Ok, so after getting back from Florida I've put my workout routine back in to full motion.
For those of you who met or know Jolly, you likely also know that he promotes high intensity workouts. Especially sprinting if I remember correct. Those of you who know him also probably know this man eats very well and has a pretty ripped mid-section. He didn't seem to care much for the idea of P90X (although I still maintain that it is a good workout for toning), but nonetheless he's definitely in good shape.
So I thought I would try something new instead of long range cardio for losing weight and getting back into shape. Here is what I have found... For my first week back I did a 3 mile jog, mixing in sets of 10 - 15 sprints along the way. I would jog for about 5 minutes, sprint to a fixed object and then slow down to a jog again.
By following this method I have noticed a feeling of having an extreme workout with only a short distance. The weight dropped off rapidly the entire first week.
Now I am tossing in P90X and Hand to Hand Combat as well for toning my upper body and abdominal muscles. So far the combination is working very well and I plan to stick with it for a while.
I have noticed that for the last 3 days I've been at 157lbs. I'm not sure if my caloric intake has been too high or if the muscle i'm building countering against further weight loss. This is going to take a bit more testing as I feel there is still a few small sections of fat that could come off.
Of course as always I've been eating very well while doing this. Hopefully the result will be better abs than ever :)
For those of you who can do high intensity workouts and want to lose weight, at this point I would recommend it. Make sure you STRETCH WELL both before and after your workouts. Drink plenty of water, and eat at least healthier foods if not very healthy foods and you will definitely see results!
***NOTE***
I have mixed feelings about long range cardio at this point. For me it has been very successful in the past for losing weight to a point, but there is some talk that it may actually be bad for your heart. I will need to do more research and testing into this area for further clarification. For now, the sprints seem to work just as well as the long range cardio while putting stress on your body for only short distances at a time.
Yep, I found HIITs much more effective than just jogging for 30 minutes. I don't think I can get ripped from just HIIT though, I must do weights too as I have fat genes :)
ReplyDeleteThis matches well with my own experiences. I've had very good results from long range cardio and in my 20s I did 10 km (~6+ miles) runs several times a week. Now I'm in my mid 30s and I've switched to 3-5 km as the standard, but instead I push myself in intervals to sprint/jog/sprint/jog. I keep racing against my own previous times and I've seen a definate improvement over the last few weeks. I also do weights of course, and the weight training on my legs should help my running too.
ReplyDeleteI have been adopting the same strategy for weight training. Instead of doing the 1-2 hour exercises (6-7 times a week and sometimes twice a day!) of the past I've been doing 30 minutes to 1 hour intesive workouts with heavier weights about 4 times a week. It does work, but I think I also need to mix it up with lighter weights and more reps as this is good for the ligaments/tendons. Why? Well I was doing really awesome and kept increase my weights when I had a tendon injury in my left arm. It has taken about 4 months of rest, stretches, massage and light training to recover, and I'm still not back to doing heavy weights.
I also agree 100% on the importance of stretching. It really helps keep your back happy, and as I've learned the hard way you need to stretch your arms too.
Feel inspired reading your posts, but I've already been to the gym today.