Hey everyone!! SX70~Intervals
Our focus today is on HOW TO increase our fitness level using intervals. Well have you heard the saying “no pain- no gain” …it is 100% true in this instant. The pain I am talking about is Lactic ACID pain. That nasty burning you feel in your legs, lungs arms and even your FACE when you PUSH hard into the lactic acid zone! Pushing your body beyond where it is able to get enough oxygen causes your body to make lactic acid. Lactic acid can be then used as fuel, but if it is not utilized quickly enough it builds up in your muscles and literally causes your body to shut down.
The good news is that each time your body goes into the lactic acid zone (or “threshold”) your body LEARNS how to better utilize lactic acid as energy. It’s truly amazing how your body is a magnificent machine and has an amazing potential to perform above and beyond what you may have ever considered it capable of!! I LOVE IT!!
A great way to work into your lactic acid zone is through interval training. Which simply means for an interval of time pushing HARD then allowing for a period of “recovery” during an interval of time at an easier pace. The ways to do intervals are limitless! You can integrate any physical movement into interval training. Here are some examples taken directly from many of my past blog posts on how I’ve done intervals…most of these are “cardio type” intervals:
RUNNING (outside and on treadmill):
I hopped on the treddy and here is a summary:
all at 2% incline
min number@mph
1-2@4
3@6
4@7
5@8
6@9
7@10
8@10
9@9
10@8
then
30 sec @9
30sec @10
30sec @11
1 full min @12mph
Then down to 9 mph
at 15:20 I decided to run a mile at 9 mph
So that brought me to 3.1 miles total at 22 min…then I thought I wonder if I could do another mile at 9mph…so
I did so at 28:40 I was done with more than 4 miles –BUT I was so bored I almost didn’t make it.
Walk 25m driveway to driveway
Walking High knees- 25m
Skipping High knees*- 25m
walk 25 m
REPEAT
even min intervals starting on min 4…7 mph for the recovery mins; 9mph for the hard mins. I finished with 3 mins straight at 9mph (min 14,15,16)
some cats, supermans, low back extensions, crunches, romanchair knee ups, leg raises
6 min warm up
then a min at 7,8,9,10,8,9,10,8,9,11, 8,9,11,7, 8 then finished with some jogging at incline 6% at 6 mph
Total of 25 min
1-9
2-9
3-9.2
4-9.2
5-8=9.4
Total miles =4
warm up 8 min then a potty break
then intervals
2 hard at 10 recovery at 8
2 hard at 10.5 recovery at 8.5
2 hard at 11 recovery at 8.5
then 2 extra mins of recovery at 8.5
Warm up on upright bike 4 min
On treddy all at 2%
Min 1-3 warm up at 4,6, 8 mph
Min 4 interval @10
Min 5 recovery @8
Min 6 interval at 10.5
Min 7 recovery @8.5
Min 8 interval @ 11
Min 9 recovery @ 8
Min 10 interval @ 11
Min 11 recovery @8
Min 12 interval at 11.5
Min 13recovery @8
Min 14 interval @ 10
Min 15 recovery @ 8
Min 16- 30 sec interval @ 12
1.5 min recovery @ 8
Min 18 – 30 second interval @12
Run 5 min warm up @2%
2 easy intervals
up incline to 5% then run 6 min @10 with one of those mins at 11mph
1 min recovery at 8 mph
incline to 3% 6 more min at 10 one of those at 11
Every run is at 2% incline unless noted otherwise
5min warm up 4-7.2 mph
min6-10mph
min7-recover-8mph
min8-10 mph @3.5% incline
min9-recover-8mph Heart rate at 9:10 is already 180
min 10- 10mph
min 11- recover 8mph
min 12- 10 mph @ 3.5% incline
min 13 recover 8mph
min 14- 10 mph @ 3.5% incline
min 15-16 recover…I needed extra time to recover my hr was 190 after min 14 interval!!!
min 17- 10mph @3.5% incline
min 18-10 mph @2%
min 19-recover at 6mph
STAIRMILL or STAIR MASTER:
8 hard 1 min intervals at level 30: 1 min off at level 22
then I pumped out 10 pull ups (full extension and lift chest to bar)
did abs
ran on length of the street- knee pain
Stairmaster intervals 6 hard mins at level 30; 5 easy at 24
warm up for 5 min at level 7
then 1min at 12, 1 min at 7
then 1 min at 14!!, 1 min at 7 repeat 5 times
then a couple min cool down.
Elliptical:
8 intervals mixed alternating 4- 30sec@14 moving arms as if I was running and 4- 20sec@15 holding on ones….
total time 20 mins
warm up on the elliptical 5 min
stair mill total of 14 min.
3 hard mins at 10
1 hard min at 12
2 hard mins at 14
1.5 hard min at 14
recovery most at 8, some at 10
Bike (stationary recumbant or upright):
1 min hard 1 min easy
3 min bike, 20 push ups, 1 min bike, 20 pu, 1min bike, 20 pu 1 min bike
You may be wondering HOW do I know so much about Lactic Acid training?? Well, the proof is in the performance 🙂
If you are interested in training for a good 1/2 mile (800m) time- here are some actual workouts I did prior to this race.
I’ll start you off with actuall 1/2 mile training track workouts:
800m (1/2 mile) track training (for my race below):
Then:
400m=62sec 30, 32 splits
rest 12 mins
400m-63 seconds 31, 32 splits
rest 5 mins
400m- 68 seconds Lactic Acid big time!! 33, 35 splits
rest 12 mins
400m- 68 seconds DYING the entire last 300m!
my HR was still elevated to 120 bpm 35 mins after this workout–I was DEAD!!
