CrossFit St Paul

Wondering why your body composition or number on the scale has not budged despite your daily visits to the gym? It might be that you are not pushing yourself, especially if your workout routine involves reading a novel or newspaper or talking on your cell phone.  One reason that lower intensity workouts fail to produce results is due to EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption), which measures the calories you burn after you finish exercising.

The higher the intensity of the workout, the more your body has to work to return to its pre-exercise state. High intensity exercise therefore burns more calories post-exercise (for up to 48 hours!) and elevates metabolism for longer when compared to low intensity exercise.  High intensity training emphasizes a high level of effort for a relatively brief period of time while maximizing levels of muscle recruitment; as opposed to performing a higher volume with a comparatively low to moderate effort. 

To get started, try any of these workouts or something similar for 3-4 weeks at 3 times per week, logging how long it takes to complete your workout on day 1. Repeat that initial workout after 3-4 weeks and see if you�ve improved your time, distance, or weight used. 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This cardio workout can be done outdoors, on a treadmill, or a row machine like the Concept II rower.

• Warm up for 2-5 minutes (shorter warm up if using a rower)
• Sprint for 30 seconds (add 10 seconds each week)
• Ease up on speed for 1 minute (this should not be a complete recovery)
• Repeat for 4-5 intervals (add 1 interval every 2 weeks)
• Cool down for 2-5 minutes

Circuit Training*:

• Warm up for 3-5 minutes (jog, row, jump rope)
• Do 3 rounds of the following in decreasing repetitions (15-12-9)
• Box jumps or Step Ups
• Push-Ups
• Squats
• Sit-Ups

*Full range of motion during high intensity circuit training is important for optimal results.

Recover from your high intensity workout with a protein-packed nutritious meal to help the body replace depleted energy stores.