I love interval training.

Absolutely love it.

There is something magical about the HIIT, HIRT and Tabata workouts that I inflict upon my clients.

As the clock counts down, they move quicker, lift heavier and recover faster.

Whether it’s bike sprints…

or jumping lunges…

…interval training is a powerful tool for burning fat and getting really, really fit, really, really fast.

So, how do you get started with interval training?

Glad you asked.

Step One:  Buy an Interval Timer.

Seriously, you’ll thank me. No more watching the clock out of the corner of your eye or screaming at your workout buddy for not paying attention. Spend the 20 bucks. Buy a Gymboss interval timer. Clip it to your shorts. It will beep & vibrate to let you know when to start & stop.

Simple. Effective. Buy the damn timer.

Step Two: Select one of the many free HIIT/HIRT/Tabata workouts that I have posted here @ Health Habits

• Why Can’t I Lose This Fat? – Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• HIRT Exercise Descriptions
• Part 5
• 4 Steps to a Great HIIT Workout
• A Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workout
• Waves and Waves of HIIT
• HIRT – No Equipment – No Problem
• HIIT Workouts – Vertical Jump Training
• Tabata Training 101
• Energy System Fitness
• 10 more reasons to love High Intensity Interval Training
• WARNING: Tabata Workouts WILL Cause Fat Loss

Step Three: Start sweating

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That’s it

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Over the past couple of years, Boot Camp style workouts have been chipping away at health club profits.

And for good reason.

• They generally cost less than health clubs
• Unlike health clubs, they don’t require a 12 month commitment
• The high intensity workouts burn a ton of calories
• In good weather, exercising outdoors is awesome.
• Group fitness is fun
• Group fitness participants are more consistent with their exercise routine
• Consistency improves the odds of achieving your goals

And, when you consider that two of the major issues facing our society are…

1. the economy – recession, unemployment, etc
2. systemic obesity and related diseases like diabetes and heart disease

…boot camp workouts seem like a sure bet for the fitness industry.

The problem is…

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Most boot camp workouts kinda suck.

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Strong words, I know. But not without reason.

You see, over the past few months, I tried out a variety of boot camp workouts up here in Toronto….and they all sucked.

Some more than others, but none of them were great.

And here’s my problem with boot camps workouts.

• They are a “one size fits all” type of workout. Regardless of experience, weight, injuries, strength, endurance, flexibility,etc…everybody is doing the exact same workout. If I did that with my personal training clients, I would be out of business.
• They are great at helping beginner trainees progress to an intermediate level of fitness, but that’s it. There is no progression.
• They focus on anaerobic & muscular endurance while ignoring all of the other aspects of physical fitness
• They offer no help with nutrition, emotional eating, injury recovery, etc….
• They are run by inexperienced trainers

In essence, the boot camps of today are just like the aerobic classes of the 80s, except

1. we have replaced aerobic endurance with anaerobic endurance, and
2. we have replaced Jane Fonda with this guy

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So, how do we make a better boot camp?

Well, I’m gonna tell ya.

My Imaginary Health Habits Better than Boot Camp would…

• Be led by more experienced trainers to start with
• Have varying levels of difficulty to accommodate beginners & elite level trainees
• Address the numerous aspects of physical fitness
• Help trainees correct muscular imbalances and joint mobility issues (neck & back pain, tight hips & shoulders, etc)
• Offer regular Q & A sessions with various health & fitness experts – naturopaths, dietitians, physical therapists, obesity experts, etc…
• Periodize workouts so that trainees progressed from beginner to elite and not just stay at intermediate
• Offer an online community as well as organize face to face meetups.

• while still charging $20 per session
• and allowing the trainees to soak up their Vitamin D

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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• What the Diet Gurus Won’t Tell You
  
• Better than the Biggest Loser
• America’s Obesity Epidemic costs $147 billion
• Having trouble sticking to your diet?
  
• How the Free Market makes you FAT and why “Big Food” likes it that way
• The status-quo is broken…We need a new model for burning fat and getting fit

David Beckham : Men's Health

Awhile back, Men’s Health wrote an article showing us guys how we can “Live It Like Beckham“.

Included in that article was the David Beckham Workout.

Looking at that workout almost 2 years later, I realized that…..it was a hunk of junk.

Seriously, this guy makes bazillions of dollars every year and this is the best workout that him and his team of trainers & therapists can come up with.

We can do better.

So, here we go:

1.   Strength Training

The MH article ignored Beckham’s strength training routine, so like them, we will save that part of his training routine for another article.

