2011_0304 Chapter 3: Move It to Lose It (Part 2 of 4)

Previously I had mentioned using the Lose It! app on my iPhone. It is available free through iTunes. You do not need to have an iPhone to use the Lose It!. You can use it via their website at http://loseit.com/ . I have also included a link to it on the right hand side of this blog. Now, let me continue with another entry from the Lose It! book I am reading.

CHAPTER 3: MOVE IT TO LOSE IT

Burn Calories in Your Sleep 
You can burn calories in your sleep through the effect of "afterburn." When you exercise your body uses up energy, when you stop a workout session, your body keeps going a little longer. Strength training helps increase lean muscle mass. Increasing muscle mass gradually does not mean you will end up looking like the animated version of the Incredible Hulk. First you burn off the fat, so you loose weight. After you reach your goal weight, then you gauge for yourself how far to go to gain some muscle bulk.

The Calorie Crunch: Maximize Your Time
To gain the most benefit possible for the shortest time possible, interval training is suggested. A typical standard interval workout is about 30 minutes long. To me this means Jillian Micheals 30 Day Shred DVD is a perfect candidate for me. I picked up the DVD at my local Walmart for $9.00+tax. *sigh* I have started this DVD twice and have only lasted a 8 days. It is not a difficult workout in terms of what you are asked to do. The difficult part for me is finding the time and energy to stick with it. At the end of the day, I just do not feel like working out, all I want is to get to bed and sleep.  I have heard the third time is a charm, so I will start the 30 Day Shred a third time.

Picture from Amazon.com

Short Bursts, Huge Gains
The book used a study case printed in the Journal of Physiology to support the advantages of interval training. Any time of cardiovascular activity can be done as long as it is mixed up with bursts of speed and intensity. Warning: Always check with your Dr before starting any physical challenge.

Two Interval Programs To Try
Just like the section name says, this section provides two suggested interval programs to try.
The second suggested interval workout seems easier to comprehend and apply to any cardiovascular activity.

Interval Program 2 (found on Page 78)

1. 3 to 5 minutes of warm-up
2. 30 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
3. 45 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
4. 60 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
5. 90 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
6. 60 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
7. 45 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
8. 30 seconds of high-intensity work, followed by 1 minute of low-intensity work
9. 3 to 5 minutes of warm-up

The book suggested going to http://cardiocoach.com/ to download one of their popular audio workouts. The claim is they have 20-minute workouts that will let you know when to speed up and when to slow down. This sounded  very helpful so I do not have to keep looking at my watch or some sort of timer. When I visited the site today, the site had 4 lines printed on a blank white page:

Cardio Coach

Backup server
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I will visit the site again 2-3 days in a row, maybe their site is temporarily down?

Next time I will continue with section, "Strength Training 101: Busting Myths About Heavy Lifting."