Today I did my intervals on the beach.  It felt great.  It was a beautiful day and it felt great to get some exercise in outside.  What better place to run than alongside the ocean.  This is just one of many ways to get your workout outside during the nicer whether.

Below is a video clip of a conditioning workout I did the other day in my backyard.  It was beautiful out and I had limited time to get a workout in so I hit a 25 minute metabolic session in at home.  Not much equipment needed and it was a GREAT workout.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This week I start a new phase of training which is much more metabolic as opposed to more strength based.  I have switched from a 2 day upper body and 2 day lower body split to a full body routine.  I have been feeling the need for a change in my workouts for a few reasons.  First reason is to create more oxygen debt in my workout.  I want to add more conditioning into my training and performing full body workouts will do the trick. Second is that I have been feeling beat up from the long term powerlifting program and  I feel the need to add more unilateral work into my routine.  Unilateral work will do two things for me.  It will help me correct any imbalances I have going on in my hips, core, and shoulders and it will also will increase the amount of time under tension my body will get.  Instead of doing 10 reps of squats which will take anywhere from 20-60 seconds,  I will do lunges which will double that amount of time since I have to do both sides.  This requires more work from the body metabolically and will cause a better environment to burn fat during my workouts.

I will be performing a rotation with my full body workouts which will look something like this:

Week 1: 5 Full Body Workouts in 7 Days
Week 2: 4 Full Body Workouts in 7 Days
Week 3: 3 Full Body Workouts in 7 Days
Repeat 3 times

This will give me a 9 week plan which will bring me about 3 weeks from my wedding.  I will add sprint training into this phase as the weeks go on.

My Sprint Training will consist of a few different variations.  They will be performed on the beach, up hills, and with the prowler as my body gets capable of handling more work.  I will also do sprints in the form of yards.  The 2 sprint workouts I like are 6x40yd sprints followed by 4x20yd on one day and the other day will consist of 4-8x100yd sprints.  I will vary the rest interval but for the first day it will be kept to 2-4 minutes between each sprint and around 8 minutes between the 100yd sprints.

My calories are pretty steady at 2250 with a 40-30-30 split.  This has been working well for me since I have been back from my vacation.  So I will keep my calories the same as I increase my workouts during the next few weeks.  I will adjust according to my results.

Stay Tuned for Updated Photos as well as my Training Log!

Mike

Interval training can cut exercise hours sharply

Intense, brief workouts twice as effective as other regimens, experts say The Associated Press updated 12:25 p.m. ET, Thurs., Feb. 25, 2010

LONDON – People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse.

Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze an entire week’s workout into less than an hour. Intense exercise regimens, or interval training, was originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people.

But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise — and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say.

“High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise,” said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. “This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well … we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising.”

Intense interval training means working very hard for a few minutes, with rest periods in between sets. Experts have mostly tested people running or biking, but other sports like rowing or swimming should also work.

Helgerud recommends people try four sessions lasting four minutes each, with three minutes of recovery time in between. Unless you’re an elite athlete, it shouldn’t be an all-out effort.

“You should be a little out of breath, but you shouldn’t have the obvious feeling of exhaustion,” Helgerud said.

In Britain and the U.S., officials recommend that people get about two and a half hours each week of moderate exercise.

When compared to people on a normal exercise routine, like jogging, research has shown those doing interval training can double their endurance, improve their oxygen use and strength by more than 10 percent, and their speed by at least 5 percent. Even studies in the elderly and in heart patients found they had better oxygen use and fitness after doing interval training.

Still, most studies have been done in young, healthy adults, and experts advise people to consult a doctor before starting any fitness program.

For Adamson Nicholls, a 36-year-old Londoner and martial arts enthusiast, interval training is a way to boost his endurance so he can outlast sparring opponents. “It’s a shortcut to explosive fitness,” he said, adding the training results in snappier and heavier punches.

Using interval training, Nicholls got into top shape last year in about six weeks, using weekly 45-minute sessions. He estimates the same level would have taken about three months via regular training.

Experts say that’s because intense bursts of activity are precisely what the body needs to build stronger muscles. Traditional workouts lasting an hour or more simply don’t push the body enough.

“A lot of the (benefits) from exercise are due to a stress response,” said Stephen Bailey, a sports sciences expert at the University of Exeter. “If you disturb your muscles, there’s an imbalance created and your body will start signaling pathways that result in adjustments.”

Bailey said intense bursts of exercise help the body to convert one type of muscle fiber into another type that uses oxygen more efficiently and is capable of exercising a lot longer. Even though interval training only takes a few minutes, its effects last for hours.

“You’ve exercised at such a high intensity that you’re going to create a massive disturbance in your muscles,” Bailey said. That creates a higher metabolism for several hours afterward, which the body will bring down by burning fat and carbohydrates.

Helgerud and others predicted that as further studies confirm interval training is safe for wider populations, authorities will include it in their exercise guidelines.

“This is definitely the way forward to save time on your exercise,” Nicholls said. “The results are worth it.”