However, if you are interested in building some strong, powerful “athlete” muscles, start with this article.

2.    Aerobic Training

The MH article also neglected to look at Beckham’s aerobic training. Luckily for you, I am going to build some aerobic conditioning into your….

3.    Anaerobic / HIIT / Tabata Training

Alright, here’s where the fun begins.

• 3 workouts per week
• Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced workout
• Increased speed, power & anaerobic endurance
• Less of this

• And more of this

Beginner Workouts

• These workouts are designed for beginners who are interested in losing tons of weight and getting super-fit and ripped.
• For beginners, I am going to assume that you are performing 2 strength training workouts per week
• I will outline 3 Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workouts. The number of workouts you perform will depend upon your schedule, goals & recovery abilities.
• My recommendation: Do all 3 workouts if you can
• Regarding fitness equipment, I prefer trainees do these workouts while sprinting outdoors or on an exercise bike in the gym or on a Versaclimber or on a rowing machine. A treadmill can be used with lower intensity workouts, but when the sprinting gets intense, the treadmill can get a wee bit dangerous.

Workout #1

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
• 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
• 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #2

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest / 15 sec sprint with 45 sec rest / 20 sec. sprint with 40 sec. rest
• 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 3 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest / 15 sec sprint with 45 sec rest / 20 sec. sprint with 40 sec. rest
• 10 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #3

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 10 minutes of sprints – 10 x 10 sec. sprint with 50 sec rest
• Cool-down – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.

Intermediate Workouts

• These workouts are designed for intermediates who have outgrown the beginner workouts and are still interested in losing tons of weight and getting super-fit and ripped.
• I am assuming that you are performing 2 strength training workouts per week
• I will outline 3 Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workouts. The number of workouts you perform will depend upon your schedule, goals & recovery abilities.
• My recommendation: Do all 3 workouts if you can
• Regarding fitness equipment, I prefer trainees do these workouts while sprinting outdoors or on an exercise bike in the gym or on a Versaclimber or on a rowing machine. A treadmill can be used with lower intensity workouts, but when the sprinting gets intense, the treadmill can get a wee bit dangerous.

Workout #1

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with a 50 second rest
• 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #2

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 5 minutes of sprints – 10 sec/50 sec – 15/45 – 20/40 – 10/50 – 15/45 sec. sprint/rest ratio
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #3

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 10 minutes of sprints – 10 x 10 sec. sprint with 50 sec rest
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 10 minutes of sprints – 10 x 10 sec. sprint with 50 sec rest
• 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Advanced Workouts

• These workouts are designed for advanced trainees who have outgrown the intermediate workouts and who are almost super-fit and ripped.
• I am still assuming that you are performing 2 strength training workouts per week
• I will outline 3 Super-Sexy David Beckham-esque HIIT Sprint Workouts. The number of workouts you perform will depend upon your schedule, goals & recovery abilities.
• My recommendation: Do all 3 workouts if you can
• Regarding fitness equipment, I prefer trainees do these workouts while sprinting outdoors or on an exercise bike in the gym or on a Versaclimber or on a rowing machine. A treadmill can be used with lower intensity workouts, but when the sprinting gets intense, the treadmill can get a wee bit dangerous.

Workout #1

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 2 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with 20 second rests (4 sprints total)
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 4 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with 20 second rests (4 sprints total)
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (180 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 2 minutes of sprints – 10 sec. sprint with 20 second rests (4 sprints total)
• 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (185 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #2

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 4 minute Tabata workout – 4 x 20 sec sprint / 40 sec rest
• 10 minutes cardio at 50% of max intensity
• 4 minute Tabata workout – 4 x 20 sec sprint / 40 sec rest
• 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

Workout #3

• Warm-up – 10 mins at a perceived intensity 50% of your maximum intensity.
• 10 minutes of sprints – alternate 10/15/20 sec sprints
• 5 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute
• 10 minutes of sprints- alternate 10/15/20 sec sprints
• 5 to 30 minutes cardio at 60% of max intensity OR (175 – your age) Heartbeats per Minute

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Enjoy

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And while it’s not required, I highly recommend using an interval timer with your sprints. Trying to watch the clock an do these workouts is a real pain in the butt.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Related Posts

• 10 More Reasons to Love HIIT
• Tabata Workouts WILL Cause Fat Loss
• Tabata Training 101
• HIIT: The Aerobic version
• 4 Steps to a Great HIIT Workout
• High Intensity Resistance Training

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