Physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle and the benefits of regular exercise have been well established. Adopting your fitness routine to include more interval training can bring great benefits to your energy levels, body composition, and overall fitness. If you are exercising regularly, you’re already doing a great job at trying to be healthier. Unfortunately, you might find yourself among the masses of people that routinely do low to moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise for extended periods of time and therefore seeing very little results. You may also be plagued with injury because you have a weak core muscle stature and poor posture. Lastly, you may see delayed results because you are not building muscle through agility and strength exercises. With that said, we recommend a combination of Mind Body, Agility and Strength and High Intensity Intervals (HIIT) for the perfect workout so you can see maximum results in less time.
Low-volume high-intensity workouts recruit fast twitch muscle fibers increasing the production of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) naturally and normalizing insulin levels. Interval training produces healthy levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which start to decline around the age of 30. One study from the Journal of Sport Sciences showed that HGH levels were up 450% by performing 30-second high intensity intervals. Benefits of healthy levels of HGH and regulated insulin levels include but are not limited to: decreasing body fat, improving muscle tone, slowing down the aging process, boosting energy, decreasing stress, preventing disease, improving athletic speed and performance and achieving fitness goals much faster. While high intensity intervals seem perfect for losing body fat and improving lean muscle mass, we know that high levels of the hormone cortisol can cause the body to hold onto fat. That is why it is always beneficial to change up your routine where you are only performing HIIT several days per week, insert other types of physical activity in between or mix it all up on the same day and take days off in between. Instead of doing additional days of interval training, try engaging in some type of active recovery such as walking or yoga. You may find that this stress reducing exercise helps you recover more quickly from your more intense exercise schedule. In 1963, Tudor Bompa introduced this idea of periodization (AKA muscle confusion) that focuses on loading muscles in a variety of ways for optimal performance and results. By varying your workouts, the body is constantly adapting and improving upon its weaknesses, which leads to greater results. There are numerous options to execute this type of workout. Intervals can be performed on any type of cardio equipment (stationary bike, elliptical, stairmaster, treadmill), with equipments such as kettlebells, or simply using just your body (sprinting outdoors, performing different full body functional movements). There are clear definitions of what is considered an interval and there are many variations of those definitions which can achieve the same benefit. One type of interval training is a Tabata where they exercise is performed intensely for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of recovery repeated a total of 4 times. Other forms of interval training could consist of performing the exercise intensely for 30 seconds followed by 90 seconds of recovery. For example, the 30 seconds on, 90 seconds off could be repeated 8-10 times for 15-20 minutes worth of intervals. These workouts could be done 2-3 times per week in addition to core and strengthening exercises 2-3 times per week. If you are looking for a way to easily combine all of these elements into one workout, you can try this TEMPO workout from the MASHUP® app. Within 15 minutes you get 5 minutes each of Mind/Body, Agility & Strength, and High Intensity Intervals. Enjoy! 15-minute MASHUP® Tempo Demo from MASHUP on Vimeo. And Food Matters
Roughly, 80% of your body’s composition is a result of nutrition and only 20% is a result of physical activity; so get serious. While decreasing your carbohydrate consumption is often seen as the best way to decrease body fat, when performing High Intensity Intervals you need to ensure you are getting proper nutrition. Always start by removing the bad influences first: starches (all grains) and sugars. Then focus on getting plenty of healthy proteins (grass-fed, wild caught) and healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, grass-fed butter or ghee), vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Always drink lots of water. Beginning a meal or snack with healthy proteins or fats and then loading up on vegetables and some fruit for your carbohydrates can be enough to support your energy needs. Some good examples of pre and post workout snacks include but are not limited scrambled eggs with berries, avocados and grass-fed beef, an apple with almond butter, chicken and sweet potatoes.
And Get Rest
We all know that lack of sleep leaves us looking ragged the next morning. More and more research is showing that a good night’s sleep is essential for our health. In fact, getting adequate sleep to allow recovery from intense exercise is vital to maximizing the benefits from it while also preventing conditions such as high blood pressure, metabolic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. If you are having trouble sleeping through the night, you may need to reconfigure your workout regimen. It is best to get into a routine where you consistently go to bed and wake up on a regular schedule, limit distractions before sleep such as television, and practice relaxation techniques.
Studies show that those who do not sleep through the night are more at risk for numerous conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.We all know that lack of sleep leaves us looking ragged the next morning. More and more research is showing that a good night’s sleep is essential for our health. In fact, getting adequate sleep to allow recovery from intense exercise is vital to maximizing the benefits from it while also preventing conditions such as high blood pressure, metabolic diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. If you are having trouble sleeping through the night, you may need to reconfigure your workout regimen. It is best to get into a routine where you consistently go to bed and wake up on a regular schedule, limit distractions before sleep such as television, and practice relaxation techniques. Studies show that those who do not sleep through the night are more at risk for numerous conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke. |
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