When it comes to being fit and “beach ready,” they say that abs
are made in the kitchen,
not in the gym. Put simply, eat healthily! But what if I like food too much and
I want to be fit as well? You would probably say “you can’t have your cake and
eat it” (I’m sure I will have cake, though!) and I would reluctantly agree with
you. But if age and your metabolism are on your side you can make it work in
your favor, and if they are not? Well, it may be time to try this exercise
routine:
Have you heard of HIIT? It stands for High-Intensity Interval
Training. A very popular method of losing weight and saving time, it is an
excellent way to break your exercise down into a hard hitting session that will
target all areas of your body. It is a fantastic alternative to cardio
training. And after you have finished doing it, you are still burning the
calories. You don’t get that running over long distances. And you can do it in
a quarter of the time!
Doing HIIT in the space of 20 minutes is a great time-saving tool
if you have a busy day ahead. You may want to get up and do it first thing in
the morning before your day begins.
A word of warning before starting it, or any exercise routine, is
to consult a doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to cope with a routine
as intense as this. And it is intense (it’s in the name don’t forget). In fact,
this style of training is a popular way to prepare people for their army
physical exams. If you are interested in a career in the army, you can find more armed forces job specifications online.
The basic method of HIIT is to alternate between exercising
completely “flat out,” 100%. So much so that you will struggle to keep this
pace up. This is done for up to 40 seconds (which is enough!). It is then
followed by a period of moderate rest for a short amount of time, and then you
start back with the 100% effort again.
A popular example of HIIT is the “Tabata sprint.” So with this
setup, it looks like this:
1.
Run (100%, “flat out”, as fast as you can):
40 seconds.
2.
Walk (at a moderate pace, about 40% to 60%
intensity): 20 seconds.
3.
Run again, 100%, as fast as you can: 40 seconds.
4.
Walk moderately at 40% to 60% pace: 20 seconds.
Continue this for 20 minutes or until you are not able to do
anymore. Be warned, it is very likely to make you sick. So be prepared, and it
is meant to be really difficult. So don’t be disheartened if it is difficult,
to begin with. There are variations on HIIT. For example, Insanity
Training is very popular. Cardio, HIIT, and bodyweight training are combined
for a very tough 45-minute session. But starting with the sprint is the best
advice.
Now hopefully you can have your cake and eat it too!
