Ultra-FIT magazine

Cardio and Core Workout

For many exercisers, a well-defined midsection is the ultimate fitness goal. While diet plays an important part in developing a lean set of abs, exercise also plays a vital role. This workout combines cardio and core-specific exercises to help you achieve that fitness holy of holies – the six pack!

For this workout, perform any type of cardio you like including running, cycling or skipping. Each cardio burst is three minutes long and consists of one minute slow, one minute medium and one minute fast.

Cardio Burst One – Three minutes (one minute slow/one minute medium/one minute fast)
2 sets of crunches 12 to 20 repetitions
Cardio Burst Two – Three minutes
2 sets of Side Planks 30 to 60 seconds
Cardio Burst Three – Three minutes
2 sets of bird dogs 5 to 8 each side
Cardio Burst Four – Three minutes
2 sets of twisting crunches 12 to 20 repetitions
Cardio Burst Five – Three minutes
2 sets of prone back extensions 12 to 20 repetitions
Cardio Burst Six – Three minutes
2 sets of reverse crunches 12 to 20 repetitions

Core Exercise Descriptions

Crunches – lie on your back with your knees bent and hips flexed to 90 degrees. With your hands on your temples, lift your head and shoulders and raise your elbows to touch your knees. Slowly uncurl and repeat. Breathe out as you lift your shoulders and in as you return. Do not pull on your head as this can injure your neck.

Side Planks – lie on your side with your elbow directly below your shoulder, your hips square and legs stacked one on top of the other. Lift your hips off the floor so that your weight is supported on the side of your lowermost foot and your elbow only. Your body should be perfectly straight. Hold this position for the prescribed duration and then switch sides.

Bird dogs – kneel on all fours with your shoulders directly over your hands and your hips directly over your knees. Lift your left arm and right leg and extend them away from you as far as you can. When viewed from the side your arm and leg should be parallel to the floor. Lower your arm and leg and repeat. On completion, change arms and legs and perform an equal number of repetitions on the opposite side.

Twisting crunches – lie on your back with your hips and knees flexed to 90 degrees. Place your hands on your temples. Lift your head and shoulders off the ground and simultaneously twist your left elbow across to touch your right knee. Return to the starting position and perform a second repetition taking your right elbow to your left knee. Continue alternating sides until you have completed all the prescribed repetitions.

Prone back extensions – lie on your front with your legs straight and toes resting on the floor. Clasp your hands behind your back and tuck your chin into your chest. Keep your feet on the floor and lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Slowly return to the floor and repeat. For comfort, perform this exercise on an exercise mat or with a thin cushion or folded towel under your hips. Do not lift your shoulders too high as this can strain your lower back.

Reverse crunches – lie on your back with your legs and hips flexed to 90 degrees. Place your hands on the floor by your sides. Curl your pelvis up and roll your knees towards your chest so that your lower back lifts off the floor. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. Do not push your hands into the floor as this will make the exercise easier.

Conclude your workout with 2-3 minutes of light cardio and stretches to cool down.

The magnificent seven

Strength training is an important part of fitness but for many exercisers, the typical four-way split type bodybuilding programmes featured in most fitness magazines are far from ideal. Instead, try this balanced and effective whole body workout which comprises of seven exercises and challenges each and every one of your major muscles.

Make sure the last set of each exercise is challenging but not impossible to complete using good, safe form.

Perform 3 sets of each of the following exercises as a circuit or as straight sets. Aim for 12 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, depending on your preference.

1) Alternating lunges – hold weight above your head for increased core activation
2) Deadlifts –to target your hips and hamstrings
3) Single arm DB bench press  – use an exercise bench or stability ball as preferred
4) Bent over rows – barbell or dumbbells
5) Squats – to target your thighs and hips
6) Overhead press – standing using dumbbells or barbell
7) Cable wood chop – to target your core, especially your obliques

Alternating lunges – take a large step forwards and then bend both legs. Lower your rearmost knee to within an inch of the floor and then spring back up to the starting position. Perform another repetition leading with your opposite leg and continue alternating legs for the duration of your set.

