RX Bikini Bod: Intervals

It happens to all of us. Holidays equal eating 5x your normal daily calorie intake (6x if you are me at a holiday party that ended up with a 2am Taco Bell run after a bunch of Jager shots and tap dancing for your husband’s coworkers – true story). So what better way to break a sweat and burn off that extra box of white chocolate covered pretzels you downed with Guinness…than intervals.

Below is a sample workout that my husband created because he was feeling bad because his eight-pack was downgraded to a six pack for a five hour spell (he’s a CSCS certified strength coach- good stuff). It’s a great 20 minute full body workout, that’s short, sweet, and works.

Tools Needed:

1: Treadmill, Jump rope, or any cardio machine/way to do cardio for 30 seconds bursts. *The sample is done using a treadmill that is always running – but use your imagination

2: two 5-20lb weights – depending on your strength level

3: Stopwatch and water

Workout:

1. 5 minute warm up, walking at 3mph at a 3% incline

2. for 20-30 seconds run at an extremely fast pace & on an incline (I do 10-11mph- but I’m weird. 7-9mph will work as well. Whatever your speed, have a 3-4% incline, and you shouldn’t be able to run at that pace for long.

3. Immediately proceed to a strength exercise of choice for 6-12 reps

4. Repeat the 20-30 seconds bursts/strength exercise interval five times, using a different strength exercise each time. With little to no rest in between.

5. After your fifth interval, take a two minute rest, then do set #2, another two minute rest, then see the light at the end of the tunnel as you complete set #3.

6. Sweat a ton, get your heart rate up and say adios to those Holiday lbs.

** Here is a sample workout – should make more sense. Click on the links for how to videos.

walk 5 minutes – fast and on an incline

30 seconds- sprint

1: 10 curl to press

30 seconds- sprint

2: 12 bent over dumbell rows

30 seconds- sprint

3: 10 push ups

30 seconds- sprint

4: 12 full sit ups

30 seconds- sprint