The concept of losing weight and building muscle in a short workout instead of a long grueling session just doesn’t seem logical. Many fitness gurus and trainers are now recommending just that! Short bursts of intense exercise are proving to be even more beneficial than ever suspected. Many experts now agree that well designed total body workouts of only 10-15 minutes, done 3 or 4 times a week, can completely replace the traditional workouts of the past.
Over the past several years, fitness experts have been advising elite athletes to focus more on these shorter, more intense exercise regimens. Not only are athletes able to be more efficient in their training, they are also suffering fewer injuries from over-training their bodies. Nagging injuries from training are a big problem for athletes of all. Pushing heavy weights, running long distances, doing endless crunches, all contribute to joint, back, and soft tissue injury and wear.
Take running for instance. It has been shown scientifically that wind sprints, (the dread of all high school students), are far superior in conditioning for the heart, lungs, and muscles than long, slow jogs. The pounding of longer distance running or jogging takes a toll on feet, knees, and hips…but provides less cardio-pulmonary benefit than the shorter, faster, harder sprint training.
Weight training is also being looked at with a fresh scientific approach. Now, I’m not talking about serious body building for the sole purpose of creating bulk. For that, it will always take the increased resistance of heavier and heavier weights to make the body respond by adding bulk. I’m talking about fitness and fat loss, with the resultant muscle gain and toning. Even the most grueling of the short workout methods of weight training use relatively light weights, anywhere from 10-20 pounds. For the average exerciser, it can be even lighter and still give you a complete workout.
If you want to get the most out of your fitness and weight loss efforts, you should research, and consider incorporating, this short burst workout method. Do a search for any of these short workout programs and compare them to see how they could help you achieve your weight loss or fitness goals. Chances are, you will find the motivation to stay on track with your program if you can do your exercising anywhere and anytime you want, and free up a lot of time as a bonus!