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35581793/ns/health-fitness/

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Post your Favorite Interval Style Workout Below

Training clients last night made for some good conversation about meal planning and fat loss.  When your goal is fat loss and getting leaner you have to remember that it is a process that requires some planning.   From my experience, if my meals are not planned out accordingly prior to the day starting than I am not as successful in getting leaner than if I do have all meals planned out.

So what if your day is filled with meetings, car rides to clients, or super busy with the kids?

Well it still has to be planned out.  I get asked quite often what do I do if I am on the road or get stuck out and don’t have a meal with me , what do I eat and from where?  This is a very common situation and I will answer this shortly but first I must give you the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear this.  If you had planned all your meals the night before and packed them up in a cooler this would not be an issue.  I know, I know you weren’t expecting this situation to happen right?  Ok but if you plan your meals prior EVERY night and bring your foods with you ALL the time than it still doesn’t cause a problem.  And even if you just pack a meal replacement in your car with a shaker than all you really need is a bottled water and you are good to go.

You see in order to lose bodyfat and get leaner you must have a plan of attack and if you have a plan of attack than you shouldn’t get caught out there with no meals ready because any sound plan of attack in regards to nutrition is going to tell you to plan your meals ahead of time.

Okay Mike I get it but what if you are in a jam and have to stop to get something to eat out?  It really isn’t as hard as some may seem to get a healthy meal out whether it be chinese food, sandwich, salad bar at a food store, etc.  There are so many healthy options today that it is almost too easy.  Here are a few quick meals for on the road:

1.  Steamed Chicken, Brown Rice and Borccoli (Chinese Restaurant) – can’t have carbs in this meal?  Swap out the brown rice for some almonds or fish oils you should have stashed in your car.
2. Chicken Breast, 2 slices of Rye Bread, Tomato, Onions, Mustard, Apple – Carbless would be over salad no bread,  fruit or no fruit, add olive oil.
3.  Cottage Cheese, Fruit, Almonds – all can be bought at a grocery store which is located at every other street corner.
4. Protein Shake with fruit and/or almonds
5. Pouch of Tuna, Apple, Nuts

So you see you can stop at a subway and get a calorie packed junk meal or you can swing into a grocery store and jam out in 5 minutes with a healthy meal,  it really comes down to your choice and what you want out of your results.  It can be difficult and sometimes it is not easy however if you work for your goals than are worth more to you.

Wednesday Meals for Mike:

Protein:
1. 9 Egg Whites, 1 Whole Egg
2. 5 oz. Chx Breast
3. 5 oz. Chx Breast
4. 40 grams in Full Strength
5. 5 oz. Chx Breast
6. 4 oz. Steak

Carbs:
1. 1 cup Oats
2. 6 oz. Sweet Potato/Broccoli
3. 2 Slices Rye, Apple
4. 25 Grams in Full Strength
5. 6 oz. Sweet Potato/Broccoli
6. Broccoli

Fat:
1. 1 Yolk
2. Fish Oils
3. None
4. 5 grams in Full Strength
5. None
6. 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Total Calories: 2600(290P, 175C, 79C)

So far my daily average intake for the past 3 days has been as follows:

Calories: 2615, Protein: 285, Carb: 195, Fat: 75

I will be trying out various ways to log for you to see what way I like showing you what I am eating:

Protein:
1. 9 Egg Whites, 1 Whole Egg
2. 5 oz. Chx Breast
3. 5 oz. Chx Breast
4. 40 grams in Full Strength
5. 5 oz. Chx Breast
6. 4 oz. Steak

Carbs:
1. 1 cup Oats
2. 2 Slices Rye, Apple
3. 6 oz. Sweet Potato/Broccoli
4. 25 Grams in Full Strength
5. 6 oz. Sweet Potato/Broccoli
6. None

Fat:
1. 1 Yolk
2. None
3. Fish Oils
4. 5 grams in Full Strength
5. Fish Oil
6. Peanut Butter

Total Calories: 2580 (278P, 207C, 69C)

Felt hungry throughout the day and I am happy about that.  This week i am basically getting a estimated average calorie intake from what I eat in the first four days and that will be my base caloric intake which i will manipulate accordingly as the weeks go on.

Do you want to get ready for the summer!

Have you ever looked beach ready before?

Do you want to?

Are you ready to get SHREDDED?

Well than follow me on my journey to my wedding date in June and join me in the Summer Shred Program!

I will be posting my training log as well as my food log on my blog regularly. You will leave your logs in the comment section and we will Get Shredded TOGETHER!

Tomorrow I will start posting my food intake and my training along with tons of videos on metabolic conditioning, intervals, meal prepping tips, among various motivation tools to keep us on the path of victory.

Here is your first motivational video to get you ready for the ride, you must have a sense of humor for this one. It is a great abdominal bracing exercise that will make you laugh.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Come on,  you have to laugh……life is short:)

Stayed tuned,  tomorrow it will be rocking over here at Hanley Strength.