Put an “I” in Fitness with Interval Training
If life is too busy for you to remember what days to do strength training and which to do cardio, or if your metabolism is slowing down and you really want the most out of your workout, say “I”. “I” is for Interval.
Interval training can come in different forms, like alternating jogging and sprinting when you run in the park. But what I do at Crunch fitness in Manhattan, and in my fitness DVDs, is take this a step further. By combining fast and slow cardio with multitasking muscle moves in one workout, you will not have to worry about doing legs one day, arms the next, and cardio the third. You really do get everything in one workout, and 5 very special benefits.
- Appetite: Recent studies in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine show that subjects who did cardio and muscle toning intervals ate over 500 less calories per day after 4 months than those who did cardio one day and all muscle toning the next. They say the combination can cause a change in hormones that control your hunger.
- Stress: The same study showed that being active reduces cortisol levels that are caused by stress.
- Endurance: in biking or “ride” classes, the study showed that short high intensity sessions, sprinkled with recovery instead of steady state pace, boosted endurance.
- Metabolism: With interval cardio and muscle training sessions, you can also get the benefits of increased metabolism. If you up the intensity of the workout through alternating cardio and muscle moves, and you increase excess post- exercise oxygen consumption. This is what we trainers call “after burn.” Resistance training builds metabolism-boosting muscle while cardio makes the fat over the muscle disappear. Then after your workout you will continue to burn more calories while reading, watching TV and sleeping!
- Better toning: According to a 2008 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, women whose muscle routines only included weightlifting gained less muscle strength, added less muscle endurance and lost less body fat compared with those who ran for a minute before each strength set.
- Fight osteoporosis: We all know those people, women especially, who only diet and run, bike and do cardio machines. They think skinny is better than toned, sleek, healthy and strong. A hump on your back and broken hip doesn’t look good at any age. Young women are becoming more and more prone to stress fractures because of reduced calorie intake and cardio, cardio, cardio. They don’t realize that it’s not about being skinny as the Olson twins, it is about looking toned, and being strong for everyday life. God forbid you fall into a situation where you need physical strength to save your life, you want to be ready for it. Lifting weights builds strong bones. Sprinkle it in to stand up straight, defend yourself and walk without a limp. That is sexy.
So overcome workout boredom and make the hour fly by. Alternate between fast and slow cardio and multitasking muscle moves that work arms, abs and legs at the same time. Working out is the most important thing you can do for yourself, and there should always be an “I” in fitness.
Multitask Your Workout
Now that you read about how to stay in shape all winter and kick up your workout for spring, it’s time to get into beach body shape with multitasking workouts.
Multitasking workouts are easy. We do it every day while mixing home chores, work and our many to-do lists.
The moves combine muscles in the upper body and lower body simultaneously, while putting you a little off-balance for core strengthening. You then add cardio intervals between moves for a total body workout.
The best part? It’s the reason we multi-task in the first place. These moves will cut your work-out time in half.
1) Start with 15 right leg lunges forward (be sure to step far in front, landing heel-then-toe and keeping the right knee directly over the ankle as you lower.) It becomes a multi-tasker by adding front bicep curls when you come back to a standing position. Use weights heavy enough for you to feel challenged after 15 reps. Keep your abs tight. Lower the weights as you lunge forward again.
2) Do 15 left leg lunges forward while lifting one or two heavy weights overhead into a tricep french press. You do this by bringing your weights together overhead and bending the elbows. The weight is now behind your neck. Lunge forward. As you bring the left leg back to stand tall, lift the weight back overhead by extending the elbows. Be sure to keep the arms right next to your head and elbows pointing forward, not out to the sides.
3) Assume a plea squat position by standing with feet wider than shoulder width apart and toes pointed out to the sides. Bend knees at a 90 degree angle so that your knees are directly over the heels and your waist is almost at knee level. Engage your abs, start a shoulder overhead press with the weights in your hands, palms facing forward, in line with your ears. Straighten the elbows and press weights to the ceiling as you straighten the legs. Bring weights back down and end at your ear level, as you squat back toward the floor, taking care not to bounce weights into your shoulders. Do the plea squat shoulder press for 15 reps.
