On Monday I put this post up on Facebook:
And now I have some explaining to do.
First off, yes, I think the elliptical is a waste of time – at least the way most people use it.
Yes, I think there are better ways to get results in the gym than using the elliptical.
Yes, I think women over utilize cardio and under utilize strength training in their fat loss efforts.
HOWEVER . . . .
Something is always better than nothing – getting on the elliptical is better than not working out at all.
There is nothing wrong with cardio – especially if you use it strategically.
Most women don’t know that they could be getting much better results by using strength training and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) programs for cardio, rather than traditional, steady state cardio (getting on a machine for 30-45 minutes and keeping the same moderate pace for the whole workout). So, they are innocently increasing their time doing traditional cardio, thinking this will give them results – when in fact it won’t.
Women have been mislead when it comes to RESULT DRIVEN FITNESS.
What do I mean by RESULT DRIVEN FITNESS? I mean using fitness/workouts strategically to get results that you can see and feel in your body, like we do in all our FHM programs. This is different than just putting in the time doing your cardio.
Women frequently say to me, “If I just had time to do more cardio, I could lose this 10 extra pounds”. The reality is that they could probably CUT BACK their cardio time (maybe even cut it in half) and get better results if they were using HIIT cardio workouts. They could even further cut back their cardio time if they added in strength training.
The real secret to losing that 10 pounds, or 20 pounds is GETTING LEANER. Women looking to lose weight are generally looking to get smaller, right? We are conditioned to think that losing weight will make us smaller. Sometimes that is the case, sometimes not. Sometimes the scale stays the same or goes up a bit as we get smaller and leaner. This has happened to me.
In fact, my weight has stayed within 5 pounds for the last 10 years, but I have worn anywhere from a 6 to a 12, depending on how lean I am.
In order to lose dress sizes (ie: get smaller), you need to get leaner. In order to get leaner, you need to put on some lean muscle mass. Putting on muscle mass does not happen by spending hours hanging over the handle bars of the elliptical watching TV, listening to music and reading a magazine simultaneously (that is great for your goal of catching up on celebrity gossip or just chillaxin’.)
Some women were offended by my Facebook comment yesterday, thinking I was putting down these women who chose to workout on the elliptical. That was not my intention. My frustration with what I saw was that these women were innocently using their time (that is probably very valuable and very limited) in a way that is not going to help them reach their goals (I’m presuming not many of these 40 or so women were on the elliptical for the purpose of chillaxin’ on a Monday morning.)
If they were doing High Intensity Intervals on the elliptical or treadmill or stepper – awesome. But if they were doing HIIT workouts, they would not be able to read a magazine or even focus on the TV in most cases. With HIIT workouts, you are going to be pushing so hard that all you’ll be able to do is focus on inhaling, exhaling and being awesome.
Sadly, these women probably don’t know that. Most, if not all, of them likely thought they were making great use of their time. I mean, they got to the gym, they got sweaty and they were probably tired afterward. That counts for something, right?
Yes, it does. But what if they all could have spent half the time with weights or doing a HIIT session and gotten better results?
I know many of you know this already because you’re avid FHM followers (bless you!) You have learned that strength training gives you muscle and that makes you smaller.
You have learned that workouts don’t need to be long to be effective.
You know that steady state cardio is not your best weapon for weight loss.
I realized yesterday, while watching these 40 or so women, that you, my friends, are among the elite. You have knowledge what many women do not. You have the power to change your body because you have the tools and skills from using FHM workouts and programs to make the most of your workout time.
I am so proud to represent a community of women who get that. And if you are new to this community, or still learning, that is totally ok. Just keep taking it all in. Ask questions as you have them – and ask for clarification when needed. Feel free to challenge me. I’ll always give you everything I’ve got and I’ll always let you know what I think.
Along those lines, I have something for you . . . .
Here are a few HIIT formats you can use in your workouts to KICK ASS. Use can use these formats with any kind of cardio (running, hiking, biking, swimming, or on any cardio machine.)
