One of the best ways to blast fat is to incorporate interval training into your exercise routine. Interval training is when you alternate high-intensity movements with intervals of lower-intensity moves. This is an extremely effective way to workout because you’ll burn more calories in a shorter period of time and you’ll improve your performance, endurance and aerobic capacity.Once a week in boot camp, we’ll hit the hills at Himmel Park for an intense hill workout, which has turned out to be a class favorite!
The UABC hill workout strengthens various muscle groups as effectively as hitting the gym and works the cardiovascular system as the heart strives to keep up with the increased energy required to fight gravity. This approach blasts calories during your workout and keeps your body in an increased calorie-burn mode for several hours after you’ve completed your workout. One of the best things about this form of training is that you never get bored because the workouts are constantly changing!
So what are you waiting for? Try adding some hill workouts to your routine! You can use the incline feature on your treadmill or get out to a hill near your home. A typical boot camp hill workout incorporates sprinting with lunging up and down the hill, combined with a number of calisthenics, such as sit-ups, push-ups, modified squats and spider-crawls. If this sounds too challenging for you to try on your own, here’s a hill workout to do on your own that’s sure to get your heart rate pumping:
To measure your intensity during this workout we use RPE, or Rate of Perceived Exertion. This will help you track your intensity on a scale from 1 - 10. For example, during resting periods, your RPE is between 2-3 RPE. During light activity your RPE is between 5-6 RPE. During intense periods your RPE is between 7-8 RPE. During maximum exertion your RPE is between 9 -10 RPE.
Hill Workout
30-35 minutes total time
Warm Up Slowly jog for 5 minutes: RPE 3-4
Hill Interval Increase speed to a mid-level run for 2 minutes at 4% incline: 6 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and jog at an easy/moderate pace for 2 minutes: 6 RPE
Hill Interval Increase speed to a fast run for 2 minutes at 5% incline: 8 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and jog at an easy pace for 2 minutes: 6 RPE
Hill Interval Increase speed to a fast run for 2 minutes at 6% incline: 8 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and jog at a moderate pace for 2 minutes: 6 RPE
Hill Interval Increase speed to an all-out sprint for 1 minute at 7% incline: 9-10 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and jog at an easy pace for 1 minute: 6 RPE
Hill Interval Increase speed to an all-out sprint for 1 minute at 6% incline: 9-10 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and jog at an easy pace for 1 minute: 6 RPE
Hill Interval Increase speed to a mid-level run for 2 minutes at 5% incline: 8 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and jog at an easy pace for 2 minutes: 5-6 RPE
Hill Interval Increase speed to a fast run for 2 minutes at 4% incline: 8 RPE
Recovery Interval Decrease speed and recover at an easy pace for 2 minutes: 6 RPE
Cool down Slow to a recovery jog/speed-walk for 5 minutes: RPE 3-4
END!