A Different Approach to Intervals

Because I was even more pressed for time than usual tonight, I tried Tabata intervals for my cardio session after lifting. Tabata intervals involve about four minutes of work. Yep, four minutes.

The idea stems from studies by Dr. Izumi Tabata in Japan, who found that eight sets of 20 seconds of intense work, each followed by 10 seconds of rest, boosted aerobic capacity and metabolism. It did it by doing multi-directional work, sprinting to one cone, side sliding to the next, backpeddling to another and so forth. And yes, I was winded.

It certainly was shorter than my usual 45 seconds to one minute intervals with a minute of rest. Give it a try.

Standing Out in a Crowd

At least one day a week I use the Versaclimber for intervals. It's a rarely used piece of equipment sitting among the treadmills and ellipticals Every time I climb on it, people doing their 30 minutes of cardio give me looks.

Of course I'm done long before any of them. The Versaclimber gives me an incredible workout. It's hard. Really hard. After each one-minute interval, I climb down out of breath. But it's also an incredibly efficient workout, much more so than anyone around me. So they can look all they want, because doing what everyone else is doing at the gym rarely makes sense.

Make Getting Fit Fun

Every time I see the treadmills and elliptical trainers full at the gym I think to myself about the time all these people are wasting. They're on these machines for at least 30 minutes, while I finish my cardio workout in less than 20 thanks to intervals.

Now I clearly believe that my version of cardio is healthier than what they're doing but much of what I do has another advantage -- it's more fun. When I go into the empty yoga studio and throw six medicine balls to various parts of the room and then sprint to them and bring them back, I not only am getting a great workout but also I am basically playing a game. Every other drill I come up with has some game aspect to it as well. In other words, it makes my cardio fun, which I can't imagine can be said for all those souls on the treadmills watching TV.

Mark Sisson points out that there are even more adventurous ways to get and stay fit. My favorite -- skateboarding, which I picked up again this past summer.

Better Decisions Come with Age

It happened again and again. I would tweak something in the gym but I would keep plowing ahead with my workout. The result all too often was that I'd hurt myself.

These days I try to not repeat those mistakes, though I can't say I'm perfect when it comes to this. But generally, if I feel pain, I back off. It just makes sense, which is exactly what super-trainer Jason Ferruggia pointed out recently.

Why Endurance Training Isn't for Me

I once loved running long distances. But when I began to learn about interval training, and started to see the many benefits of it, I gave up on those long runs.

Now, there's increasing evidence that endurance training isn't that good for us. Here's a great piece on the issue from Mark Sisson.

For me, it's easy to see the benefits. Since I turned to intervals, my body fat has fallen while my weight has remained the same, meaning I've added muscle thanks to my continued resistance training.

Bodybuilding Workouts Are Just For Bodybuilders

I still see people in the gym doing what are basically bodybuilding workouts, legs one day, chest another and so on. But bodybuilding workouts for the most part are good for just one group of people -- bodybuilders. And there's just one person at my gym who actually is a bodybuilder.

For the rest of us, total-body workouts are simply better. Here's a great post on the topic from Craig Ballantyne's always-informative blog.

Two Great Books

I'm always searching for more info so I can be in the best shape possible. So a year or so ago I was really happy to find out about "The New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove, a trainer I talk about a lot here. Now, the duo, along with Cassandra Forsythe, have now put out "The New Rules of Lifting for Women."

Simply put, these two books lay out the basic moves we all need to include in our workouts. They focus on multi-joint moves that do the most the fastest. And they don't waste time with things like machines. So I highly recommend both.

A Different Outlook

Some guys in my office today heard that Harrison Ford did many of his own stunts for the upcoming Indiana Jones movie. Their reaction? They simply didn't believe it. My reaction? I thought it was completely possible and even inspiring.

Here's why I think the reactions were so different. The guys who were talking about it are in lousy shape. They eat junk and look like they never exercise. So to them, it does seem impossible for a 65 year old to do his own stunts.

I, meanwhile, know that I'll be active at 65, so sure, I'd be able to do stunts at that age.

I see what's possible because I challenge myself. They don't.