Interval training is a great to boost your current training program, lean out and get off any plateaus that may be occurring.  It’s also a great way to save time and be extra efficient with your training. Intense bursts of all out for about 30-45 seconds without letting your body fully recover is the basic principal. 

My advice to those beginning the style of training, is to ease in gradually. To avoid injuries, like tears or muscle pulls, be sure that your warm up is long enough to get your body loose before you hit it. You want to be  uncomfortable for most of your workout, but not bonk too soon. Increase your bouts of intensity slowly and monitor your body.

Here’s a sample of what a treadmill interval training session would look like. From LiveStrong:

Treadmill Intervals

Overview

Once you have a base of regular walking or running for at least six months, you should be ready to increase the intensity level with interval training. Interval training can be done on a treadmill by repeating a pattern of a high-speed period followed by a short recovery period throughout your workout. The key is to not allow your body to get comfortable during the workout so it has to work harder. This will become a valuable part of your treadmill regimen and ultimately increase your fitness.

Speed

Interval training can be done on a treadmill by varying the speed. Start with a warm-up period of easy walking or jogging. Before beginning an interval workout, your body must be completely warm with all muscles loose and flexible. Otherwise, you risk injury.

Start with a speed setting that is slower than normal for the warm-up period. Then find a base mph setting that is slightly above the warm-up speed. This will be the speed you come back to for recovery periods. Once you have your base, build on that speed every two minutes.

For example, if your warm-up speed is 3.0 mph, your base or recovery speed could be 4.0 mph. Speed periods would start at 4.5 mph for one minute, then 4.0 for one minute of recovery. The next minute would be at 5.0, then 4.0 again for another minute. Continue to increase the speed period every other minute to 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and so on while keeping your recovery at 4.0. This pattern should be continued throughout the middle portion of your workout, lasting for 10 to 20 minutes. Always follow with a complete cool-down period.

Incline

The other option for interval training on a treadmill is to vary the incline setting. Start with a warm-up period on a relatively flat elevation at 1.0. When you are ready for the interval portion of your workout, increase the elevation for one minute, then recover at 1.0 for one minute. Keep the mph setting the same throughout. Your workout will get harder by changing the elevation, not the speed.

For example, run for one minute at 1.5 incline, then recover for one minute at 1.0, run for the next minute at 2.0, recover at 1.0. Continue to increase the incline every other minute to 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and so on while keeping your recovery period at 1.0.

Interval Periods

The length of the intervals can vary. One minute is a good starting point, but if you are a beginner, you can start at 30 seconds. If you are more advanced, you can make it two minutes. The goal is to keep the recovery period as short as possible, while still allowing your body enough time to recover. The more fit you get, the quicker your body will recover and the shorter your recovery period can be.

Examples

Here is a sample treadmill interval workout:

Warm-up, 5-10 minutes at 3.0 mph
Gradually increase the setting to 4.5 mph and allow your body to adjust to this speed. Then:
Run for one minute at 4.5 mph
Recover for one minute at 3.5 mph
Run for one minute at 5.0 mph
Recover for one minute at 3.5 mph
Run for one minute at 5.5 mph
Recover for one minute at 3.5 mph

Continue to increase the speed at each interval and repeat this pattern for 10 to 20 minutes.

Cool down for 8 minutes at 3.0 mph.

Work this program into your training week at least once or twice a week. I think you’ll find your body resonding nicely and your endurance will soar!  Feel free to contact me if I can help you with your training needs.

Aloha, Suzie Cooney, CPT

http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com

808-283-2121  e:Suzie@SuzieTrainsMaui.com

When this happens, they can’t do as much physically, so their performance declines when surfing, playing golf, hitting a tennis ball or even carrying a bag of groceries.

Muscle holds a lot of your body water and is essential for regulating body temperature. Muscles are big spenders and burn lots of calories 24/7. When people are on restrictive diets ( bad ) the body is tricked into believing it’s on a deserted island with minimal or no food – therefore as a natural defense mechanism, the body attacks it’s most active tissue, muscle in order to SLOW down the body’s metabolic rate.

