Fat Loss Sunday!!

What a great Sunday morning in Pennsylvania.  Sun is coming out, 60ish degrees, slight breeze; a great morning to go out and burn off some extra calories.  Put on those sneakers and lets go!

The key to fat loss is plain and simple: High Intensity Interval Training.  I spoke of this type of training on an older post labeled “4th of July Power Eating”.   Before you start, always make sure you are properly warmed up (I prefer dynamic warm-ups).  Now you are ready to hit the road for today’s workout.  I actually did this workout back in high school, not to burn fat, but to get in shape for soccer.  It worked great for me back then and still does today.

Find a road that doesn’t get that much traffic, a country road or a suburban street works great and start walking.  When you come up to your first telephone pole; start jogging to the next telephone pole.  When you reach it, sprint as hard as you can to the following pole and repeat this whole sequence with a brisk walk, jog, and sprint.  Each time you are doing your brisk walking; I want you to try to concentrate on lowering your heart rate and getting you breathing under control.  Do this by breathing in through your nose and exhale out of your mouth.  With each inhalation; imagine pulling the air slowly into your stomach.  This will train your body to recover quicker and allow you to push yourself harder.  Remember, never let your breathing control you; you control your breathing!  Breathing is the basis of life and should not be overlooked.  When you walk, jog, or sprint make sure you are getting great arm swing from the shoulders.  Do not run tight; run loose with your hands partially open.

This workout can be done for time or for distance.  You can plan ahead and drive your route with your car to figure out the distance in advance.  This is also a great way to set goals for progressively increasing your distances.  If you live in an area that does not have telephone poles you can use houses as markers or count in your head a certain time like 30 seconds for brisk walk, 20 seconds for jogging, and 10 seconds for all out sprinting.  If you live in a hilly area….BONUS!!! This will make your workout all that more demanding and productive.  Now get out there, get some fresh air and burn off some calories!

Train with a purpose,

Jerry