Do one minute of jumping jacks or simulated jump rope between each numbered move. Repeat 1-3 for a total of 3 sets. You will work quads, glutes, triceps, biceps, shoulders, inner thighs and abs.
In my next column I will involve the outer thighs, calves and hamstrings, upper and lower back, chest and more.
To see these moves in real time, visit www.nikkifitness.com for a demo, and for information on how to get my multi-tasking half hour workouts, including the Military Wife Workout DVD.
Top Ten NikkiFit Tips
1. Set goals that are realistic and specific. Have a set time period as your goal to help you stick to a new fitness regime. Write down your plan of action for every day, week, and so on. Start with a plan that you think you can accomplish or exceed. For example, walk for 30 minutes, and then run for 20 minutes. See how many times you have to stop and walk each time. Eventually, work up to running for 30 minutes.
2. Identify and eliminate your barriers to exercise and eating well. Make a plan to conquer and avoid those specific barriers. Take each barrier or excuse and write down ways you can solve the problem.
3. Put one sneaker in front of the other. Many of us waste too much time saying we need to work out but dread the process. Get dressed to work out and don’t think about the next step. If you take it one step at a time, before you know it you will finish the cool-down and feel amazing.
4. Make yourself an upbeat iPod playlist or CD. You can dance around as you clean up at home. Or, you can find a hip-hop or African dance class at the gym, learn to belly dance at an adult education class or at the Y, or just plan a girls’ night out dancing. You can find a great list on my website.
5. Make dates to see friends and family and do something that doesn’t involve eating and drinking. Walk through the park, go biking in summer, ice skate or cross country ski in winter, walk the mall, take a yoga or cardio class, or run on a treadmill right next to your friend.
6. Think of food as a fuel, not as a gift. Passing on food that is high in fat and sugar, and take half the portion everyone else heaps onto their plate. If you go out to eat, you should pack up half food on your plate in a doggy bag.
7. Practice good habits when you eat out. If you have to be at a restaurant, identify the three healthiest things on the menu and pick between those.
8. Follow the food pyramid daily. Focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and calcium, not sweets and fats. Also, take a daily multi-vitamin
9. Don’t eat any junk food lying around the office. Bring healthy, sweet or salty snacks to your desk, such as whole wheat crackers, almonds, grapes, or chocolate soy milk. Buy a slow cooker so that you can prepare a healthy meal in the mornings, and it’s ready for you when you get home (it’s like having a personal chef at home all day, and gives you that extra hour for exercise.)
10. Drink no more than two alcoholic beverages at parties and events (if necessary, cut extra drinks with spritzers) and have a snack before these events so you don’t attack the buffet line.
11. Drive less and walk more. Take the stairs when possible and never go a day without some exercise.
12. Invest in a gym membership, if you don’t have one already, and use it. If you don’t have the money right now, buy an inexpensive workout DVD.
13. Weigh yourself everyday to remember your goals and feel good about the choices you made yesterday.
14. Keep reading health and fitness columns online. Subscribe to weekly e-mailed fitness tips for regular inspiration, and subscribe to fitness magazines. Whether it’s a new and healthy dish you can make, news about a recent medical study, interesting moves to try at home, or another person’s story about how they reached their goals, any inspiration will help.
15. Pass this advice along. I saw a quote once that said “You are the average of the five people you hang out with the most.” So get your friends to subscribe to a fitness newsletter, such as the NikkiFitness newsletter, and find a partner to work out with and help you make healthy choices at a restaurant.
Tone Your Bum, and Then Some! Part1
Are you going to BE a beach bum this summer and sport a cover-up or do you want to HAVE a beach bum? Spring is almost here, and that means you need to ask yourself this question now.
