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Sprinting: a Great Tool in Fat loss
 Sprinting
not only burns HUGE amounts of
calories, it also keeps your metabolism flying for days after. Sprinting
combined with
running /
jogging can bring amazing results, especially when combined with a
healthy
diet!
It can be done on a
stationary bicycle, a
stair stepper, or any activity where you can alternate periods of high
intensity with periods of low intensity.
The research, published in the Journal of Applied
Physiology, shows that just 15 minutes of sprint interval training over
a two-week period was enough to improve exercise performance by almost 100%
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Benefits to sprinting
Sprinting is an amazing exercise period. It is a great tool to help in
fat loss, kill stress as well as increasing your
metabolic rate for days. On top of all this, sprinting is a great exercise
for your
hamstrings and can help
sculpt and tone
those muscles you would kill to have. Besides, sprint training may offer an
option for individuals who cite lack of time as a major impediment to fitness
and conditioning. One other positive
motivational benefit you
will find with sprinting is that the uncontrollable human urge to beat a
STOP-WATCH can help your clients'
blast through
plateaus and dramatically increase performance. Plus there is at least some
preliminary evidence that sprint training causes the body to release anabolic
hormones: testosterone and human growth hormone with all the positive
physiological and
anti-aging
effects you are striving for in a workout.
Sprinting is the original
CORE exercise. That means,
for a minimum amount of time you spend sprinting you can replace hours spent in
the gym on CORE or Functional exercises.
 A study was conducted on 16 subjects: eight who performed a two-week
sprint-interval training program and eight who did no exercise training . The
training program consisted of between four and seven 30-second bursts of "all
out" cycling followed by four minutes of recovery three times a week for two
weeks. Researchers found that endurance capacity in the sprint group increased
on average from 26 minutes to 51 minutes, whereas the control group showed no
change. The muscles of the trained group also showed a significant increase in
citrate synthase, an enzyme that is indicative of the tissue's ability to
utilize oxygen.
How many days a week should I be sprinting?
WF team suggest spreading your sprinting out evenly and doing it two times a
week. Mondays and Thursdays would be fine, leaving enough time for
recovery between each day as your muscles will need time to grow and heal. Not
only will spreading it out help you recover faster it will also keep your
metabolism peaked more evenly and prolong the effect.
If you are ready for sprint training, check out the following sample
program:
WEEK ONE
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Warm-up : 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 40-60%/max)
Workout : Sprint (at 80-90%) 4 Reps for 10-15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 5 minutes between reps
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog/walk (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH
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WEEK TWO
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Warm-up : 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 50-70%/max)
Workout : Sprint (at 85-95%) 5 Reps for 12-15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 4 minutes between reps.
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH |
WEEK THREE
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Warm-up : 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 60-80%/max)
Workout : Sprint (at 85-100%) 6 Reps for 12-15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 4 minutes between reps
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH |
WEEK FOUR
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Warm-up : 10 minutes - Jog (vary intensity from 60-80%/max)
Workout : Sprint (at 90-100%) 7 Reps for 15 seconds
Walk at slow jog for 4 minutes between reps
Cool Down: 10 minutes - Jog (low intensity, slowing to walk)
STRETCH
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After week four, you focus on improving time in the sprints by optimizing
technique. Two to three sessions/week will be all you need to make great gains.
Remember, recovery occurs within 24-48 hours, adaptation takes longer, usually
72-96 hours after an intense exercise session. By week five you will be
operating at maximum intensity, which will require 3-4 days rest for full
recovery and adaptation. Plan your training accordingly.
Dated 04 June 2012
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