You Should Be Doing Interval Training! (Part 1)

So I'm going to break this up into three parts: first, the fun part that let's you get to work right away.  The second will be a little more in-depth explaining some cool studies about metabolizing fat.  The third will be how breathing properly can help you burn fat, and how if you're not breathing properly, you may not benefit from HIIT (I can personally speak to the benefits, or rather, the negative effects of not breathing properly).

Know that the workouts listed are for high intensity interval training or HIIT.  To do this properly means you must REST!  During the rest intervals you must rest, the circuits are not meant to be non-stop.  Take the rest, you need the heart rate to go up and down.  To get the most benefit you also need to focus on moving quickly.  Speed is what makes this effective.

Benefits of HIIT:  Increased lung power which better oxygenates the blood, heart gets bigger (stronger) and beats slower (big slow beats is what you want when at rest), helps regulate hormones, and increases fat burning.  With so many positives it's hard to find a negative, but it could be overtraining.  Without proper diet and sleep, you can make a good training stress become negative.  

Some quick facts you'll want to read before you start:

• Really high intensity work (i.e. sprinting- either on a bike or running) for 30 seconds is too long.  Builds up too much lactate which gives you that sick feeling and you'll fatigue much quicker.

• Keep the intervals to less than 10 seconds.  You'll get the same metabolic effect (aka boost fat burning) without the consequences.  It was found that intervals of 8 seconds produced the same boost in fat burning hormones as intervals of 12 and 20 seconds, but yet, didn't leave participants with the sick feeling.  So it only makes sense to work for less than 10 seconds- you'll get the same results!

• Work faster, not harder.  The goal is to do less, but get more out of it!  But... you must work quickly in these intervals.

• Healthy eating (NOT dieting), sleep and stress control are main factors to regulate if you are looking to burn fat.

• What you eat before and after makes a huge difference on your results!  Fun fact- if you eat nasty sugar before this workout, it will stop any fat burning.  So cut out the unnecessary sweets- you don't have to drink that soda/energy drink, you don't have to eat that sugary treat.  However, if you drink true green tea (not the processed kind with sugar- cause we just cut that nasty sugar part out) before these workouts, you can double your fat burning!!

• You MUST consider stress.  Interval workouts are very stressful on the body.  If you already live in a high stress lifestyle, proceed with caution,  You may end up pushing your body too far and it will cause negative results.  I can personally speak to this.  I trained hard under a very stressful lifestyle about nine years ago and it greatly hurt my body.  My hormones failed,  my thyroid failed, my digestion failed, my ability to continue training failed.  It's been a long road of recovery but thyroid is healthy, digestion is improving, and I am able to train regularly again.  So, I give you a fair warning, these are great workouts, but you must keep control of your stress levels.  Sometimes it's better to rest than beat yourself down more.

• On that note, you must give your body enough rest.  These workouts are meant to really challenge your body.  It doesn't get stronger or better during the workout, it gets better and burns the fat during the rest!!  I promise.  You do these workouts correctly, your body will be burning fat while you rest.  It's so important to get enough sleep and allow time for rest and recovery.  If you want to see the benefits, then take your time to rest!!

• It's recommended you do at least 1 training session a week.  If you create your own interval workout, plan to warm up for about 15 minutes, maybe do a little strength work, and work hard in an interval circuit for no more than 20 minutes.  You can have a very successful workout in under an hour!  You can do HIIT sessions 1 - 3 times per week, but again, only if you are giving yourself enough rest.  It's still highly effective to only do 1 of these per week, don't overdo it!

Let's get to work:

Make sure you get in a proper warm up before you start.  If you'd like to do strength training, I recommend choosing 2-3 drills max.  For example, do a Bench Press 3 sets x 6 reps.  Lat Pull 3 sets x 6 reps.  Seated Row 3 sets x 6 reps. Strength is optional, the warm is mandatory.

Find any good interval app timer.  Set it for 8 seconds work, 12 seconds rest.  60 rounds = 20 minutes

Workout option #1- Cardio Machine

A stationary bike is best.  Can be a rower, an elliptical, or any other version you have available.  A treadmill is not ideal, it can't keep up with the fast time and speed changes.  You MUST keep the resistance low.  You do not adjust the resistance.  It's enough to keep the legs in control, but light enough for the rest.   