Deadlifts – stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes under the bar. Bend forwards and grab the bar with an overhand or mixed grip. Keeping your arms straight and your chest up, extend your hips and legs and lift the weight off the floor. Stand up straight to complete the lift – do not allow your lower back to become rounded at any time. Push your hips back, bend your knees and put the weight back down.

Single arm DB bench press – lie on your back on an exercise bench or stability ball. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and use your fee arm for balance. Press the dumbbell up from your shoulder and over your chest. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and then repeat. Perform the same number of repetitions on each arm.

Bent over rows – hold a barbell using an overhand shoulder-width grip. With slightly bent knees, lean forwards from your hips and let your arms hang down from your shoulders. Keep your chest up and your back tightly arched throughout. Pull the bar up and into your abdomen and then lower it back to the starting position. This exercise can also be performed with dumbbells.

Squats – rest and hold a barbell across the back of your shoulders. With your feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly outward, bend your knees, push your hips back and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not allow your lower back to become rounded. Stand back up and repeat.

Overhead press – with your feet shoulder width apart, hold dumbbells or a barbell at shoulder level. Without using your legs for assistance, press the weight(s) up and over head to full arm extension. Lower them back to your shoulders and repeat.

Wood chop – standing sideways on to an adjustable cable pulley machine, hold the handle in both hands and, keeping your hips still, rotate your upper body through 180 degrees. Do not allow your arms to bend; imagine you are a tank and your upper body is the gun and your lower body is the tracks. Turn your upper body independently of your lower body.

Squat and go relay

Something magical happens when you combine squats with running. This simple (but far from easy) exercise combination will drive your heart rate up higher than ever before and also push your legs to the limit. If you want cardio, fat burning and lower body conditioning, this workout has the lot!

Place two cones 100 meters apart so you can keep track of how far you have run and try to complete the following as fast as possible…

50 bodyweight squats
500 meter run
40 bodyweight squats
400 meter run
30 bodyweight squats
300 meter run
20 bodyweight squats
200 meter run
10 bodyweight squats
100 meter run
(Rowing can be substituted for running if preferred)

Squats – stand with your feet shoulder width apart, your chest and head up. Push your hips back, bend your knees and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Stand back up and repeat. Feel free to swing your arms to give yourself a bit of extra momentum during the higher rep sets and, if necessary, break the sets into chunks of fewer reps and chip away at the rep targets.

 

It’s Monday, so it must be chest day…5 sets of bench press, 3 sets of dumbbell flies, 2 sets of dips and a couple of sets of press ups to finish the workout – same workout as last week, and the week before, using the same weights you always use and the same rep scheme. Or is it cardio day? Run 3 miles in 30 minutes, just like last week and the week before. Or is it Body Pump class today? Same work out as always, same weights, same exercises, same duration? Maybe you don’t even know what you did in last week’s workouts? Do you go to the gym and do whatever your training partner suggests or just do what you feel like doing?

If any of these scenarios sound familiar to you you’re not alone. Look around the majority of gyms and health clubs and you’ll see vast numbers of people doing the same training, week in and week out. When they look in the mirror they see the same old reflexion staring right back them…their physiques or figures haven’t changed in ages, their fitness improvements have stalled and they have the same strength today as they did this time last year.

There is an old saying in exercise – “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”.

When they started their current workout routine what they were doing will have worked. It provided overload and sufficient training stimulus to force their bodies to adapt, to change, to improve. The thing is the human body is lazy! Once it can comfortably perform the activities it is being asked to do, it ceases making adaptations and we stop getting the benefits we seek from exercise. If we don’t try to progress our workouts, the very most we can expect is to maintain our current physical condition and the worse case scenario is that we actually lose fitness as our body becomes ultra-efficient at the exercises we perform which in turn lowers the training effect of our training sessions. It takes the body 3-6 weeks to adapt to a stressor like exercise. After that, it takes a new stressor to keep the body adapting and improving.