There are wonderful health benefits of building muscle:

     Increases endurance and flexibility
     Protects your joints (reducing risk for injury)
     Increases your energy level and boosts metabolism

The math: If you gain 1 pound of additional muscle tissue which can burn 35-50 calories per day…over the course of a year you can burn 91,250 calories a year! Fat burns 2 calories per day.  On average, the amount of muscle gain when performing a resistance program, a person can gain 3-5 pounds ever 3-4 months. Keep in mind that this will vary greatly depending upon age, genetics, and type of training program you are performing.

To help my clients increase their strength, the goal is to do strength-building activities a least two to three times per week. Sometimes the challenge is getting clients t use enough resistance to overload the muscle. Some people, especially my older female clients, tend to under estimate their abilities.

You can accomplish the weight exercises with a number of different tools. For beginners, I recommend resistance bands and free weights. Machines are okay, but don’t allow one to learn how to stabilize the body on their own. Also, using your own body weight is great. Performing simple squats or push-ups are an example. Or pull ups are good too.

The more advanced person, one can change the angle variable to change the intensity of the particular muscle group. Or of course, depending upon your fitness goals, increase the amount of weight.  Remember, if increasing load you may need a spotter.

If you hop on the scale and you see a little weight gain, don’t panic. Muscle weighs more than fat. The proof it’s working: Your clothes fit looser because of the overall toning strength training provides.

Joining the muscle mass is a good thing! Remember to keep good form when performing any resistance training, and manage a weight that won’t lead to injury. Progress slowly and then begin to increase the load or intensity.  Go ahead, show me those muscles!

I hope you enjoyed this article. Feel free to leave a comment!

Warm Aloha,

Suzie Cooney, CPT   www.suzietrainsmaui.com/blog

It’s so fun to see their big smiles and looks of focus and determination. I often will time people to the point of fatigue or failure. Then we hop on again for more endurance drills.  Putting a couple of dumbbells in your hands or kettle bells definitely add to the burn and fatigue AND challenge. I’m using a 10lb kettle bell in these photos.
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You can easily modify in many different ways, the ways in which you progress yourself to more advanced moves.  Always take caution as to the type of surface you perform on. For beginners, I’ll throw a yoga mat underneath the drum to slow it down a bit. Or, simply put the board on a disc for my more elderly clients, and then have them hold onto me or a very stable object. 

It really makes a difference when you carve and as you push the rails or even on a windsurfer, or stand up paddle board. I can notice a huge transfer of control in strong or light winds and strength when I jibe into a turn, and when stand up paddling while trying to catch waves. I love it!

For fun, here’s Indo Boards September 2009  Newsletter to read more.  Thanks Indo Board, that was fun! Suzie  

My custom bathing suit by, Julie Stone of Posh Pua

Come train with me and let’s ride!

Race Results August 23, 2009 Cycle to the Sun Maui’s 36 Mile Race to the top of Haleakala Volcano

It was a great day with many great finishes, as the bright-eyed and some still sleepy-eyed, cycling enthusiasts prepared at the starting line of Maui’s, special annual, Cycle to the Sun.  A light drizzle came upon the sleepy town of Maui’s famous N. Shore surf town, Paia, but soon faded before the start. A Hawaiian priest gathered at the starting line to offer his prayers of a great race day for all. ( see lots of photos below ) For race results, click here.

The event was very well organized and went off very smoothly.

Check In

 The organizer and sponsor, Donnie Arnoult, of Go Cycling Maui and wife Michele, greeted the competitors as they signed in, and assured a smooth finish at the top!

People attended from all over the globe as far as Tokyo and Toronto.  This for sure was a backyard event, as many locals proved their strength and stamina. 

I was co-supporting along with Randy, and Michelle Wagner, for number 128, Gary Tuttle, who by the way rode up on a late model Bontrager, mountain bike! This was Gary’s first race up and with a fantastic time of 4:38, hopefully he’ll be back again next year! Stayed tuned for Gary’s story.

The support stations were fantastic. Station # 2 had a little Lenny Kravtiz and more fresh packs of gel.  I had fun working with Richard and young Will Spork, while mixing bottles and bottles of Heed and fresh water. Klaus was mixing the tunes and chasing cyclists with smooth hand offs too!

