New Year’s Workout Resolutions

By Jenessa Berger

 

How are your New Year’s workout resolutions holding up?  Are you using weights and getting your cardio in?  I’m sure many of you are using interval training as a great fat loss tool.  It can be done at the end of your workout or as a workout on its own. Intervals can happen practically anywhere, with or without equipment.  Many people start using interval training but soon give up on it for multiple reasons. When done correctly, however, interval training can be hard to beat for fat loss and transforming the body.

 

 

The first problem I come across when someone tells me they are doing intervals is that they really aren’t doing intervals at all. The work part of the interval should be between 8-9 on a scale of 1-10 for hard work. It is going as hard as you can, for a short burst of time or distance, without compromising form, then resting enough time to get your breath back and heart rate down.  If you don’t go all out on the work part of the interval, then there is no reason to have to take a rest.

 

 

Another issue I hear of is pain — pain in the knee, back, hip, shoulder, or anywhere where there wasn’t any pain before the intervals were worked into your workout.  Chances are if this is you, you’ve probably been doing the same exercise for intervals.  Intervals on the bike, sprinting on concrete, burpees, or even kettlebell swings. Even though intervals are for short bursts, if you keep using the same form of exercise, you will have overuse injuries and issues.  Pick a few different exercises and cycle through them; don’t keep using your body the same way for each interval session.

 

 

More is not better!  This one is the hardest for almost everyone to wrap their head around. With intervals, 5-10 rounds of hard work with a rest is more than enough.  Twenty minutes is a good amount of time to allot for these sessions. If you are doing the intervals correctly, the 20 minutes should feel like an hour and you shouldn’t have anything left in you. Keep it short; otherwise, the body will actually produce negative results. Work hard and keep it simple.

 

 

Intervals can be a huge asset to your workouts, especially if fat loss is your main goal. They will get you cut and shredded in a short time, when done the right way.  Find a few exercises you like for intervals and add them into your weekly workouts a few times a week. Don’t forget to take care of your body between workouts: stretch, eat right, get your rest, and keep your routine fresh.  If working out is new for you, find a fitness professional and get some advice.  Stay safe with your workouts, but stay consistent. Without consistency, you won’t see the results you are after.

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