People stay with the same exercise regime for a number of reasons – partly physical and partly psychological. Examine this list and see if any of the points relate to you and your current workout situation:-

• You’re good at all the exercises and don’t want to be seen doing things you aren’t good at
• The programme you are on was written by an expert so it must work.
• Your current programme worked initially so it will work again if you stick with it long enough
• You only know a handful of exercises and have limited knowledge of programme design
• You are comfortable with your routine and are reluctant to change it

Whatever your reason for not changing your routine I can’t stress enough that unless you do something different from time to time you are doomed to little or no progress!!! You are literally wasting your time in the gym! So if you want to get fitter, faster, stronger or leaner we have to force our bodies to adapt and improve – and that means we have to shake up our workouts on a regular basis.

I’m often asked “does it (exercise) ever get any easier?” The answer is a resounding “NO!” To see progress in our fitness levels, there needs to be a consistent trend of increased workload/work rate. Exercise isn’t easier the fitter we get – we just develop a greater work capacity.

In the rest of this article, I want to tell you about the “training variables” you can use to keep your workouts fresh, interesting and above all productive and discuss the importance of record keeping to keep us on the road to improved performance and appearance. So, grab your shovel because we have a rut to dig our selves out of!

Progression – the key to long term progress.

Making progress in our workouts requires the manipulation of the “training variables” – the characteristics of our workouts. By making changes to one or more of the training variables on a regular basis we can keep making steady progress towards our genetic potential for physical fitness. Let’s look at each of the training variables in turn:-

Resistance Training Variables – things we can change about the way we train with weights.

1. Number of exercises per muscle group – can be increased or decreased
2. Number of sets per exercise and per workout – can be increased or decreased
3. Target repetition range – higher reps/low weight = more muscular endurance specific, lower reps/greater weight = more strength specific
4. Loading – increasing the weight used for each exercise to develop greater strength
5. Recovery period between sets – can be lowered to increase workout density (more sets possible per workout) or to challenge recovery ability
6. Workout frequency – train more often
7. Workout duration – train for longer
8. Movement speed – can be increased to promote power development or decreased to extend the duration of a given exercise (referred to as Time Under Tension or TUT)
9. Different exercises – e.g. trading barbell bench press with dumbbell bench press
10. Stable based exercises to unstable – e.g. from machine based exercises to free weight exercises to challenge co-ordination and balance
11. Simple exercises to more complex ones – e.g. from single joint exercises to multi joint exercises
12. Exercise order – change the order of exercises performed in the session and training week
13. Training systems – employ drop sets, super sets, forced reps, pre/post exhaust etc
14. Split routines – split body parts up differently on a regular basis e.g. legs on Monday and not chest!

Changing any one of the above variables will result in a new stimulus which our bodies will have to adapt to resulting in improvements in fitness. With so many variables to choose from some restraint needs to be exercised so as not to change too much at the same time. Rather than randomly shake our workouts up, we want to employ a couple of the exercise variables for a period of 3-6 weeks and then, once we have adapted to the new stresses of our modified work out, make use of a couple more of the variables thereafter. For example, for 3 weeks focus on increasing the amount of weight used in each exercise, then for a further 3 weeks try to perform more reps with the weight constant, and then reduce the rest intervals gradually over the next 3 weeks and so on. By making small but significant changes on a regular basis we guarantee continued improvements in our fitness levels – up to our genetic potential.

In part 2 of this series, we’ll examine the training variables we can apply to cardiovascular exercise…

Medicine ball medley

Medicine balls are very versatile and provide a great and fun workout. For this workout, use a minimal bounce medicine ball as the soft, gel-filled balls are generally not suitable for slamming…

Perform 10 laps of the following circuit, starting a lap every 2nd minute

• 5 Burpees
• 10 medicine ball slams
• 15 Squats
• 20 Lateral Jumps (over the ball)
• Jump rope until the next 2 minute point (active recovery)

Burpees –squat down and place your hands on the ball. Jump your feet out and back to the rear. Perform a single press up. Jump your feet back into the ball. Leap up into the air. On landing immediately drop down and into another repetition. Perform this great exercise with or without the press up and/or jump as your fitness levels allow. For an extra challenge, trey keeping hold of the ball throughout your burpees.

Medicine ball slams – with your feet shoulder-width apart, raise the medicine ball above your head and then hurl it as hard as you can at the floor just in front of your feet. Catch the ball as it rebounds and then repeat.

Squats – with your feet shoulder width apart and your chest and head up. Push your hips back, bend your knees and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Stand back up and repeat.