Local Pukalani hero Bart Zawacki of BartBuilds.com did great too for his fourth year. Check out the cool bicycle design he shaved on his head! Only Bart would do this!  He got awesome support too from girlfriend, Kiegan!

Checking in with them both today, legs are a bit tired, but they feel great!

Leave a comment for your support for all of these great athletes!

Here are some more fun photos of the day’s event:

Photos by Neal Wagner, of Neal Wagner Productions and Suzie Cooney.

Thanks Donnie and Michele for your tireless efforts!

Suzie Cooney, CPT  Suzie Trains Maui

Work Out Traps: A Few Tips So you Don’t Fall In One!

Break out of the fitness trap, and don’t be like the others stuck in the same routine, and the same body. You see the same person, at the same time on the same treadmill or weight machine, doing the same routine.  But, do they look any different?  You say to yourself, “is that me?” Here are a few tips to avoid falling into the same work out trap and get the results you desire.

1. More is Not Always Better

Lifting too much weight can compromise the alignment of your spine and may cause muscle and ligament injuries. Heavier is not necessarily better. Watch your form and avoid swinging weigths or overloading the cables. For example, although very popular the lat pulldown machine can be very dangerous if one loads up with too much weight.  Maintain a controlled movement and pace, and avoid the rocking back and forth movement that tends to come with too much momentum.  Keep your spine properly aligned and stay in control on the way down.

2. Where’s the Beach? There’s more to train than just the bicep!

Most people love to train the bicep muscles, because it tends to respond to training rather quickly.  I think of the muscle man at the beach who, says, “ladies, the beach is that way,” while he flexes his bicep muscle and the girls swoon.  Have you noticed that when you’re at the gym, everyone’s doing a bicep curl. People love to look in the mirror and flex their guns. Yeah, it looks great, but it’s the smallest upper body muscle, so don’t forget your legs, your back, shoulders and abs too! Balance your workout for total body conditioning.

 3. Where’s my six pack? I always tell my clients, if you want to lose in the middle you must ,you must, do cardio a little..okay way more cardio. Your six pack is waiting for you, but until you get that heart rate up to boost your metabolism, good luck. It’s not to say if you did 500 crunches a day you may start to see some defintion, but all fitness specialists agree that even if you include some resistance training too, you won’t see much until you lose the fat first.  So don’t groan and moan about cardio, find something you enjoy. Punching a boxing bag is fun, jumping rope is awesome too. Be careful again not get stuck in the same cardio routine as well.  Call me and I’ll help you develop a cardio plan to help you burn.

 4. Machine Monkeys  These are the ones all hunched over hanging over a treadmill, or stationery bike with a death grip on the handlebars. First, make sure your posture is straight up, and shoulders back. If the speed is to high, or elevation too challenging, bring it down as not compromise good form. You know you are going to fast on the treadmill if you must hold onto the rails. I like Elliptical machines because you can’t really just hang there.  Don’t cheat yourself from a great effective workout.

 5. Stay Out of the Trap for Good

We all enjoy doing what is easy, and that’s how bad habits take shape.  If it wasn’t a little challenging, then everyone would be in tip top shape.  Working out should be fun and different. Some people do like routine, but I promise your body doesn’t. It’s important to mix it up so you get the results you want. Go to the beach and have an outdoor workout. If you like the gym, go for a run down the street instead of the treadmill. Grab your board, get some paddling in and a few waves, then finish with a weight workout. This is my favorite thing to do, for I feel pumped and warmed up!

I like to really mix it up for my clients. I always make the workouts fun, safe and challenging, while getting the results they desire.  I hope this article was helpful and informative.

Make changes today so your body makes changes tomorrow. Please call me if I can help you develop a program so you and your body doesn’t fall into the workout trap! It’s time to maybe try something new and have some fun!

Aloha and in good health, Suzie Cooney, CPT

Deep Tricep Dips

This is a very advanced exercise that targets the triceps, shoulders and chest! Don’t burn out before you get to the waves!

Difficulty Level: Advanced Strength
Muscle Group(s): Triceps, shoulder and chest
Equipment: 2 stools, push up bar
Progression: None

8 Common Nutrition Mistakes…and How to Fix Them

No time is No Excuse!

By Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD
For Active.com

Nutrition may be your missing link in training. Here are eight common nutrition mistakes many athletes make with tips and recipes for how to solve them.

