Health and Wellness Facts

So you want to get in shape fast, eh ? Well, the first step is to figure out exactly what we mean when we say “get in shape” and “fast.”

Getting “in shape” can signify different things for different people .  To some, it means the ability to play a particular sport at a certain level.  To others, it means to drop weight and get a healthy BMI.  We’ll talk about two workout scenarios to cover all the bases .

A Workout To Lose Weight Fast

 If the American people can be described as Captain Ahab from Moby Dick, then losing weight would be that big white fish swimming around and eating ships.  TV shows such as The Biggest Loser and Celebrity Fit Club make losing weight in a hurry seem easy – but losing weight that quickly for 99% of the population impossible. By following this workout, it will help you lose fat at a more realistic pace

Cardio, is the first step in this workout .  Cardio is paramount in importance because it makes your body burn calories and eventually fat.  Cardio is also the best way to lose weight fast – coupled with a healthy diet, of course.

Interval training workout is the key to losing weight fast . Here is a sample workout:

Goal: 30 minutes of continuous running

Step 1: After warming up, run for two minutes at a moderate pace.

Step 2: At the two-minute mark, run for one minute at a fast pace (so that you are breathing heavily).  Take 10 seconds to transition.

Step 3: Repeat this pattern until your time is up.

The alternating speeds provides ‘jolts’ to your cardiovascular system that force your body to expend more energy than you would normally during a 30-minute run.

A Workout To Get In Shape Fast

The key to athletic performance in virtually any sport is to have an aerobic capacity that can pump oxygen and blood in a more efficient manner than your competition. Strength is also a key factor .  Here is a workout that should hit all the important parts:

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Weights, upper body; normal run (3-5 miles)

Tuesday: Wind sprints (2x200m, 4×400, 2×800)

Wednesday: Weights, lower body; low run (2-3 miles)

Thursday: Three mile repeats, 60 second rest in between, fast pace

Friday: Swimming, 5x50m, 5x25m, 2x100m

Saturday: Long run 50% farther than your normal run at a moderate-low pace

These numbers can altered and adjusted based on your fitness level .  The basic template is what is important .  This exercise will tax your body, but if you keep it up, you will get in the best overall shape pretty quickly. The weight training gives you strength and muscle endurance; running gives you aerobic endurance; speed work on Tuesday and Thursday give you explosiveness; and the swimming gives you an overall workout that hits all of the areas above. (You can substitute another full-body cardio exercise for swimming, but swimming really is the best all-around exercise out there .)