So here we are again friends, it's finally Friday! And this Friday I am heading home to visit my family for one last vacation before my dietetic internship starts on August 24th! I am so excited to spend quality time with my family and have been busy getting everything ready for my trip (washing clothes and cleaning the house, packing for the week ahead, and setting up my client schedule for the week while I am away). With all I had to get done before my flight later today, I still made time to squeeze in a quick cardio workout and (though I only ran 3 miles on the treadmill) I burned nearly double the calories of a steady-pace 3-mile run and I was completely exhausted after just 25 minutes on the treadmill!
How is this possible? As I mentioned in last week's Free Fitness Friday: Intervals for the Win, you can still get the health benefits of cardiovascular exercise in a quick 25- minute workout when you incorporate Interval Training - and you will burn twice as many calories with Interval Training over the same distance run in a shorter amount of time!
Today's workout was less complex than last week's interval workout and my 3 miles were up before I knew it! So here it is!
The 25-minute Interval Workout #2: Escalated Miles
Distance (in miles)
Speed (in mph)
RPE (based on chart)
0-0.25 miles
6.0-6.5
4-5
0.25-0.50 miles
6.5-7.0
6-7
0.50-0.75 miles
7.0-7.5
7-8
0.75-1.0 miles
7.5-8.0
9
1.0-1.25 miles
6.0-6.5
4-5
1.25-1.50 miles
6.5-7.0
6-7
1.50-1.75 miles
7.0-7.5
7-8
1.75-2.0 miles
7.5-8.0
9
2.0-2.25 miles
6.0-6.5
4-5
2.25-2.50 miles
6.5-7.0
6-7
2.50-2.75 miles
7.0-7.5
7-8
2.75-3.0 miles
7.5-8.0
9
- Start with a 2-3 minute warm-up walk / jog on the treadmill to warm up your body and prepare your muscles for the intense work ahead.
- After you feel nice and warmed up, set the speed of the treadmill to a 6.0-6.5 mph speed (depending on your fitness level) and an RPE of a 4-5 "moderate activity" factor (based on the RPE chart) and run 1/4th of a mile (0.25 miles).
- Once you hit the 0.25 mile mark, increase the speed by 0.5 mph (up to 6.5-7.0 mph) and an RPE of 6-7. Once you hit the half mile mark, increase the speed again by 0.5 mph (7.0-7.5 mph) and an RPE of 7-8. For the last quarter of the mile, increase the speed again by 0.5 mph (7.5-8.0 mph) and an RPE of 9 ("very hard" activity factor) and hold this pace until you hit the mile mark (1.0 miles).
- Once you hit the 1 mile mark, reduce the speed back down to 6.0-6.5 mph and an RPE of 4-5 for the next quarter of a mile. Repeat the pattern in step 3 to increase the speed by 0.5 mph at each 0.25 mile increment until you complete the 3 miles.
- Reduce the speed to a comfortable walk ' jog for a 2-3 minute cool-down.
- You're done!
You can refer to the RPE chart to set your starting and ending pace on the treadmill and be sure to set the speed based on you OWN PERSONAL rate of perceived exertion! Remember, this workout is for you and YOU alone - work hard, but be sure to set a realistic pace so you will be able to successfully compete the 3-mile interval run :-)
(Photo: runandbehappy)
And there you have it, friends! A quick 3-mile interval run that you can complete in 25 minutes or less and enjoy the rest of your Friday and the weekend ahead! I know I will :-)