Day 6: Everything is better in intervals

I have recently stumbled upon interval training and it has now become habitual in my workout lifestyle. What exactly is interval training? It is High intensity workouts followed by low intensity recovery periods. It burns more calories than a regular steady paced cardio workout. There are different types that can be used, some people do 20 seconds on/10 seconds off but different training programs will have different times. I usually use the 20/10 times for strength workouts, alternating between two exercises for 8 sets (lasting a total of 4 minutes per exercise). For example if it’s a leg day I might do 20 second squats, rest 10 seconds, then 20 second lunges, rest 10 seconds, repeat for 4 minutes. Then change the exercises for the next 4 minutes.

I mainly use HIIT (high intensity interval training) for my cardio. I love the treadmill but also do intervals on the bike (for example 30 second sprint, 60/90 second relaxed cycle). I get super bored very often so I have to change up my cardio as often as possible (which is good because if your body gets used to the same exercise you may find yourself in a weight loss plateau). I mostly do fast walking uphill intervals or sprint/jog intervals. My favourite routine involves both, I will post below! Fast paced uphill walking is also great, it may sound easier (because you’re walking) but it’s not, trust me, it is the best for toning up your butt and thighs!

The interval sprinting is also amazing and you feel so good afterwards, you can burn anywhere up to 350 calories in 30 minutes, then on top of that, due to the fact that it is interval training it speeds up your metabolism, meaning you are burning more calories than usual for up to 48 hours after your workout, can you think of anything better? (Ps. you still have to go to gym the following days!)

Click to make larger and read :)

Another tip for burning more calories and making the most of a gym session is the order of events, doing strength training BEFORE your cardio actually makes you burn more calories during the cardio workout. I realise that doing strength before may make you more fatigued but you have to be aware of your personal bests in cardio and keep up with/better them. So if you can run at 12km/h for 20 minutes then you should try to maintain that pace even after your strength workout.

So here are some of the workouts I like to do, some of them are in miles, I just changed them to km/h to coordinate with the treadmill. Also every week I try to up the pace and do better than last time. I also don’t do these in any particular order, just at random to keep my body guessing.

This is my favourite one

Also try this one:

• Walking at 6.5 for 3 minutes on gradient 3 ( speed and gradient can be lower or higher depending on you, be sure to up it every week).
• Next three minutes up the gradient to 6
• Last three minutes up the gradient to 9
• Go back down to gradient three and repeat 2 or 3 times.

This is particularly for waking as it tones bum and thighs

So just to refresh, start with a 5-10 minute warm up, (I like skipping) then a strength workout. Try to concentrate on one body part, for example I do legs one day, abs + back the next and arms the third day, then repeat. I also change up what exercises I do for that body part (due to the boredom but I would recommend it for you too). Then finally do a 30-60 minute cardio session. I usually average about 40 minutes cardio. Changing it up also helps you get out of that rut and enjoy your workouts. You should plan for 1 to 2 hours in the gym.

Click here for some of the best treadmill workouts :)

Have an amazing day!!