The Goal: move your legs very quickly (on a bike, get to 80-120 RPM)

The Time Interval: 8 seconds of work, 12 seconds of rest.  Keep repeating this pattern for as long as you can.  Do not go over a total of 20 minutes.

How to perform:  On your machine with light resistance, move very quickly ("sprint") for 8 seconds, then keep the feet moving very slowly for 12 seconds.  Start to build up the speed again so by 8 seconds, you're back to full speed.  Do not use the 8 seconds to get up to fast sprint.

Workout option #2

1. Mountain climbers (or plank) alternating each 8 seconds with hollow body (found this well instructed video)

2. Jump rope (or just mimic with jumps) alternating with punches

3. Squats with battle rope (if available) or jumping jacks

The goal: get variety with drills you can do quickly

The Time Interval:  8 seconds of work, 12 seconds of rest.  Do number 1 for 10-20 rounds (3:20 minutes - 6:40 minutes).  With very little rest move to #2 and then again very little rest, finish round #3. 

Workout option #3

Simply go out for a walk or a run.  If walking, then you walk faster and walk slower.  If you are running, you run faster (or sprint) and walk during the rest.  The key is to move fast for 8 seconds and rest for 12, you choose the intensity.  Work up to a total of 20 minutes.

Give these a try!  Be sure to eat properly and get enough rest!  Give it 6-8 weeks of consistent effort and really pushing yourself to move quickly- get out of your comfort zone.  Or as my client recently termed it "CZ crushers" (yeah that term will be used regularly now).  Good luck!  Get your sweat on and the fat off, you got this, you're awesome!!

Non-typical Fitness Blog

To the friend I thought my kids would call Auntie one day-

So I stole that title from the link below.  When I saw it on Facebook, it was a story that was worded so perfectly I had to tell the friend it made me miss; but I didn’t have the courage to tag that friend, so I decided to write my own version.  I’m not confident in explaining myself and that story took the words right out of my heart.  This friend has had to read and listen to enough from me though, so I’ve decided not to tag her.  Maybe she will read this and understand.  For anybody else reading that owns a business and knows it comes with its own unique challenges, maybe you'll relate to this post.  And to the people that just want to read up on a little more about me, here’s my non-typical fitness blog.

I realized reading that story that I’m not as “messed up” as I thought.  I just miss my best friend and that’s ok.  I tend to blame myself and I do wonder if my lifestyle choice of focusing so intensely on my business has cost me some great friendships (and a husband who I have yet to find).

This is a story about friendships and business.  Friendships have always been hard for me.  I’m not here to complain, I know everybody has friendships go bad.  But for me, I’ve always wished I could keep at least one good one.  My first best friend lived a few houses down from me.  We played sports together, made up games with our brothers, ran around the neighborhood on our bikes and got in daily fights… only to be asking mom a few hours later if it’s ok to call her again.  Then one day in 7^th grade she cold-shouldered, stopped talking to me and I never understood why.   That trend would continue through many other friends throughout my life.  I went through high school without any close friends.  Even remember my friend I thought I was closest to, trying to sneak out during our lunch and ditch me (we could leave campus, we had a cool school).  I had some great friends in college (or so I thought at the time) but now looking back I see those were not true friendships either.  Friends that get more enjoyment out of putting you down are not true friends.  It wasn’t until I moved to St Pete that I learned what true friendship meant and I knew I was so lucky to find this special friend.  I met many great people here and that’s how I knew this would be my home.  While I no longer speak to those good friends, at least regularly, I know I’ve been blessed with true friendship and my standards are much higher now.  I won’t be around people that pull me down.  I have learned to value myself and see all the problems in the so called friends I had… thank you to my St Pete friends.

