At this time of year most of us choose instead the comforts of indoor training over battling with the nastiness of Mother Nature. As we wait for the weather to turn and anticipation of workouts in our beautiful river valley and trail system dance in your head, you can still enjoy the wonders of nature by engaging in activities such as snow shoe running and cross country skiing. But if you choose instead to avoid bone chilling temperatures, season low sunlight hours and the risk of slips and falls then by all means bring your enthusiasm for staying active indoors.
If this is the route you choose to get your workout fix then don’t let boredom set in by completing the same old 30 minute session. Throw in some variety and take advantage of interval training. Research shows that interval training, workouts in which you alternate periods of high intensity effort with low intensity recovery periods, increases fitness and burns more calories over a shorter period of time than steady state cardio.
So how do you execute an interval workout? How long should the work and rest be? What machines can be used for interval training? That’s the bonus of interval training, there is no steadfast rule. Different lengths of work and rest bring different results and they are all worth the effort!
Below you will find four of my favorite workouts that I incorporate into my marathon training and my clients programs, using different machines available in our fitness centre.
1. Treadmill Hill Workout: Time: 30min
Warm-up 5-10min
3min Tempo, 60sec recovery jog [if have to walk your going too fast in tempo]
3min Tempo, 90sec recovery jog [if have to walk your going too fast in tempo]
3min Tempo, 60sec recovery jog [if have to walk your going too fast in tempo]
3min Tempo, 90 sec recovery jog [if have to walk your going too fast in tempo]
3min Tempo, 60sec recovery jog [if have to walk your going too fast in tempo]
5-10min Cool Down
This run gets you out of stagnation; it improves your stamina and helps you develop both confidence and a sense of pace. It also helps raise your ‘lactate threshold’ – running speed above which fatigue sets in quickly. As your threshold increases you’ll be able to run at faster paces before fatigue sets in. Use perceived exertion as your guide for your speed during the 3 minute tempo interval. You’re aiming for an 8 on a 1-to-10 scale, where a comfortable effort would be a 5 and a racing or all-out effort would be a 10.
3. Climbmill Interval: Time: 22min
3min Warm-Up
3min @ Level 12-20, 1min Easy
3min @ Level 12-20, 1min Easy
3min @ Level 12-20, 1min Easy
3min @ Level 12-20, 1min Easy
3min Cool-Down
Here is another great interval workout that resembles a stair workout that one may complete in our river valley during the warmer months of the year. The Climbmill differs from your traditional Stairmaster machine in that it resembles a rotating staircase with speed levels ranging from 1 – 20. An interval workout such as this puts a heavy load on both the cardiovascular and muscular systems and will assist in building your overall power which in turn will make non interval training workouts feel easier.
4. Rower Pyramid: Time: 17-21min
3-5min Warm-Up
15sec Fast / 45 sec Easy
20 sec Fast / 40 sec Easy
30 sec Fast / 30 sec Easy
45 sec Fast / 15 sec Easy
1:00 Fast /1:00 Easy
15 sec Fast / 45 sec Easy
20 sec Fast / 40 sec Easy
30 sec Fast / 30 sec Easy
45 sec Fast / 15 sec Easy
1:00 Fast,
3-5min Cool-Down
The Rower Pyramid adds sprint interval training for a fast and fun workout. This workout will improve your VO2 Max (the maximal capacity of the body to transport and utilize oxygen during physical exertion).
It’s important to realize interval training is tough. If you’re just beginning a workout regime, spend a few weeks building up your stamina with traditional cardio workouts before adding intervals. If you’re a regular participant in physical activity add one or two of these interval programs to your weekly plan, to increase fitness, prevent boredom, and burn more calories.
Meet with James or any of our Certified Personal Trainers for a Program Design or ongoing personal training.
