FitSugar

Sneak in Sprints While You're on the Court

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

Nobody is debating my sportsmanship or nominating me for MVP, but the NBA Finals inspired my husband and I to hit the basketball court this past weekend. My hands haven't touched a basketball in years, so I was expecting the afternoon to be a hilarious mess. Instead, I discovered a fun new workout that I can't wait to repeat after my soreness subsides.

To see how I spent part of a Saturday, read more.

We arrived at the court with the intention of staying for 30 minutes, and an hour passed before we realized how much time had gone by. My husband and I took turns shooting and rebounding, and every five or 10 minutes, I would let him shoot alone while I resurrected one of my not-so-favorite exercises- killers, aka suicides. I'd sprint the length of the court, back and forth, touching all the lines, until I was nearly out of breath and then go back to shooting around. I like to think of it as a unique interval workout, which caused me to leave the court flush-faced and sweaty.

Two days after our basketball outing, my arms (forearms through shoulders) were sore from shooting the ball, and my abs were so sore from sprinting that I could feel them when I sneezed. I had a blast with my husband and was able to sneak in a pretty killer workout; next time I'll wear my heart rate monitor to measure exactly how hard I'm working. Who else out there likes to shoot hoops?

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Fit Tip: Sprint Throughout Your Cardio Workout

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:30:00 -0700

Long, slow cardio workouts are great for relieving stress or if you're training for a race, but adding fast-paced intervals will help alleviate boredom, diminish belly fat, and make you stronger.

Whether you get your heart rate up by running, using an elliptical, swimming, jumping rope, or biking, include short sprinting bursts throughout your workout. Add 10- to 60-second sprints every few minutes, slowing down to a moderate pace just long enough to catch your breath between them. These sprints will build and tone muscles and increase your endurance.

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Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Swimming Sprints

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Many of us are starting to move our workouts indoors. Temperatures are cooling off and daylight is becoming increasingly limited; the days are going to get even shorter. One way to move your cardio inside is swimming and here is a fun workout to try. Sprinting intervals are not just for running; they're great for the pool too. I suggest adding some sprints into your swimming workouts to keep things fresh and challenging. Check out this simple workout and try it next time you head to the pool. Better yet, print it out and use it as your excuse to head to the pool. I have even added some kicking sprints to target your legs too.

To see the workout, just read more.

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
50 yrds kick Freestyle
50 yrds kick Backstroke
50 yrds kick Breaststroke
100 yrds pull* Freestyle

The Main Event:
200 yrds Freestyle

Sprints
8 x 25 yrds alternating Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly***
(rest :10)**

200 yards Freestyle

Kick Sprints
4 x 25 yrds Freestyle kickboard sprint
(rest :20)
4 x 25 yrds Breaststroke
(rest :20)

200 yards Freestyle
100 yards Breaststroke

Cool Down:
50 Backstroke
50 pull Freestyle
100 Freestyle - easy

* Pull: Hold a buoy with your legs and use only your arms to swim
** Rest the listed amount between reps/laps
***If you don't swim Butterfly, substitute Freestyle

This workout is 1650 yards, a mile. A swimmer's mile is 1500 meters, or roughly 1650 yards - 66 lengths in a 25 yard pool.

Fit's Tips: If you are new to swimming check out this beginner's program to get you from sitting on the side of the pool to swimming a mile.

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Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Outdoor Run With Sprints

FitSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

Since the majority of you said that you prefer to exercise outdoors, I thought that this week's Get It Up (cardio workout) should take you outside and get you running.

Time	Activity	RPE
00:00-05:00	Warm up with a brisk walk/slow jog	2-3
05:00-08:00	Jog/run	6-7
08:00-08:30	Sprint	8-9
08:30-30:00	Repeat the previous two steps six times	6-9
30:00-35:00	Cool down with a brisk walk/slow jog	2-3

Gym goers can also use this program on the treadmill, just adjust the speed accordingly. Also, if you liked this workout then be sure to check out all my great cardio workouts.

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Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Running With Sprints

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 04:00:00 -0800

Are you guilty of putting on cruise control while running on the treadmill 30 minutes without ever touching the resistance, incline or speed? I'll admit it - from time to time, I do this but in the end I always find it extremely boring. Instead of sticking to just one speed, try including a few quick high-speed intervals to your workout that are a sure way to really get your heart pumping.

Time	Speed (mpr)	Incline (%)	Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
00:00-05:00	3.0	1	1-3
05:00-09:00	5.0	1	4-7
09:00-10:00	6.0	1	8-10
10:00-14:00	5.0	1	4-7
14:00-15:00	6.5	1	8-10
15:00-19:00	5.0	1	4-7
19:00-21:00	7.0	1	8-10
21:00-25:00	5.0	1	4-7
25:00-30:00	3.0	1	1-3

Fit's Tip: If this is too easy or too hard, just adjust the speed to fit your level. If you want to do this workout while running outside, then use the RPE column to determine how fast you should be going.

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Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Swimming Sprints

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:00:00 -0800

Cold, short days move many workouts indoors and I often head to the pool for a cardio workout. Intervals are not just for running; they are great to add into your swim workouts too. There are some kickboard sprints to focus on toning the legs.

