A pretty typical format for working out is to go 4 times a week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Firdays give you body plenty of work and enough rest to rebuild your muscles. In fact if you are serious about getting results from your workout, the 4x a week is a must!

Here is a good starting working for your 4x schedule.

If you are just starting out you may want to spend a few weeks with either some circuit training or some light interval work, and work your way up to this workout.

Again, Here is athe 4x schedule.

So what if there was a way to perform cardio such that muscle development was stimulated? Well, there isn’t.

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Ok, this would be a pretty lame article if that was all I was going to say. The truth is that there is a technique called interval training.

Basically, interval training involves alternating from a resting pace to a “working” pace where you are pushing yourself to your body’s endurance and then returning to your resting state. The cool thing is that this type of training is very versatile. You’re rest/work intervals can be measured in either distance or time. If you wanted you could sprint between 2 light poles and then walk between the next 2. Likewise you could alternate walking and running every 30 seconds.

The down side to this method is that it’s hard. I don’t mean kind of tough for a week or so but then you get used it. I mean interval training should leave you weak and trembling, soaking with sweat, and gasping for air. But interval training is completely personalized, if you’re not in great shape, your work interval maybe be only a jog or a brisk walk. The point is to push your body to its maximum and hold it there for a short period of time. What these bursts of intensity do, is force your body to grow new capillaries, these blood vessels increase the oxygen delivered to your muscles, along with the other materials needed to facilitate muscle growth. Studies have also shown that after interval training the body releases hormones which signal your muscles to grow. Pretty sweet huh?

Depending on where on the internet you go you will see what some people call HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This type of interval training is focused on weight loss, as opposed to strength and speed training that many athletes use interval training for.  HIIT focuses on larger muscles groups and 20 minute workouts, 3 times a week. On the off days, no weights or cardio. (This is to let you muscles rest and rebuild)

Here’s a sample of what a typical interval workout would look like:

• 5 minute warm up
• 30 second work interval
• 60 second rest interval
• Repeat work/rest interval 7 times
• 5 minute cool down

I’ve mentioned walking and running as parts of interval training, but really, you can do this with any cardio exercise. Even better, if you want to, cardio machines are perfect for this type of activity! What you don’t want to do is use the “Interval” pre-programmed workout. Instead, manually adjust the machine up and down, that way you can push yourself to your maximum every time!

Check out my Interval Training, I’ve set it up with beginner, intermediate, and advanced workouts. Even if you’re in good shape already, start with the beginner workout, if done properly, even it is a killer!

Interval Training