I believe I've mentioned that last year, I started a strength training exercise regimen. I bought some resistance bands and hand weights, and I started doing exercises with them every other day. Gradually I also incorporated some core exercises as well. The strength training was very effective, helping me to stay toned, and made a great contribution to my weight loss.
This year, I've noticed that the workouts haven't been quite as effective as they used to be. And frankly, they've been a bit boring for me. I've stuck to the routine, but not with the same results.
I was doing some reading online the other day, and I came upon an article about something called "High Intensity Circuit Training". Also called interval training, it's a series of mostly calisthenic exercises, done in quick succession, in short intense bursts. The idea is that you can get a lot of intense exercise in, in a short amount of time, while getting similar results to longer and slower periods of exercise. Interval training has been around a long time, but is getting more popular.
The article suggested the following series of exercises, done for 30 seconds or so at a time, with breaks in between of 30 seconds or less. You complete the circuit, and then repeat it up to two more times, and it all takes about 7 minutes per circuit.
1. Jumping jacks (Total body)
2. Wall sit (Lower body)
3. Push-up (Upper body)
4. Abdominal crunch (Core)
5. Step-up onto chair (Total body)
6. Squat (Lower body)
7. Triceps dip on chair (Upper body)
8. Plank (Core)
10. Lunge (Lower body)
11. Push-up and rotation (Upper body)
12. Side plank (Core)
This year, I've noticed that the workouts haven't been quite as effective as they used to be. And frankly, they've been a bit boring for me. I've stuck to the routine, but not with the same results.
I was doing some reading online the other day, and I came upon an article about something called "High Intensity Circuit Training". Also called interval training, it's a series of mostly calisthenic exercises, done in quick succession, in short intense bursts. The idea is that you can get a lot of intense exercise in, in a short amount of time, while getting similar results to longer and slower periods of exercise. Interval training has been around a long time, but is getting more popular.
The article suggested the following series of exercises, done for 30 seconds or so at a time, with breaks in between of 30 seconds or less. You complete the circuit, and then repeat it up to two more times, and it all takes about 7 minutes per circuit.
1. Jumping jacks (Total body)
2. Wall sit (Lower body)
3. Push-up (Upper body)
4. Abdominal crunch (Core)
5. Step-up onto chair (Total body)
6. Squat (Lower body)
7. Triceps dip on chair (Upper body)
8. Plank (Core)
9. High knees/running in place (Total body)
10. Lunge (Lower body)
11. Push-up and rotation (Upper body)
12. Side plank (Core)
So this week, I decided to give it a try. And let me just say - These exercises are not as easy as you may think. In fact, they are dang hard. The phrase "KICKED MY TRASH!" comes to mind. Although I must say that I'm grateful I had gotten in better shape over the last year, or I may not have lived to tell about it. Forget proper form or technique, forget doing each move for 30 seconds - In most cases, I was only able to make it 20 seconds. After two circuits, I could feel the blood rushing to my head, and my face getting red as a beet. Picture a red cabbage with brown hair, and that's probably what I looked like.
But you know what? It did indeed give my routine a boost, and this middle-aged broad a sense of accomplishment, red cabbage or not. I'm stiff, and I'm sore, but I'm unbowed. And thankfully I have two days to recover until I try it again.
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