Here's a workout for you to try:

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
50 yrds kick Freestyle
50 yrds kick Backstroke
50 yrds kick Breaststroke
100 yrds pull* Freestyle

The Main Event:
200 yrds Freestyle

Sprints
8 x 25 yrds alternating Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly***
(rest :10)**

200 yards Freestyle

Kick Sprints
4 x 25 yrds Freestyle kickboard sprint
(rest :20)
4 x 25 yrds Breaststroke
(rest :20)

Cool Down:
50 Backstroke
50 pull Freestyle
100 Freestyle - easy

* Pull: Hold a buoy with your legs and use only your arms to swim
** Rest the listed amount between reps/laps
***If you don't swim Butterfly, substitute Freestyle

This workout is 1350 yards, or about .82 miles (a swimmer's mile is 1500 meters, or roughly 1650 yards - 66 lengths in a 25 yard pool).

Fit's Tips: If you are new to swimming check out this beginner's program to get you from sitting on the side of the pool to swimming a mile.

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Get It Up - Your Heart Rate, That is: Swimming

FitSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Spring is here and it is getting warm!!! Why not swim outdoors to get your body bikini ready? Remember cardio will burn fat all over your body, helping to get you toned and buff for the revealing fashions of summer and swimsuits.

Here's a workout for you to try:

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
50 yrds kick Freestyle
50 yrds kick Backstroke
50 yrds kick Breaststroke
100 yrds pull Freestyle

The Main Event:
400 yrds Freestyle

Sprints
8 x 25 yrds alternating Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly
(rest :10)
Note: If you don't swim Butterfly, substitute Freestyle

100 yrds Backstroke
100 yrds Breaststroke

Cool Down:
50 kick Freestyle
50 kick Backstroke
100 Freestyle - easy

This workout is 1350 yards, or about .82 miles (a swimmer's mile is 1500 meters, or roughly 1650 yards - 66 laps in a 25 yard pool).

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate, That Is: Sprint Intervals at the Track

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Interval training is key for torching calories and increasing your speed. Intervals are tough, but they work your body and prepare you well for the races ahead - it is racing season, after all.

Even if you don't like to race, intervals are a great way to add spark to your running routine and help you move past a weight-loss plateau. I wish I could say that I love this workout, but that would be a lie. Just ask my running buddy to tell you how I curse when doing this interval sprint. I can, however, easily admit that I love how I feel afterward, and I love that I burn over 450 calories while doing it.

To see the workout, read more.

This interval training involves sprinting, so run as fast as you can. But this workout can be a little confusing, so before you start, mentally divide the track into four equal quarters since you will be running 100-yard sprints at different points around the track. This is not a beginner workout and you should have a strong running/aerobic fitness level before doing this workout.

Warmup
Four slow laps around the track
Dynamic warmup

20 high-knee marching steps
20 booty kicks
Skip 20 steps
Skip with kick 20 steps
20 heel walks
20 toe walks

Intervals
Jog 400 yards (one lap at most tracks)
Sprint 100 yards
Recover* 400 yards
Sprint 100 yards
Recover 300 yards
Sprint 100 yards
Recover 200 yards
Sprint 100 yards
Recover 100 yards
Sprint 100 yards
Recover 400 to 800 yards

Repeat workout one more time!

Cooldown
Jog two laps
Stretch

*You can walk or jog slowly during the recovery period

Try the workout and let me know what you think. Running intervals like this has definitely made my steady-paced, longer runs feel dreamy.

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Sprint Like You Mean It

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:30:00 -0700

I have been watching the Olympics with my girls, and aside from the gymnastics (I believe the love of the leotard is buried deep in the X chromosome) they love watching women run. And run fast. All the 100m heats are the perfect length for my 3-year-old's attention span.

These fast women amaze and inspire me with their speed and determination. The exuberance of Jamaican gold medal winner Shelly-Ann Fraser was infectious. After watching her dance around with the Jamaican flag, I just had to do a running workout with sprints. If you caught the rapidly spreading sprinting fever, here are some workouts for you to try.

Sprint Intervals at the Track
Sprint Intervals on the Treadmill
Outdoor Run With Sprints
Running With Sprints
Killer in the Park

The 200m finals are Thursday at 7:30 p.m. It will surely be a grudge match. The women's 4 x 100m relay finals are bound to be exciting too. The fastest women in the world will place themselves behind the start line at 8:15 p.m. Friday. Hope my little one can concentrate to watch an entire lap!

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Fit Tip: Sprint the Last Thirty Seconds of a Run

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:30:00 -0700

If you tend to jog at an even pace, then your heart rate probably stays pretty consistent as well. This is great for burning calories and of course you're definitely working the muscles in your lower body, but if you want to get your heart pumping a little faster then you've got to work sprints into your routine.

Since sprinting is tough on your muscles and your lungs, you'll want to ease into them. Before adding sprinting intervals throughout your run, try sprinting the last thirty seconds of your workout. It's easier to run at the end because you know that after the thirty seconds is up, you can stop and cool down. It feels amazing to push yourself, and I guarantee that you'll feel so strong and proud when you're done. I always pretend that I'm racing someone for first place, and that the thirty-second mark is the finish line. It may be childish, but it sure gets my legs moving.

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