featured

Shake up that Workout!

By Mandi Mellen

Posted on February 19, 2013

We’re well into February and you know what that means. The gyms are dead again! Empty. Vacated. Back to ‘normal.’ Most people’s New Year’s resolutions are now just a memory, but for those of you who set goals like I suggested, you’re in the clear! Pat yourself on the back and cross some of those goals off your list. I know I have! Are those workouts you’ve been doing since January getting a little stale though? If only I was here to help.

Time to shake it up people! Shake up your workouts! Our bodies change constantly and need change to thrive. If you’ve been doing thirty minutes of cardio daily for the last month and a half, I’m sure you’re quite bored! For your own sanity, and so you can ultimately achieve the results you want, you have to change up your workout.

Let me tell you how I like to shake it up. Shake it! Interval runs baby. Interval runs change up the scenery for your body. They’re short, intense efforts followed by an equal or longer recovery time. I started out by doing a twenty-minute interval run. What a workout! I’d walk for two minutes and then sprint for ninety seconds. I repeated the interval, upping the speed I’d sprint at. Once I got comfortable with that, I upped my time to thirty minutes. Man is it intense. Amazing! It makes me feel so good, full of energy and power.

Once you shake it up and try interval runs, you can work your way up to more intense versions of the run. My favorite was found on Pinterest. I call it the mega of all interval runs. It’s a high intensity interval that’s simply incredible. You get a badass workout and in less time! Isn’t that what everyone is always searching for? And don’t forget, you burn more fat through high intensity interval runs than from simply running. Your body has to work harder to manage the change in intensity and stamina. You also save time, your body is more efficient and you lose weight not muscle! Woo! Have I convinced you yet to switch it up and add in interval runs?

Don’t get me wrong, I still love to run outside. But shake it up! I’ve found that adding in the interval runs really helped me get both my speed and stamina up for my long distance runs. It’s definitely the best of both worlds! Why not change it up, especially if you run four to six times a week. Give it a try! You won’t regret it!

“The Mega of all Interval Runs”
00:00 – 02:30 Warmup jogging as usual at S6.5 (or until you’re loose).
02:30 – 03:00 After warming up, stand on the siderails. Transition the treadmill to incline (I) 9 (or higher) & S9 (or higher). These can go up as you get more comfortable or on days you feel better (or even depending on the machine). Some people advise setting the incline high as the treadmills allows. That’s awesome. But not necessary.
03:00 – 03:15 Jump on (make sure you’ve done a few test strokes with one food so you have a good sense of how fast it’s going) and sprint as fast as you can for 15 seconds.
03:15 – 04:00 Jump off the belt and back onto the siderails. Breathe. Enjoy the break. That was fast, but you can still easily catch your breath. Do not worry. This will change.
04:00 – 04:15 Complete your second 2nd 15 second sprint.
04:15 – 05:00 The 2nd break.
05:00 -05:15 The 3rd 15 second sprint.
05:15 – 06:00 3rd break.
06:00 – 06:15 4th 15 second sprint.
06:15 – 07:00 4th break.
07:00 – 07:15 5th 15 second sprint.
07:15 – 08:00 5th break.
08:00 – 08:15 6th 15 second sprint.
08:15 – 10:00 Biiig break. You’re gonna repeat the 6x short-term intervals you did before, but now with 20 second sprints & 40 second breaks. (I walk at 3.5 and keep the I at 9 or 9.5)
10:00 – 10:20 1st 20 second sprint (still at the same #s you had before, I9 & S9— or wherever you’ve moved this to).
10:20 – 11:00 1st 40 second break (still standing on the siderails).
11:00 – 11:20 2nd 20 second sprint.
11:20 – 12:00 2nd break.
12:00 – 12:20 3rd 20 second sprint.
12:20 – 13:00 3rd break.
13:00 – 13:20 4th 20 second sprint (should be a real challenge to muster up the necessary energy by this point).
13:20 – 14:00 4th break.
14:00 – 14:20 5th 20 second sprint.
14:20 – 15:00 5th break.
15:00 – 15:20 6th (and FINAL!) 20 second sprint.
15:20 -17:00 Biiiig break. Woah. Tough part’s over. (Walk again like above)
17:00 – 17:30 30-second long sprint… but you can’t use your arms. Hold the rail in front of you and just pump those legs. Make sure to keep your hips under your chest & control your breathing.
17:30 – 18:30 Rest on the siderails. Breathe a lot.
18:30 – 19:00 2nd 30-second sprint (again, no arms).
19:00 – 20:30 Breathe. Transition the treadmill back down to that jogging pace (S6.5, for example) and then match that with the incline, so I6.5.
20:30 – 22:30 1st 2-minute jog. This should seem way easier, at least relative to what you’ve been doing. But it’s for endurance… and should be tough, but manageable, too.
22:30 – 23:30 Rest.
23:30 – 25:30 2nd 2-minute jog.
25:30 – 26:30 Rest.
26:30 – 28:30 3rd 2-minute jog.
28:30 – 30:00 (or whenever) Walk it off. I usually put the treadmill down to I0 and S4 and walk as long as I feel like it.