About a year ago, I wanted to drop a few pounds. I began eating healthier and working out daily. My workouts included short strength training series and daily three-mile runs. There was no interval training. I didn’t know what it was.
Then, I decided to get crazy once I learned about workouts like Insanity, which use interval training to completely transform your body. After one month of interval training, I dropped about 10 pounds. I felt healthy and toned.
Now, I continue to incorporate some intervals into my everyday workout routine. I’ll tell you more and see if it’s a fit for you, too!
What is interval training?
Interval training is the process in which you do short bursts of intense exercise followed by a slightly longer recovery time. A great example of this is sprinting for 30 seconds and then jogging for 60 seconds.
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If you’re a fan of getting in shape at home then you’ll love this guy! Tony Horton was born on July 2, 1958 in Westerly, Rhode Island, and is the creator of America’s best selling at-home fitness program, P90X. He attended the University of Rhode Island where he graduated in
1980 as a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. After graduation, Horton moved to Los Angeles, California, with high hopes of becoming an actor.
You may be surprised to find out that Horton wasn’t raised in the healthy environment one might think. He used to enjoy fast food, lacked motivation to exercise and had a small frame to prove it. After getting his foot in the door of the show-biz industry, Horton’s agent informed him that if he wanted to succeed he was going to have to “get fit.”
Horton didn’t take this order lightly and began working toward this goal by becoming a member of the World Gym in Venice, California, where he came in contact with famous bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger and actor Lou Ferrigno.
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With every fall season comes an onslaught of new television shows that hope to gain your interest as a viewer. One of the most anticipated shows is a remake of an old television classic, Charlie’s Angels.
When looking at a show like this, one can’t help but wonder what the stars do to stay fit. The new version of the show stars Minka Kelly, Rachael Taylor and Annie Ilonzeh and is based in Miami. Each of the characters has a back story that includes a lifestyle of physical fitness, so it’s only fitting to look at what the actresses that play them do to stay in shape.
Minka Kelly often speaks about her fitness regimen. She trains with celebrity personal trainer Gunnar Peterson. She recently revved up her fitness routine specifically for this role. One of her fitness secrets is standing ab work using weights. Her workouts include helpful toning exercises with weights that work the entire body and puts in time on the treadmill doing an interval running routine to get her heart pumping. As far as nutrition goes, Minka tries to eat a sensible diet that includes egg whites and oatmeal for breakfast, a salad with protein for lunch and fish and veggies for dinner. Since she believes you should not deprive yourself, once in a while Minka will indulge in a cheeseburger with fries.
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Runners are pretty simple creatures. We typically only want one thing: to run faster. If you’ve spent any time with a runner you’ll typically find that they’re stubborn- I mean determined- people. That trait serves them well in the sport.
However, being one of the most determined people on the planet, I can safely say that all the will in the world won’t make me faster. If any runner wants to be faster, they have to train to be faster. One of the best ways to do that is by doing fartleks. Yes, fartleks. Funny name, but powerful speed training.
Fartlek is the Swedish word for “speed play.” Fartleks are a type of interval training for runners. It was developed in 1937 by Swedish coach, Gosta Holmer. Holmer developed this training for his cross country teams who had a terrible record. The effective speed plays focus on running faster than race pace to train. Fartleks were so successful that they have been widely adopted and used since.
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If you are looking to start a new running program or routine in the New Year, here are some helpful hints and tips to build the healthy habit- and make it stick.
Top Fifteen Running Tips:
- It’s never to late to start: Regardless of your age, the benefits of running are plentiful, from increasing your energy levels to decreasing your risk of heart disease.
- Contact your physician: He/she will more than likely perform a physical on you to be sure that you are as healthy and as free from injury as possible.
- Partake in a running program: This will help you stay consistent and motivated. A running schedule will allow you to plan ahead and know what is to come.
- Start with a run/walk (interval) program: This will help allow you to fight through the toughness of beginning something new. Varying between running and walking allows you to catch your breath while improving your stamina. After a while, you will be able to jog the entire time.
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