Spinning Interval Workout

Despite the unseasonal warmth New York is currently experiencing, I'm sure we'll soon be back to the cold of a Northeast winter. Although I like running in the cold, it also gets dark earlier, so there are plenty of times when you're just not going to want to run.

Whether for cross-training or as a winter run replacement, here's a spinning workout I suggested to a friend today. What I love about this is that it's very customizable -- it's all about what high and low resistance is for you. My friend is just getting back to cardio after having health problems, so she can do this at the level that is best for her, while a cardio fiend could put the resistance up crazy high and get their sweat on.

Warm Up and Cool-Down -- this should be a level that warms up your body without making it work too hard. For me, I put the resistance at 5-6 for the warm and 1-3 for cool-down.

Low Resistance -- this should be a level that makes you sweat but is something you could keep up for a long, long time. For me, I put the resistance at 7-9.

High Resistance -- the goal is to keep your RPM at the same level through both low and hard resistance. It should be hard to keep up the RPM at this resistance, and you should be breathing a lot harder. For me, I put the resistance at 12-14 here.

Weights -- you can use between 2-8 lb weights for this workout. The goal is to feel burning and barely be able to complete the last rep you do in a minute, but don't sacrifice form to higher weight. I typically use 5 lb weights for the horizontal row and 8 lb weights for the bicep curls and shoulder presses.

Core Work -- be sure to tighten your abs (suck in your belly button) and sit up straight as you do the arm exercises for proper form and to work your core.

Want more? Feel free to double the intervals and make the cool-down a full 5 minutes for a 40 minute workout.

Here's what the arm exercises should look like:

Bicep Curls

(source)

Overhead Shoulder Press

(source)

Horizontal Row

this movement, but using free weights
(source)

Sweat and enjoy!

Do you spin in the winter or for cross-training? Do you take a class or do it on your own?

Short Intense Interval Workout

Yesterday, I didn't have much time to fit in a workout, but I wanted to get something good in anyway. Here's what I ended up doing. This works out your entire body (upper body, core, and lower body) while getting in a good calorie burn through the cardio intervals. If you have more time, repeat the cardio intervals and strength set a third time!

Pro Tip: if you don't take any breaks between sets, you get done faster and also rev up your metabolism more by keeping your heart rate up!

(1) 5 MINUTE  WARM UP  POWER  WALK
For me, that's walking at between 4-4.5 MPH. As I've noted before, all speeds are for my 5'9" frame. Figure out what a "power walk," "jog," "run," and "sprint" are for yourself.

(2) CARDIO  INTERVALS - 5 minutes
Sprint @ 8 MPH for 1 minute
Jog @ 6 MPH for 1 minute
>> Alternate for 5 minutes (so you do three 8 MPH minutes and two 6 MPH)

(3) STRENGTH  SET
Squats - x25

Tip 1: keep your back straight and your weight in your heels and sit as far back as you can without falling over
Tip 2: for added difficulty, hold a medicine ball like a ballerina (arms curved)

Push Ups - x25

Tip 1: if you can't do 25 push ups -- do as many as you possibly can in the regular position, then let your knees touch the ground (making sure that your body is a straight line from your head to your knees) for as many modified push ups as you can do
Tip 2: some great ways to perfect your push up form are here.

Plank - hold for 1 minute
You have two options:

Option 1
Tip: make sure your body is a straight line from head to feet

Option 2
Tip: the further apart your arms are, the more challenging the plank is

Lunges w/ shoulder press - x20 each side
Hold 8 lb weights in each hand, making "touch down" arms that go up to straight arms as you go down into your lunge.

Tip 1: make sure your front knee does not go past your front toes
Tip 2: your movement should be straight up and down, not forward or backward

Tricep Dips - x15

Tip 1: keep your body as close to the bench as possible for maximum emphasis on your triceps
Tip 2: the straighter your legs are in front of you, the harder the dip is
Tip 3: more pointers on tricep dips here.

(4) REPEAT Cardio Intervals - 5 minutes


(5) REPEAT Strength Set


(6) STRETCH
It's so important to stretch as you feel things tightening during the workout. For example, the backs of my legs are super tight, so I often do leg stretches in the middle of my workout as I feel them getting too tight. And, of course, stretch at the end as well!

Summary
1: 5 minute power walk warm up
2: 5 minute cardio intervals
3: strength set
- squats x25
- push ups x25
- plank for 1 minute
- lunges w/ shoulder press x 20 each side
- tricep dips x15
4: repeat cardio intervals
5: repeat strength set
6: stretch

All pictures are from FitSugar.


Questions? Suggestions? Do you like using cardio intervals? Let me know in the comments!