Lateral jumps – with the ball on the floor to your side, jump laterally (sideways) over the ball keeping both feet together. Land on the balls of you feet as lightly as you can and immediately spring back over. Every back and forth jump constitutes one repetition.

Jump rope – skip using any style you prefer; both feet together, alternating feet, jogging on the spot etc. Whichever style you choose, take it easy as this is your active recovery between laps of the medicine ball circuit.

Try one of the following indoor triathlon challenges to beat the rain/heat blues…

Level 1
1000 meter row
1000 meter cycle
1000 meter run

Level 2
2500 meter row
2500 meter cycle
2500 meter run

Level 3
5000 meter row
5000 meter cycle
5000 meter run

Guidelines for the challenge
Select the rower damper setting/bike level/running speed that suits your preferences and level of fitness. The treadmill should be set to 0% incline. Make sure you have a waterbottle and a towel close to hand as this is a very sweaty workout.

Remember, just like a real triathlon, the time taken to get from one exercise to another (transition) counts! Your time begins when you start the row and ends when you finish the run.

Post your times below…

Todays workout is a simple race against the clock and should be performed in the gym

Run 1 mile
Row 2000 meters
Run 1 mile

Keep transitions between exercises to a minimum and go for the best time you can. The second run will probably be slower than the first but that’s okay – keep saying to your self “it’s only a mile, it’s only a mile…!”

Different approaches to aerobic training
So now you know how to monitor your exercise intensity and how long/how often to exercise, let’s look at the different ways you can choose to perform your aerobic activity…

LSD – and no, not the drug!
LSD stands for Long Slow Distance training and it the method that most exercisers “fall into” when they embark on a cardio training programme. LSD training is exactly as it sounds – performed at a relatively slow pace for extended periods of time. LSD training builds base level aerobic fitness and conditions the body for extended workouts. LSD is performed at around 60% of MHR or around RPE level 5 and may be performed for as long as an hour or more. LSD training has the advantage of not being overly exhausting but on the down side requires a greater time commitment compared to some other methods we’ll discuss later. LSD is a vital component of training for marathon running and long distance cycling but while a necessary part of endurance athletes training, many fitness enthusiasts use LSD for weight management in the hope that it will result in substantial amounts of fat loss.

While exercising at LSD pace fat provides the primary source of energy however, fat is so energy dense – 9 kcal per gram – that even extended workouts result in only relatively small amounts being oxidised (burnt). Regardless of pace, running a single mile uses around 100 kcal and 1 pound of excess body fat contains about 3,500 kcal so to lose a pound through slow paced aerobic exercise alone it would be necessary to run 35 miles! Chances are that’s more than most people run in 2 weeks! LSD training (and remember LSD can be applied to cycling, rowing, stepping as well as running) is great for developing base level aerobic fitness but when it comes to fat burning/weight management, there are other methods which will be more successful and efficient. 

Fartlek – funny word but serious training method!
Fartlek means speed play in Swedish and that describes perfectly our next method of cardio training. The basic premise is to run (or cycle, row etc) at a variety of paces which are selected at random. The exerciser may walk, jog, run or sprint for a variety of distances and durations over the course of a workout until the exercise time period has elapsed or a predetermined distance has been covered. Physical landmarks such as lampposts, street signs or trees is a great way to organise a Fartlek workout e.g. after jogging for 5 minutes to warm up alternate between running hard for 3 lampposts and slow jogging for 1 or jog 1, run 1 sprint 1 and repeat. Alternatively, work periods can be controlled by counting the number of strides or time elapsed or a combination of the above. The variations are endless and can be just as easily applied to cycling as they can to running or any other cardio exercise modality. The intensity of a Fartlek workout can be easily altered to suit an individual’s fitness levels by moderating the amount of high intensity exercise compared to lower intensity work – in other words the less fit the exerciser, the slower jogging and brisk walking will be performed.

Fartlek, done for a shorter duration than LSD but at a higher overall average pace, is a good fat burner because of the periods of higher intensity training which triggers a phenomenon called EPOC (Excessive Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption) which will be discussed later.