This is your chance to either boost your booty with a little more intensity and focus in your workouts for a toned beach bum, or do nothing and regret it come June.
By multitasking your toning moves you can work the arms, back and abs, but also work your butt with every move. By adding cardio intervals that also work the backside, you’ll also melt away fat and boost your metabolism. Pressed for time? It only takes half an hour 3 times a week.
Leading up to summer, I will be doing a weekly column that shows one multitasking toning move and one cardio interval. Collect them all or add them into what you are already doing. If you can’t wait for all the moves in the columns, then my new 30 minute multitasking toning and cardio interval BOOTY CAMP DVD is available staring March 7th at www.nikkifitness.com and March 30th on Amazon.
Multitasking Toning Move 1: T&A (works your chest, and glutes, with biceps, abs and hamstrings as assistors.)
Set Position: Lay on your back with one heavy weight in each hand, about 10 pounds. Place your elbows on the floor and out to the sides away from your body and bend them at 90 degrees. Your wrists and the weights should be directly over the elbows so that your arms form a goalpost shape. Bend your knees so your ankles are directly below them. Extend the left leg to the ceiling.
The Move: Push through your right foot to lift the hips up into a bridge and your left foot moves closer to the ceiling, at the same time push the weights to the sky as shown here. Do 20 reps on this side, perform the cardio move, then do 20 reps on the other side, with right leg extended to the sky.
Cardio Interval 1: Jumping pleas (works glutes, quads, inner thighs and calves):
Do 20 regular jumping jacks, then on #21 land in a plea squat position (pictured) with toes and knees wider than shoulder width, pointing to the sides, and aligning the knees over the ankles. Hop up and bring the feet and knees together and squat back like you were sitting in a chair, keeping the abs tight. That makes one rep. Jump back into plea squat and repeat for 20, finish with 20 more jacks and go back to the toning move on the other side. Finish with another round of this cardio interval.
You’ve just completed booty camp basic training!
NikkiFitness Demonstrates How to Use the SilverShaper
World famous fitness expert NikkiFitness shows some simple ways to get that beach-ready body using the SilverShaper.
Is Your Yoga Class Working?
Whether you’ve been going to yoga class for two weeks or two years, eventually you’ll want to spend some time thinking about how yoga is helping you achieve your goals. From physical health to mental well being, people attend yoga classes for many reasons. After your next class, why not evaluate whether yoga is helping you achieve your goals?
- If your goal is weight loss, then evaluate whether or not your yoga workout is helping you lose weight. You can do this on a scale, but it can be easier and more encouraging to take measurements of key body parts (such as your waist and hip) instead. If yoga is not helping you lose weight, you may need to try another workout in addition to yoga. You can also try doing a more intense yoga workout, such as power yoga, daily.
- If your goal is to be stress-free, you may want to consider a “stress journal” or other place to record your thoughts and feelings about your stress. This will help you decide whether or not your yoga class is effective at helping you manage your stress. If you still feel stressed after yoga class, try taking a slightly more active class – you may need to release the extra energy.
- If your goal is to heal from an injury, then you’ll probably need to see a doctor to figure out if you’re achieved your goal. However, even if you’re not fully healed, yoga may be able to help you feel less pain in your daily life. If your yoga class isn’t providing the light workout you need after your injury, talk to the instructor. They may be able to modify or recommend poses that can help.
- If your goal is to tone your muscles, then simply take a look in the mirror. You should be able to see parts of your body tightening up. You can also use a tape measure to record your results in a meaningful way. If your yoga workout isn’t providing the muscle toning you need, switch to a style with more flow – or even consider Bikram yoga.
An awesome yoga workout can help you achieve many of your goals and improve your mental and physical states. However, you should regularly evaluate whether or not your yoga class is working for you. If not, try switching to another style of yoga, another teacher or even another studio. There’s a yoga class for everyone and every goal – you just have to find it.
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