Cha-Cha-Changes

So, I am not even two full weeks in and I am already changing my fitness goals up. Why?

I talked with lovely Trainer Tara.

* Notice I took out the "Torture" and replaced it with "Trainer"? Funny how your perception changes after a few weeks away! *

Probably should have consulted her to begin with. Anyhoo, I talked with her about what area I am having the most problem with right now and she suggested a switch in my training. Below is some of our email conversation.

ME: So, I feel like I am carrying all my extra weight in the area between my belly button up to right under my boobs. What is the deal with that? What can I do, exercise wise, to attack that?

TT: With all fat & specifically belly fat, the best exercise is cardio...and I would suggest doing interval cardio. I also will tell you that it has to be combined with your diet (healthy eating). Most of the articles I have read & from what I have experienced/seen in others, the key is to get your heart rate up!!! Doing ab exercises are great for the abdominal muscles, however if those muscles are buried under fat it is not going to matter.

This is what I would suggest. Interval cardio is simply sprinting. You can complete running sprints, biking sprints or swimming sprints depending on your preference. The key is to push yourself as hard as you can for 30-60 seconds & then rest for 60-90 seconds, until you have mostly caught your breath & your heart rate has slowed to an aerobic rate. Do you know your Maximum Heart Rate? It is 220-your age. I think you are 28, so your Maximum Heart Rate is 192. This is the top of your heart rate chart if you are exerting maximum effort. If you can hit this in that 30-60 second window you will see the best results. I would suggest starting with 10 to 15 sprints per day depending on how you feel afterwards. If you can do more, than add additional sprints until you reach 20 to 30. If you find you still have energy after that, increase the duration.

Sorry to tell you that doing 1000 sit ups for the next 3 days or holding a plank for the next week are not the answer. Sprinting is!! The key is to go as fast as you possible can for the duration...BUT keep in mind...you must warm up sufficiently before pushing yourself this hard as you don't want to injure yourself.

ME: Thanks for the fabulous advice. Funny, I saw Jillian Michaels making a girl do sprints and I was thinking that I needed to try it. Maybe I will try that the rest of this week and see. I am glad it's not sit ups and planks...I know you are surprised to know they are not my favorite. They rank right up there with squat thrusts. What kind of warming up should I do before hand? I heart you.

TT: You are welcome. Your warm up can just be 5-10 minutes of whatever you are going to be doing your sprints on/with. You just want to get your heart rate up a bit & warm up your muscles. You can also use a stepper, elliptical or stationery bike too. Michelle, you are amazing. I pray every night that the Lord would turn me into you.

OK, OK, I added those last two sentences. :)

Today was day three of my interval training. It is kicking my butt, in a good way.

Saturday my brother and I trained together. We picked the only flat stretch of road in my parent's subdivision. We did 10 intervals, probably about 40 seconds sprinting, 75 seconds recovering. It was rough.

Sunday, my dad joined my brother and I. We did 10 intervals again in the same place as Saturday. Dad kicked boo-tay.

Today, I trained on the treadmill. I think I did 13 intervals. Found it easier to push myself since I was setting the pace on the treadmill and not turning it down. By the end of it I was doing 9MPH for 35 second stretches.

The problem with the treadmill is the recovery time. Thankfully no one was in the weight room with me this morning. I looked kind of silly doing high knee marches next to a treadmill that was going 9MPH.

We shall see how it goes...

How are you all doing?