200m-31warm up basically
4 min rec
200m-28
6 min rec
600m*- 1:41 splits: 31, 35, 35
200m- 28 sec…felt slow! so I decided to do a bit of speed work
some drills and stretching
400-65 seconds
about 5 min recovery of walk/jog
400m- 66 seconds– i had a ton of lactic acid after this one
about 10 min recovery
200m-30 seconds
about 3 min recovery
200m- 31 seconds
1-30sec interval with 1 min recover
then 1-15 sec interval with 1 min recovery
REPEATED a total of 6 times
then finished with a couple min cool down.
Warm up 800m jog and stretch
all done with full recovery–varied from 4-8 mins between
sprint 200= 29sec
400=69
200=29
400=69
200=30
400=67! and I was not dead~ 2 weeks ago 2 400’s at a much slower pace almost killed me~ I am very HAPPY!!
warm up
800 m- 3:40 pace
2×40 meters High knee skipping
40 m High knee paw ground
400m- 68 seconds– didn’t feel too bad actually, tightened up the last 100 but was okay–suprised at my time
in a good and bad way because I knew I should have paced myself a bit more, lol.160 bpm 30 post
jogged 300m
150 bpm 2 min post
walked 100
120 bpm 4 min post
walked recovery
2 min post 160
4 min post 150
stood in place
5 min post 110- but my legs were still hurting
8 min total recovery
30 sec post 170bpm
? not sure on total time recovery– walk/jogged 400m
for about 4 min
Then ran 1 min medium/hard finished with the last 100m hard
then jogged a 200 to finish
Next one will be better!!
1. 36
2. 35
3. 36
4. 35
5. 34
6. 34
7. 33
8. 34
9. 32
10. 30!!!
Get after your intervals and you will be amazed at how your body responds~
Trust me I know what I a talking about ,lol!
-Michelle
Your track workouts always amaze me! I would be D-E-A-D. Even at my best I couldn’t run a 62 400 m split…lol….my wheels don’t turn that fast. I do like intervals though, beautiful day here so perhaps some outdoor sprints in the school yard today.
Hi!
WOW, thank you for the ideas you gave us! I love intervals, but I must confess I don’t push as hard as you do… My maximum speed on the treadmill is…. 9.5!! And 1 min at that speed is killing! (I guess that if I do it more often, I’ll become more comfortable… haha!) But the possibilities you showed us are endless, and it demonstrates that creativity is everything! Thank you!
Wow! I wasn´t doing right the intervals… I must push much harder! I´ve written the velocities on my journal! Thank you Michelle!
much different than book example…way HARDER! would you say an hour of step intervals or plyometrics in an hour long total conditioning class would be comparable?
Due to knee surgery 3 years ago, I cannot run very fast on the treadmill. What I normally do is power walk at 4.5mph for 1 minute and recover at 3.5 for 1 minute and I repeat this 10 times along with a cool down.
thank you for all the examples of interval training. I have found that I do better when I have a workout partner for this to push me to the end or otherwise I get bored or don’t push myself as hard as I need to.
I’m doing these regularly, but not quite to level you’re doing. I’ll keep working towards it, but with my bad knees, the running part is pretty hard on my body!
YIPPIE!! we are going to be a HUGE group of SEXY powerful women!!
I have a bad knee myself. taking 1 to 2 days off between runs really helps keep them from hurting~ I almost never run 2 days in a row. PLUS shorter and faster is less pounding than long and slow…so intervals are better in that way too!
I’m sure you can find someone to workout with if you look for one. 🙂
You could also up the incline for more intensity
no hour long intervals are needed…but if you want to substitute that’s about comparable. However I am not a good one to ask about step class- I am too uncoordinated to do those classes, lol!
Keep in mind mine are VERY advanced…as long as you are pushing yourself for YOU you will get results. the crazy thing is that as you push your body your body will continually get in better and better shape so in order to keep seeing results you have to push HARD!
As long as you are challenging yourself you will see results. You are only competing with YOU
thanks sweetie! my GOD gave me a gift of wheels and a great lactic acid system– both of which have been a blessing at times
Thank you so much for all the info you have been sharing. Everything you’re doing is going to help make my sexy in 70 challenge a success!
Glad to hear you like the CREATINE! what brand is it that you are taking?
thanks for all your kind words!!
Thank you so much….you and all the ladies on this site are such an inspiration! What a gift you have given to us all! l-o-v-e the video of you doing the 800M with your kids in the background! “go mama, go mama” 😉 I’m new here and saving all your info for reference! I am SO excited to tell you…I started Dicreatine Malate last week and I am lifting so much harder & really able to bust out that cardio! I’m eating healty again & really starting to feel GOOD. Thank you!!
Thanks, I’ll go ahead and do that.
Thanks, I’ll go ahead and do that.
I need to attack the stairmill!! thanks for sharing your mojo!
I love the stairmaster! Will be back on it tomorrow.
I love your little cheerleaders! That is adorable, and you kicked everyones butt! WOW!
I like that the intervals are quick to get through. It makes the thought of having to get them done easier to take. It feels good to work so hard and already seeing results!
I have seen your race day before and it never ceases to impress me!
do you teach more on lactic acid training in this program or is that in the video training? And incredible win in the 800!!! WTG!!
wonderful to see so many awesome comments!! thanks for your feedback!!
I am so inspired by your workouts. thanks for sharing. I am going to do my running intervals this am and try to up the pace. Run Baby Run!!!