Fitness: Burning off fat

Last updated 16:56, Friday, 21 March 2008

David LIttle shows you how to burn off that fat with some explosive interval training

I HOPE you enjoyed the first part of my 16-week training programme for women and are already feeling the benefits of the first week. Now we concentrate on fat burning with explosive interval training and keeping that stomach lean and strong.

Some of you might not have used interval training before so here’s my brief description on what it’s all about.

Interval training tests your body in many different ways, however it’s this test that will benefit your body long after the workout is finished. You may have heard of metabolic rate. By increasing your metabolic rate you will not only benefit massively during a workout but the biggest change happens when you are at rest.

As you become fitter you will find your metabolic rate increases therefore you will be burning more calories at rest. So just think you’re typing a way at your computer at work and your actually burning a lot more calories than before you started this program.

The same boring 20 minutes on the treadmill won’t do this however, what we are looking for is intense bursts of 85-90 per cent of MHR for a minute then rest for a minute. The total amount spent on this type of training is entirely at your discretion.

Now we’ve pictured the scene on the cardio lets look at the biggest problem area for both male and females, the core. Its evolved more since the days of just working the abdominal region, we now have a name for it that tells you it’s the most important parent of the body to work. Unfortunately it is still the most neglected.

For the female readers the core represents more than just a part of the body to help you stand straight it helps in childbirth, helps prevent osteoporosis, can help in menstrual cycles and also helps you look good in that bikini for summer.

All we are doing this week and for all even numbered weeks is the core and interval training, easy isn’t it. Think again, interval training is meant to be hard and the even numbered weeks will be your harder weeks. The core exercises will be based around the best exercises you can do for that area. No pointless exercises that don’t mean much, these exercise will be specific and should help muscle tone.

Now get ready for it, no bike, no stepper, no rowing machine, no treadmill and no cross trainer, in order to maximise the best interval training possible we are going to use the versa climber. Yes that dreaded piece of equipment that many people don’t use. I know there might be gyms that don’t have this type of equipment so please use the treadmill as the alternative. But for all you sport centre enthusiasts look no further than the versa climber.

Here are the aims of the even numbered weeks:

For high intensity aim for 80-90 per cent MHR.

Slow concise movements for all core exercises.

Always have water to hand to rehydrate.

Always stretch at the end for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Don’t warm up, surprise the body by getting straight to it.

If you feel dizzy then stop, and only restart if you feel 100 per cent better.

Enjoy it

n WEEKS 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16

n MONDAY

VersaClimber

5x1 min 80-90% MHR