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2004/02/02, 03:29 PM
Tuesday, January 20, 2004 Posted: 10:9 EDT
by Curt Pedersen
Special For eFitness
Tired of struggling to lose weight even though you are spending hours on the treadmill? If so, this workout is for you. Give this workout eight weeks, and you will lose more
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weight than you ever did riding a stationary bike. Better yet, you will never have to exercise for more than 10 minutes at a time.
Instead of long, slow aerobic exercise, this plan utilizes high intensity sprint training. Sprinting is superior for fat loss, because it causes your body to burn more calories for several hours after each workout. Aerobic exercise’s benefits cease shortly after each workout.
Sprint workouts can be performed a number of ways. When training indoors, you can do your interval sprints on a treadmill, stationary bike, Stairmaster or rowing machine. Outdoor sprint workouts can be done on the track, a flat field, on your bike or with a jump rope.
When you begin, don’t be frustrated by the demands of sprint training. You may even have trouble completing an entire workout at first. That’s okay. With each workout, you will be able to perform more sprints and in turn burn more fat. Each sprint performed in a workout needs to be done as hard as possible. If you are just starting to exercise or are coming back from an extended layoff, begin the first couple of workouts "sprinting" at a moderate intensity level, increasing with each workout. You don’t want to push too hard and end up injuring yourself.
Outlined below are three 8-week sprint workouts, each designed for a different fitness level. Each workout is to be performed for the total duration noted in the time column. The sprint and active rest periods are to be performed one after another for the entire duration of the workout.
Active rest means that you either slowly jog, walk, cycle, etc. to recovery before the next sprint. Choose the workout that best suits your current level of fitness and get started on your way to a leaner, healthier you.
Sprint workouts should be performed on alternate days and on days you do not lift weights. Feel free to include one low to moderate intensity aerobic workout into your schedule if you like. After you have completed your eight week cycle, you can move up to the next level for more challenging workouts.
Advanced trainees can make their workouts more difficult after the first eight weeks by decreasing rest periods or increasing the number of sprints performed.
Note: All workouts should begin and end with 5-10 minutes of low intensity aerobic exercise.
Beginner Chart
Week Frequency Time Sprint Active Rest
1 2x/wk 5 min 30 sec 90 sec
2 2x/wk 6 min 30 sec 90 sec
3 2x/wk 7 min 30 sec 90 sec
4 3x/wk 5 min 30 sec 90 sec
5 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 60 sec
6 3x/wk 9 min 30 sec 60 sec
7 3x/wk 10 min 30 sec 60 sec
8 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 60 sec
Intermediate Chart
Week Frequency Time Sprint Active Rest
1 3x/wk 5 min 30 sec 60 sec
2 3x/wk 6 min 30 sec 60 sec
3 3x/wk 7 min 30 sec 60 sec
4 3x/wk 5 min 30 sec 60 sec
5 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 30 sec
6 3x/wk 9 min 30 sec 30 sec
7 3x/wk 10 min 30 sec 30 sec
8 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 30 sec
Advanced Chart
Week Frequency Time Sprint Active Rest
1 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 30 sec
2 3x/wk 9 min 30 sec 30 sec
3 3x/wk 10 min 30 sec 30 sec
4 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 30 sec
5 3x/wk 10 min 30 sec 15 sec
6 3x/wk 11 min 30 sec 15 sec
7 3x/wk 12 min 30 sec 15 sec
8 3x/wk 8 min 30 sec 15 sec
Curt Pedersen has a degree in exercise science. He served as editor of the Peak Performance Health daily email newsletter and is a prolific fitness writer.
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