On to today’s blog – this topic is for those of you trying to lose some weight or trying to get in better shape so you can perform better at your sport and enjoy it more. Ask yourself – are you slow like a snail or quick like a rabitt?

If you go to the gym and spend more than 30-minutes on any piece of cardio equipment, then you my friend, are a snail. You are also probably frustrated because you workout regularly, but see no change in your body shape and little improvement in your sports. This is because you are not training properly for your goal. When I was in high school – and first year university for that matter I struggeled with math, didn’t like math, so instead of working on my math, I would study my kinesiology courses. Which, surprisingly, did not make me any better at math. Same reason you do steady cardio – it is easy, you can jog along and look at the scenery pass by or if you are at the gym, you can multi-task by watching Dr. Phil, reading People magazine during your ‘workout’.

Here is the hard truth and scientific research supports what I am about to tell you. Steady cardio does not tax your body enough to make big changes. The fat burning zone is not where you want to exercise, sure you may be getting some of your energy from fat, but you are burning them at such a slow rate – who cares.

From now on, you are going to rev it up a little – actually a lot. The next time you go for your cardio workout, begin with a 10-minute warm-up including some dynamic stretches and then try running, biking, stepping, skipping, swimming, whatevering for 30 seconds at a fast pace followed by 90 seconds at a very light pace. Repeat for 15-20 minutes in total and then cool down. As you get more advanced you will actually shorten your interval to 20 seconds, but go at a very high intensity followed by 40-60 seconds of rest.

Before I let you go for the day, let me clear up a few things – long steady cardio is great if:

• You are training for a marathon and have to do 17-mile training runs – no sprints there
• You really enjoy the feeling of long slow cardio and promise not to complain that you wish you could lose 3lbs of fat.
• You have an injury or chronic illness that will be aggravated by higher intensity exercise – you should always ask your health care provider before you change your exercise routine.
• You are unaccustomed to vigorous exercise and over the age of 60 – again, if you are unsure then you should check with your health care provider.

Have fun with your sprints!

Cheers,

Maria

PS – learn more about interval training for fat loss and sport performance. Audio and article that is free for you to use and share.