This is the perfect short, sharp summer workout – you can do it at your local park, it doesn’t take long, and you’ll feel the benefit for days.
There has been plenty of evidence over the last few years to show that exercising at high intensity, even for a short amount of time can change your metabolism for up to 48 hours after you have exercised.
We frequently use this kind of session on our weight loss boot camp – it achieves a lot in a short space of time.
This is often referred to as the after burn effect or EPOC (exercise post-oxygen consumption). When you create an oxygen deficit – by training hard, you need to replenish this deficit post work out. To replenish the deficit you need fuel and this fuel is in the form of fat and glucose. Fatty acids are mobilised to aid the recovery process and this is what the afterburn effect is all about – creating an environment that causes your body to need additional fuel (fat) to recover from an intense workout.
If you want to create a metabolic disturbance that can increase the levels of fat you burn for hours afterwards, try this 30 minute turbulence training session, requires no equipment and can be completed in your garden or local park.
Warm Up
Follow our guide to a good warm up here. Or complete a full range of mobility exercises on major joints, including shoulder roles, wrists, hips, knee extensions and ankle roles.
Next, get some blood flowing, jogging on the spot for 2 mins. Progress to high knees, heel flicks and fast feet. Continue with leg swings, lunges, calf raises, punching the air, upwards, outwards and sidewards.
Finally, stride out with a run/jog for 20m and back (40m). Do this 4 times and each time increasing the pace slightly. Your last one should be almost a full sprint (about 90% of your maximum effort).
At the end of your warm up, you should be slightly out of breath and your legs should feel light and your muscles lose.
Session
Measure out approximately 40m (if your fitness levels are more advanced, you can increase this to 60-80m). Use your strides to do this. Most people this is about 40 lengthy strides.
Return to the start point.
- Sprint 40m, walk back to recover. Repeat x3
- 8-10 press ups – straight into sprint 40m. Walk back to recover. Repeat x 3
- 8-10 jump squats – straight into sprint 40m. Walk back to recover. Repeat x 3
- 15-20 crunches – straight into sprint 40m. Walk back to recover. Repeat x 3
- 10-15 tricep dips (use a park bench or chair) – straight into sprint 40m. Walk back to recover. Repeat x 3
- Hold the plank position for 30secs. – straight into sprint 40m. Walk back to recover. Repeat x 3
Well done – time to cool down.
Cool Down
Jog on the spot or around the park for 3 mins, slowing down to a walk for 1 minute.
Take 10 minutes to complete a full leg and arm stretching routine. Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 secs. For more tips on cooling down, click here (at the bottom of the page).
