willgetyoufit

Get More Fit in Less Time
Pro athletes and weekend warriors know that you must train your cardiovascular system to improve your endurance and sports performance. Getting at least 20 or 30 minutes of exercise at least three times per week has become the foundation of cardiovascular fitness. However, there are other ways to get cardiovascular benefits. In fact, evidence supports the benefit of short, high intensity efforts as a means of improving aerobic capacity and endurance.
Sprint training is becoming a new way to train. Recent studies involving bicyclists showed great results in very little time. In fact, one study found that just six sessions of 4-7 all-out 30 second sprints (with four minutes of recovery) could be as effective in improving cardiovascular fitness as an hour of daily moderate activity.
The subjects in one study showed a full 100 percent increase in endurance capacity (from 26 minutes to 51 minutes) versus the control group who showed no change. In another study by the same researchers, subjects improved their time trial performance by nearly 10 percent in the two weeks.
These short bouts of intense exercise (similar to interval training) improved muscle health and performance comparable to several weeks of traditional endurance training. The muscles of the trained group also showed a significant increase in citrate synthase — an enzyme that is a marker of the tissue’s ability to utilize oxygen. Other findings have shown that short, high intensity exercise burns more calories.

The Workout
The following sprint workout can be done while running, swimming, cycling — or just about any other way you can think of. Due to the intensity of this workout, make sure to check with you doctor before beginning. It’s also easier to begin this workout if you have some base fitness already. To build a base, follow the 10 percent rule, and gradually increase your training volume.
Launching into a sprint program will be difficult and cause delayed onset muscle soreness if you haven’t done much before. I recommend having about 3 to 4 weeks of base fitness before beginning.
Allow at least one day of rest or easy exercise between sprint workouts (for recovery).
Perform the following routine up to three times per week on alternate days:

• Warm up with easy exercise of about 5-10 minutes. Perform the same exercise you will be using for your sprints.
• Perform an all-out 30 second sprint effort. You should be pushing yourself to the max for each one.
• Recover for 2 to 4 minutes by slowing to a comfortable pace, but keep moving. This can be an easy jog or a walk, depending upon your fitness.
• Perform another 30 second all-out sprint.
• Repeat the recovery/sprint routine 4-8 times depending upon your level and ability. For your first workout, you will want to stop at 4 sprints.     That’s fine. Try to build up to 8.
• The goal is to do this workout six times (two weeks).

If you like your results, you can continue longer. But it’s a good idea to vary your routine every few months, and throughout the year. This type of workout is intense, and you may need to take a break and perform some longer slow workouts for a while. Feel free to modify the routine as you like; see for yourself what works best for you.
Sprint training offers an option for those who don’t have much time for exercise, but still want to improve their cardiovascular system. While this type of training is demanding and requires a high level of motivation, it can lead to dramatic improvements in a short period of time.

*Be sure to check with your doctor before beginning this sort of program.