FCR – time to hit a higher tempo!
FCR stands for Fast Continuous Running but, as with all of our cardio training methods, this approach lends itself well to just about any exercise modality. FCR is just like it sounds, working hard at a high constant pace. On our RPE scale, FCR would score around 7 or 8 or about 85-90% of MHR and is the highest sustainable level of aerobic activity – think red lining your car just below the point where the engine will blow! Some refer to this as tempo training and others anaerobic acid threshold training but regardless of what it’s called; FCR is a tough but generally shorter workout. The idea is simple – run (or cycle or row etc.) as fast as possible avoiding going so fast that you are forced to slow down because of fatigue. Lactic acid (one of the by products of anaerobic energy production) is literally bubbling under the surface and going any faster will result in having to slow down or stop. FCR is (or should be) a constant battle to maintain pace – even though the body is probably saying “slow down!”

Because of the large accumulation of lactic acid in the blood, FCR is a supreme fat burner because of EPOC. When lactic acid accumulates in the blood, the aerobic system has to work overtime to clear it out once exercise comes to an end. This “after burn” is responsible for an elevated metabolic rate (energy expenditure) at rest. The body is literally in overdrive working to clear unwanted lactic acid from the system and, as a result, burns a whole load of energy not just during the workout but also in the hours (yes HOURS) afterwards. The metabolism may be elevated for up to 48 hours after a hard lactic acid inducing workout which results in substantial energy costs and potential fat loss. Pretty good for a shorter workout! LSD (long slow distance) training causes minimal EPOC and, as a result, is not so efficient for fat loss.

FCR is an excellent training method for improving higher end aerobic fitness, teaching the body lactic acid tolerance and in training athletes involved in shorter, more intense sports like boxing, middle distance running, rowing or martial arts. It goes without saying that because of the advanced nature and demands of this type of exercise; FCR is something to work up to and should only be attempted after establishing a base level of aerobic fitness via LSD and Fartlek training.

Interval training – the clock is your coach!
Interval training can be defined as “periods of higher intensity work interspaced with periods of rest” and is a very useful and flexible training approach which, with modifications, is suitable for everyone from the beginner exerciser to an Olympic champ. By manipulating the training variables i.e. speed, distance covered, length of recovery etc it’s possible to design interval training programmes for just about anyone…

1)      E.g. Beginner client – low level of fitness
Power walk up hill 3 minutes
Slow walk on flat 2 minutes
Repeat 4 times

2)      E.g. Intermediate client – good base fitness
Row 1000 meters as fast as possible
Very slow row for 2 minutes
Repeat 6 times

3)      E.g. Advanced client – very high level of fitness
Sprint 400 meters
Jog 100 meters
Repeat 10 times

Work vs. Rest periods

Aerobic intervals
With aerobic intervals (up to 90% MHR) generally workouts are on a 1 to 1 work to rest ratio or possible 1 to .5 e.g. Run 3 minutes, resting 90 seconds to 3 minutes between efforts.

Anaerobic Intervals
Workouts that exceed 95% of MHR will often require a longer rest period between efforts so 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 work to rest intervals are the norm e.g. sprint for 30 seconds, rest for 60 – 90 seconds.

Please note these are only guidelines and work/rest intervals can be manipulated freely to suit the abilities of the individual exerciser.

Regardless of the standard of the client, the interval principle is the same – alternate periods of higher intensity exercise with periods of recovery. Interval training allows significant overload of the cardiorespiratory system which will result in good increases in the both anaerobic and aerobic fitness while also being, according to some experts, the ultimate fat burning workout because of very high degrees of EPOC. Certainly, a hard interval session can result in very high heart rates and elevated body temperature for many hours after exercise has concluded which is a good indicator that the metabolism is very “revved up” even at rest.

As high-end interval training can be so demanding, it is very important to progress into it gradually. It’s certainly not a good idea to attempt workout number 3 if you have little or no running experience. Make haste slowly and start your interval training regime with the intention of gradually increasing your workload over the coming weeks – your body will thank you for it!    

The ultra-FIT Tri Challenge

Entrants advice

Dorney Lake, Eton Nr Windsor Sunday May 23^rd 2010

The event

The ultra-FIT Tri Challenge, held at Dorney Lake, Eton Windsor on Sunday May 23^rd 2010 consists of a Half Olympic Distance of 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run plus a 3Quarter Olympic Distance of 1000m swim, 30km bike and 7.5km run.

