Today's Training Tips .. plus a giveaway!!

Are you bored with your current training? 

Have you tried interval training?  It's not just for elite athletes or serious gym junkies.  Everyone can benefit from including interval training into their regular training schedule.

Interval training is usually described as short, intense bursts of activity follow by a slow, or slower recovery interval repeated throughout one training session.  It sounds scary, sometimes it is, but mostly it's not too bad depending on how hard you plan on pushing yourself.

You can use interval training for almost all exercise but it is probably most commonly known for it's inclusion in all running programs.  I have certainly included interval training any time I have trained for the half marathons and I definitely notice a difference in my running especially when I do this type of training consistently.  I'm probably a bit of a sucker for punishment but I quite like interval training!  It's hard and fast and it gets results .. put simply, I work hard then I'm finished in half the amount of time!

My favourite types of interval training are hill sprints, sprint repeats or a fast blast in the gym with weights, circuit training.  You can even incorporate interval training into your regular walking routine by including jog intervals or fast ( or faster ) walking.

Why include Interval Training?

* Improves fitness and endurance
* Efficient .. an interval training session does not need to be a long session.  30 - 40 minutes is more than enough if you are working hard enough
* A great way to burn fat!
* You can burn calories for hours after training as you pay back your "oxygen debt".  You know, you were seriously huffing and puffing during your interval training session!
* An excellent way to stop the boredom of your training routine!
* Will help you get faster at running, or even build up to running

You already do interval training?  What can you do to change it up a bit?

* Change the intensity of your intervals .. speed up
* Vary the duration of the interval .. make the intervals longer / shorter
* Vary the duration of your rest interval .. make it shorter
* Change the reps of the exercise that you are doing in the interval

A great way to keep an eye on how your fitness is progressing is with a Heart Rate Monitor.  And no they are not just for the elite athletes.  They can be a really handy little tool to track your progress.


Now for the exciting part ... I have a Heart Rate Monitor to give away!  Thanks to the people at Australian Fitness Network.  Australian Fitness Network is the leading source of information, education and events in the fitness industry. Having trained thousands of Personal Trainers and Instructors since it's inception in 1987, Network is widely regarded as the leader in personal trainer courses in Australia. 

Polar FT4M (in orange) Heart Rate Monitor (RRP $129)

 

 

What it does ..

 

* Shows when you're improving your fitness based on your heart rate

 

* Displays calories burned ( YAY!! )

 

* Comes with comfortable textile transmitter and coded heart rate transmission to avoid cross talk ( you won't get the person's HR on the tready next to you! )

 

 

I know that you can't wait to enter this competition .. So here's what you need to do to enter ..

 

*  Leave a comment on this post letting me know whether or not you use / have used a HRM.  If you are posting anonymously please leave me some details so that I can get in contact with you if you win.
 

Additional entries ..
 

* Head on over to Fit Mum's facebook page to "like" it and share with your friends. Let me know in your comments. 
* Tweet about the giveaway .. "follow @Fit_Mum and RT for your chance to win a Polar HRM valued at $129! @ozfitnetwork  www.fitmumsblog.blogspot.com.au #giveaway"

And the fine print ...
This competition is hosted by fitmumsblog.blogspot.com.au and the prize is one Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor valued at $129.  The prize has been donated by Australian Fitness Network.  The competition opens 21/09/12 and closes 12am 28/09/12 .  The winner will be drawn 28/09/12 at random with the help of random.org and will be notified by email as soon as possible after the draw.  The prize will be posted to the winner within 21 days.  The competition is open to entrants with an Australian address only.  I was provided with a complimentary HRM.  Should the winner not contact me within 48 hours the prize will be forfeited and re-drawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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