Cardio kick: top trainers show you how to break out of a rut

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Feb, 2004 by Alonna Friedman

are you all spun out on spin class? Is your elliptical routine making you feel like you're going in circles? Does ironing a pleated skirt seem more exciting than your daily run? If so, then it's time to kick up your cardio routine a notch.

We've tapped four of the country's top trainers and asked them to design a butt-kicking, cardio-blasting, metabolic-boosting routine that'll pump new life into your workouts. Each routine is structured for a specific activity or piece of equipment, but the principles are easily adapted to just about every other type of aerobic workout. Try one or mix and match. You'll find it a sure cure for cardio burnout.

Try one or mix & match

* ELLIPTICAL SUPER CIRCUITTRAINING

Expert: Georgia-based Leigh Crews, a Reebok master trainer and the founder of Dynalife, a fitness education company.

What is it? Bouts of moderate intensity on the elliptical machine interspersed with short periods of high-intensity calisthenic exercises, like jumping jacks and push-ups.

Why it works: By following a burst of high-intensity muscle work with a recovery period of cardio on the elliptical, you allow your body time to reset itself between each hard effort, yet you still keep moving. You get a more challenging workout than you would if you did a typical steady-pace workout on the elliptical.

Workout Need-to-Knows: After a 5-minute warm-up at an easy pace, shift to the elliptical's manual mode and set it at a level you consider moderately difficult but can maintain for a long period. This will be your active recovery.

For your power cycles, alternate the following three high-energy calisthenic moves: jumping jacks, pushups and sprinting in place with high knees.

As you fatigue, the elliptical will begin to feel harder, but Crews says you should still feel mostly recovered before jumping off to hit the next hard-driving muscle movement. "You need to be able to focus 100 percent on the bursts of energy needed for the intervals," she says.

Do this workout one to two times a week to break up your usual gym routine.

Time                Work Level

Warm-Up              5 minutes   Low
Cycle 1 Cardio:
Elliptical Trainer   5 minutes   Moderate
Cycle 1 Power:
High-Intensity
Calisthenics        30 seconds   Very Hard

Repeat the cardio and power cycle loop six times for a total of 33
minutes.

Cool-Down            5 minutes   Low
Total Time          45 minutes

* SPRINT-JOG FARTLEK

Expert: San Diego-based Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for First Fitness, Inc., a fitness education and coaching company.

What is it? Fartlek is a Swedish term meaning "speed play." You run continuously and throw in an occasional spurt of high-intensity work depending on your mood and energy level during that workout. According to Cotton, this is a unique and unstructured way of approaching a workout. "How long, how fast and when are all up to you," he says. "Of course, that means you must rely on your own discipline and imagination."

Why it works: It enhances stamina and works the aerobic and anaerobic systems, plus it prepares you, both physically and psychologically, for running on varied terrain at various speeds.

Workout Need-to-Knows: You can change the distance, pacing and interval times as you see fit. The program outlined by Cotton is a sample of a typical Fartlek running session.

Another way to approach Fartlek is to turn your run into a game. For instance, sprint between every other lamppost. Or, do a 60-second all-out run whenever you see two other runners together.

You can do Fartlek on the treadmill too: Simply add hills and toss in sprints and runs at a higher intensity as the mood strikes you. Aim to do 30 percent to 50 percent of your total routine at a higher than usual intensity.

One or two Fartlek workouts a week help keep you sharp physically and mentally. It certainly breaks up the boredom of running at the same speed and amount of time day after day.

                Time        Work Level

Warm-Up         10 minutes  Easy
Run              6 minutes  Moderate Effort
Jog              6 minutes  Easy Effort
Run              3 minutes  Hard Effort
Jog              3 minutes  Easy Effort
Sprint all-out   1 minute   Maximum Effort
Run              1 minute   Moderate Effort

Repeat Sprint/Run five more times for a total of 10 minutes.

Cool-Down        5 minutes  Easy
Total Time      45 minutes

You'll find it a sure cure for cardio burnout.

* SWIM LADDERS

Expert: Kristen Jones, swim instructor for The Sports Club/LA, Washington D.C.

What is it? Swimming sprints cushioned with periods of moderate effort swimming for recovery.

Why it works: The key to getting the most out of your swimming workout is performing swim sets at varying intensities and distances. This increases your aerobic fitness because you're constantly shifting between moderate aerobic-level heart rates and higher, more anaerobic-level heart rates. And as a training bonus, swimming 30 to 40 minutes in the pool works every muscle group in your body, without putting undue stress on your joints.