The swim

The Half Olympic triathlon starts with a 750m swim, a one-lap rectangular course in the Lake. The 3Quarter Olympic Distance 800m swim is a two-lap rectangular course in the Lake. The start will be a deep water start. Keep the buoys on your right as you swim round the course. The swim exit will be clearly marked with a large buoy and flags.

The bike

Then it is a four-lap 20km bike course, which takes you around the lake 4 times. The 3Quarter Olympic bike course is a six-lap 30km bike course, which takes you around the lake 6 times. You must count your own laps!. Drafting on the bike is not allowed. Drafting is cycling too closely behind another cyclist and therefore taking pace from that cyclist. The drafting zone is 7m, so keep at least 7m behind the cyclist in front, unless you are overtaking. An approved cycle helmet must be worn for this section.

The run

Lastly, the Half Olympic 5km run finishes with 2-laps of the lake with the 3Quarter 7.5km run being 3-laps.This final run will be clockwise round the right hand side of the Lake, to finish just outside the transition area. Your race number must be clearly visible at all times. Water will be available on the finish line.

Wetsuit use

Use of a wetsuit is highly recommended if the water temperature deems that wetsuits are optional. Please contact www.triandrun.com for wetsuit hire, purchase or advice. The wearing of wetsuits in triathlon is governed by British Triathlon rules and is totally dependent on water temperature one hour before the start of the race. The rules are:

• Water temp = less than 14 degrees – wetsuits are compulsory
• Water temp = between 14 degrees and 22 degrees – wetsuits are optional
• Water temp = above 22 degrees – wetsuits are banned

 

We won’t know until each race day whether wetsuits will be compulsory, optional or banned this year. However, we do say that wetsuits in fact help with buoyancy and warmth, so we strongly recommend that you wear one if they are optional. As May is the start of the triathlon season, the water temperature may be less than 14 degrees, so wetsuits could be compulsory for this event.

 

Venue and car parking

The venue is Eton College Rowing Centre, Dorney Lake, Boveney, near Eton Wick SL4 6QP. Please leave plenty of time to get here. Car parking will be at the side of the bike course. The only access will be via the main access road. Just follow the signs as you come into the venue. You will have at least an 800m walk to the race site, so allow yourself extra time after you have parked your car. The closest station is Windsor and Eton Riverside and taxi’s need to be pre-ordered.

Results

The results will be on the website www.humanrace.co.uk within 24hours of the finish and photos will be available on www.sportcam.net

If you haven’t entered yet it’s not too late. If you don’t think you can tackle the half of 3Quarter distance on your own, grab some mates and enter as a relay team

Enter online @ www.humanrace.co.uk/triathlon

We look forward to seeing you at Dorney Lake May 23^rd!

ultra-FIT and the Human Race Team

“The harder you train the week prior to the race, the more you take away from your race day performance”

One of the greatest rewards and feelings in triathlon, is experiencing the perfect race, when all appears to go perfectly to plan in all three disciplines, your transitions were swift and you achieve a new personal best!  This can only be achieved following months and probably years of hard work, self discipline and determination, and I have come across many triathletes that rarely experience such a perfect priority race.  One of the biggest reasons for under achieving is insufficient recovery i.e. training too much during the competition phase and not allowing yourself to recover pre and post racing and training.

The best way to approach race week, is to make rest the major objective of the week. When a taper is executed correctly, you increase your chances of achieving the perfect race tenfold.

There are a number of different approaches to tapering, and each taper can be individual to the athlete. I would advise you to discuss a specific taper with your coach or attend one of theTriLife.com training days, to find out which approach would be best suited to yourself. A word of warning on tapering. Yes, although I did previously state that the objective the week prior to your priority race should be rest, there are several studies that have shown that total rest causes steady loss of fitness. The happy medium would be between your normal training week and total inactivity. Reducing the volume of training by 40%-60%, reducing the number of intervals within your key sessions by 50% and increasing the normal recovery time between repetitions.

Train Hard and race SMART!

Rich Jones

www.thetrilife.com