HIIT WORKOUT #1:
Warm Up x 5:00
Push x :30
Rest x :45
Repeat x 8-10
Cool Down x 5:00
HIIT WORKOUT #2:
Warm Up x 5:00
Push x 45
Rest x :30
Repeat x 8-10
Cool Down x 5:00
(Yes, this will feel totally different than Workout #1)
HIIT WORKOUT #3:
Warm Up x 5:00
Push x :30
Rest x :30
Repeat x 8-10
Cool Down x 5:00
HIIT WORKOUT #4:
Warm Up x 5:00
Push x :30
Rest x :20
Repeat x 8-10
Cool Down x 5:00
HIIT WORKOUT #5:
Warm Up x 5:00
Push x 1:00
Rest x 1:00
Repeat x 8-10
Cool Down x 5:00
HIIT WORKOUT #6:
Warm Up x 5:00
Push x 1:00
Rest x :30
Repeat x 6-8
Cool Down x 5:00
The key with HIIT workouts is your Push Interval should be HARD – as hard as you can make it. You should NEED your rest by the end of your Push. If you feel you could have Pushed longer, you did not Push hard enough.
If you use longer Push intervals (:45-1:00) you will have to back off your pace/intensity a bit to maintain your effort. That is fine, but you should still be spent at the end of each Push.
The Rest period is essential. Your effort should be minimal during this phase. You can do absolutely nothing during your Rest or just bring the intensity down to about a 3-5 on a scale of 1-10. Your Rest will be essential in order to allow you to Push as hard as possible in your next Push phase.
How to combine HIIT with strength training? This is the BEST kind of workout – you kill two birds with one stone. It is not easy – but it is SUPER effective. These are the kinds of workouts I use with my local Boot Campers and in SUPERMOM WORKOUTS – where our moms lose up to 20 pound of fat in just 5 weeks. This is where the magic is at. Here are some sample HIIT Strength Workouts:
HIIT WORKOUT #7:
Warm Up x 5:00
Dumbbell Squats x :30
Push Ups x :30
Dumbbell Walking Lunges x :30
Bent Over Rows x :30
Rest x :30
Repeat x 5
Cool Down/Stretch
HIIT WORKOUT #8:
Warm Up x 5:00
Skaters x 20 Reps
Tricep Push Ups x 10 Reps
Alternating Jump Lunges x 20 Reps
Renegade Rows x 10 Reps
Rest x :20
Repeat as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
Cool Down/Stretch
HIIT WORKOUT #9:
Warm Up x 5:00
Jump Squats x :20
Rest x :10
Decline Push Ups (feet on a step/bench/ball) x :20
Rest x :10
Repeat x 8
Rest x 1:00
Star Jumps x :20
Rest x :10
Pull Ups or Lat Pull or Bent Over DB Row x :20
Rest x :10
Repeat x 8
Cool Down/Stretch
HIIT WORKOUT #10:
Warm Up x 5:00
Jump Rope x 100 Reps
Squat Press x 20 Reps
Jumping Jacks x 50
Alternating Reverse Lunge/Bicep Curl x 20
Rest x :30
Repeat x 6
Cool Down/Stretch
These are REALLY, TRULY Fat Burning Workouts for Moms!
HIIT workouts, when done properly (using a challenging PUSH phase and a low or no effort REST phase,) will elevate your metabolism for 24-48 hours. This allows you to burn a ton more calories after your workout is over – even while you’re sleeping. Traditional, steady state cardio does not do that.
HIIT workouts have been proven to burn more belly fat than steady state cardio and any “ab workout”.
Studies show that HIIT workouts take less time and provide up to 9 times the results of steady state cardio.
HIIT workouts are SO MUCH MORE FUN that steady state cardio. Time goes really fast when you break it up into these small, goal oriented segments of work. You will feel way stronger and more fired up after a HIIT workout that a steady state cardio workout. Major endorphin rush!
If you have been using HIIT workouts, leave a comment below and share with other FHMs how they have helped you out!
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