No. 1: Beneficial Protein Intake

Some athletes eat too little protein; others eat too much. For example, a 150 lb (68 kg) athlete may need 0.5 to 0.75 g pro/lb (1-1.5 g pro/kg); this translates into about 75 to 105 g pro/day. This athlete can easily consume too much protein if the foundation of the menu is:

This amount of protein is excessive, to the point some of the protein could be wisely traded for more carbs to better fuel the workouts.

In contrast, a vegetarian athlete on a reducing diet could easily under consume protein if foundation of the menu is:

Too little protein contributes to poor recovery, muscle wasting, and sub optimal results from hard training.

Solution: By meeting with a sports dietitian, you can learn your protein requirement and how to translate that into food.

No. 2: Iron to Prevent Fatigue From Anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia is common, particularly in females. Anemia causes needless fatigue and reduced performance. A survey of collegiate athletes indicates 20 percent of the female volleyball and basketball players were anemic, as were 50 percent of the soccer team. (1)

Anemia is particularly common among women who have heavy menstrual blood losses, but eat neither red meat nor iron-enriched breakfast cereal.

Solution: If you feel needlessly tired, get your blood tested by your doctor and be sure to get your serum ferritin measured. To help prevent anemia, strive to eat an iron-rich diet of:

red meat, or iron-rich alternatives (dark-meat chicken or turkey, salmon, tuna) iron-fortified cereals (Wheaties, Raisin Bran, Total)

To enhance iron absorption, include with each meal a source of vitamin C, such as orange juice, berries, broccoli, tomato or other fruits and vegetables.

No. 3: Post-exercise Food

At the end of a hard workout, you haven’t finished your training until you have refueled. Don’t rush off to work or school, with “no time to eat” as the excuse.

Solution: Plan ahead, so you have recovery foods readily available. Even in a time-crunch, you should be able refuel your muscles properly. “No time” is no excuse.

No. 4: Recovering With Both Carbs + Protein

Recovery foods should offer a foundation of carbs with protein as the accompaniment. A reasonable target is about 240 calories of carbs (60 g carb) and about 80 calories (20 g) of protein. Some popular choices include Greek yogurt with honey, chocolate milk, cereal with milk, and pasta with meat sauce. You need not buy engineered recovery foods; standard fare works fine.

Note that recovery foods can be eaten pre-exercise. That is, a pre-exercise yogurt gets digested into amino acids and glucose; those food components will be ready and waiting to be put into use when you stop exercising. In a 10-week study with recreational body builders, those who consumed a protein-carb supplement both immediately before and right after the mid-afternoon strength training session gained 2.3 pounds more muscle and 7 pounds more in strength (as measured by bench press), compared to the group without the pre- and post-exercise fuel. (2)

Athletes who do two workouts a day really need to rapidly refuel with a proper recovery diet. A six-week study with swimmers reports those who did two workouts (morning and afternoon) sprinted slower than those who swam only in the afternoon (3). If nutrition is your missing link, don’t even think about double workouts.

Solution: You may not feel hungry for solid foods after a hard bout of exercise, but you are likely thirsty. A fruit smoothie (made with yogurt) is excellent for recovery, as is a chug of chocolate milk. Both contain carbs to refuel, and protein to build and repair muscles and reduce muscle soreness.

 Crunch Plates

Difficulty Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Muscle Group(s): Abs / Obliques
Equipment: 2 paper plates, mat
Progression:  Lift both legs off ground, bend at knees

Preparation:

  Feet flat on ground, shoulder width apart

  Press low back into mat; imagine filling a bucket, tilt pelvis towards you
  Lift your shoulders completely off mat, hold and touch chin.

 Place hands on plates, with each plate outside of heels.

Start

Finish

Obliques

Movement:

Repeat movement sequence for recommended repetitions

Keep spine in place. Do not generate movement from arms and/or shoulders. The movement should originate from your abs.  Really lock in and focus!

For Obliques: Simply slide plate on alternating sides. Hold that stomach tight! Make each rep count!

Any questions, feel free to contact me : Suzie Cooney, CPT

Suzie Trains Maui

http://www.suzietrainsmaui.com/