I’ve always been focused though on what makes me happy.  I don’t need social pressure to fit in, I don’t need to feel cool or do what everybody else is doing.  At my first college party I turned down alcohol and cigarettes cause I didn’t want it, it was that simple.  My friend did it literally cause everybody else was and that just never made sense to me.  I think it’s why I’m so good at owning a business.  While that can be read two ways, and I don’t mean the cocky “I’m amazing” version.  I mean, I don’t have a social life, I don’t have a husband, I don’t have kids so I can spend a lot of time growing my empire because I don’t need to be out socially drinking and getting hammered every weekend.  Don't get me wrong though, I still wish for a more exciting social life.  I don’t have confidence in my friendship abilities (or dating abilities apparently) but I do know I can control my business, so that’s why I focus so hard on that.  Everything comes with a cost though and while I sit at home building my dream and working hard, I’ve lost every friendship I’ve had.  Why- I’m not really sure.  Life happens I guess.  There are two sides to every story, so you’d probably have to ask them too.  But to my best friend that I thought I would never not be calling my best friend, this story made me realize that I do miss you and I’m so thankful for our many great memories. 

To the business side- I am so confident in what I’m creating that I keep my head down and work.  In high school, I said, “it would be cool to live in Florida.”  My friends also said that, but I knew I meant it and I made it happen.  I learned senior year of college I would one day have a business called Top-Notch Training… I made it happen!  I’ve had more doubt put on me than trust in starting the business and told “don’t do it” by many people over the years, but I have done it and I promise TNT is about to be huge!  And now I can say I own two businesses- welcome to the world Lax Performance Academy!  I know the dream in my head I’m reaching for and when I remind myself of that, I know it will all be worth it.  I don’t spend much time explaining myself anymore.  I know what’s in my heart.  I know what I can achieve and I don’t have to convince anyone, they can see it for themselves when it comes true.

To the friendships I may have lost, know that there’s only love in my heart.   And to my best friend, if you read the story, know that with a few specific details changed, those words were pulled right from my heart.  I miss you.

http://www.puckermom.com/relationships/to-the-friend-who-was-like-a-sister-to-me (also copied below)

"True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island… to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing."

From day one we just kind of got each other... gurl, you had me at hello.

We went through every single stage together. From the nice stage where it was strictly all compliments and no teasing to the "hey you dickhead f*cking answer me,” to the literally no convo is off limits phase and then to the final phase where it went something like: “Yo I’m having dinner with your mom. Are you going to join us?"

You were literally my sister and thought that one day you'd even be my kid's super cool aunt. Never once through any of those phases, (even through our fight like a couple phase) did I think that there would come a day where we would no longer be best friends.

You changed my life.

You made me live in the moment, you tore down my walls. With you by my side, I felt like somehow everything was going to be okay; you believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. You brought out my Trap Queen confidence and made me not give a shit about what people thought.

You never let me self-deprecate. You told me when I was being a whiny bitch, needed to shut the hell up, and move on. I loved you for it.

There are a million things I never thanked you for.You were the one person who I relied on to tell me the things that I probably didn’t want to hear, but 100 percent needed to. Thank you for always making me come to my senses; when I missed that fuckboy, my friends would tell me to call him, while you would tell me: Fuck that asshole. Stab him. I’ll bail you outta jail. You saved me a lot of tears.

When I did cry, you knew exactly what to say to make me feel better, whether it was hating that person that did me wrong more than I did, making me realize that I was upset for nothing, or making me laugh through my tears, you just made everything suck a lot less.

You challenged me, you never tip-toed around me, our friendship was always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity, I realize now how rare that was.

Life got complicated.

This whole life ordeal got rough, things weren't as simple as they used to be when we were younger. It’s not that we gave up on our friendship, it’s just that certain circumstances happened.

But our friendship didn’t end because of a lack of love. I’ll always have mad love for you. That’s never going to change. When someone touches your heart, they will always have a place there.

I miss you all the time.

I always want to send you stuff because you’re the only who will understand. I check up on you from time to time to see how you’re doing, and you’re doing great, btw, like I knew you would. (Though we both know we would be killing the game twice as hard if we still had each other).

I said a lot of stuff I didn’t mean. But my anger was fueled by emotions, not by indifference. When you love someone like a sister, you also fight with them like a sister, and sometimes you’re both just too proud to give in.

I thought we’d glow old together bae, but sometimes, life has other plans. No matter what though, I’ll always love you. 

And don't worry, all that dirt I got on you when you were drunk is safe and sound. *Wink*