4, then move on to B below.

B1: Body Weight Squat
B2: Alternate Squat Thrust

Complete as A above, then move to C below.

C1: Static Lateral Lunge
C2: Side Plank (1 side a t a time, therefore just twice per side in 4 minutes)

Take 2 minutes rest between the exercises so that after you have done 4 minutes and completed A, move on to B after 2 minutes rest, then C and finish with a cool down.

Below you’ll find some descriptions and animations of the exercises.

Good luck.

A1: Bodyweight Forward Lunge

Instructions:
1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Step foward with one foot and bend your knees into a lunged position. Your back knee should come close to touching the ground and your front leg should be bent to about 90 degrees at the knee.
3. Maintain your upright posture throughout the movement.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat. Once repetitions are completed then repeat with the other leg.

A2: Press Up

Instructions:
1. Lie face down on the floor with hands palm down, fingers pointing straight ahead, and aligned at the nipple line.
2. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and feet should be at hip width with toes on floor.
3. Start position: Extend the elbows and raise the body off the floor.
4. Lower your entire body (legs, hips, trunk, and head) 4-8 inches from the floor.
5. Return to the start position by extending at the elbows and pushing the body up.
6. Remember to keep the head and trunk stabilized in a neutral position by isometrically contracting the abdominal and back muscles. Never fully lock out the elbows at the start position and avoid hyperextension of the low back.

B1: Bodyweight Squats

Instructions:
1. Start by placing feet shoulder width apart and holding your arms out in front of you.
2. Proceed to squat down like you are going to sit in a chair. Your upper body will lean forward slightly and your hips will shift backwards while going down.
3. Remember to keep your knees from going out in front of your toes while squatting.
4. Repeat according to your required repetitions. If you want to make the exercise more challenging hold your arms at your sides or behind your head.

B2: Alternate Squat Thrust

Instructions:

1. Start by getting on your hands and feet in a prone position.
2. Keeping your body parallel to ground drive your knees up towards your chest alternating back and forth.
3. Repeat this movement for the required number of seconds.

C1: Static Lateral Lunge

Instructions:
1. Start by placing your hands behind your head and your feet placed with a wide stance.
2. Shift your weight and hips to one side and squat down so that your hips drop down behind that foot.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat the same movement to the other side.
4. Alternate this movement back and forth until the desired repetitions are met.

C2: Side Plank

Instructions:
1. Lay on the ground on one side. Raise your body using one forearm and support it in this raised position for the required time.
2. Lower your body and repeat on the other side.
3. Remember to keep your head, neck and body in a straight line.

Tweet This Post