Burn the Fat and Enjoy the Great Weather
By Craig Ballantyne
When the nice weather rolls around, a lot of people start doing slow, boring cardio workouts outside. But if they really wanted to get more results in less time, they would be better off doing higher intensity interval training either by running or on a bike.
Research shows that intervals are even more effective than slow cardio workouts (like jogging) for fat loss. In addition, for distance runners, intervals of 2-5 minutes are very helpful for improving performance.
But for fat loss workouts, I tend to use a nice simple 30-second interval length for fat burning benefits. As you change the interval length, you change the way your body responds to the training.
To get the most out of your training program and fat burning efforts, make sure you:
- Finish each interval workout with stretching for the tight muscle groups only.
- Perform the interval sessions 3 times per week.
- Change your interval training workouts every 4 weeks.
Here is a sample interval workout.
- Warm up for 5 minutes.
- Work at an 8/10 level of intensity for 60 seconds. (A 10/10 intensity is running for your life, so adjust accordingly). Your heart rate should be near maximal by the end of the interval.
- Follow that with active rest for 60 seconds at a 3/10 level of intensity. (Active rest means walking or pedaling at a very slow rate.)
- Repeat for 6 intervals. Finish with 5 minutes of cool-down exercise at 3/10 level of intensity.
With this simple workout, you can enjoy the great outdoors while making the most of your exercise time.
[Ed. Note: Craig Ballantyne is an expert consultant for Men's Health magazine. If you're looking to burn fat, build muscle and quickly step into the body you have always wanted with just three workouts each week, check out Craig's fat-loss system, ]
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