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Active Rest

Need to shed a few pounds? Maybe even strengthen your heart and increase your VO2 Max (maximal oxygen consumption)?

As a personal trainer I always run into challenges with clients who don’t have enough time to spend an hour in the gym. As a business owner I have found myself in the same boat, at times finding it very challenging making time for the gym. Through experience I’ve designed a program that can get you in the best shape of your life in just 30 minutes a day.

The key to the program is active rest intervals between your sets. An active rest exercise can be anything from jumping jacks, high knees, sprints, boxing, mountain climbers, stairs, sprints on a spin bike, etc. What this does is keep your heart rate elevated for the entire 30 minute workout, thus burning more calories and fat as well as strengthening your cardiovascular system. We usually start our clients’ active rest at just 30 seconds and then increase five to ten seconds every week.

This intense 30 minute workout would go something like this.
Monday – Muscle group to be worked (Chest)
First exercise will be a flat dumbbell press, three sets of 20 reps. Immediately after you finish the set you will go to jump rope for 30 seconds. After your next set you will do mountain climbers as your active rest for 30 seconds. After your third set you will do jumping jacks for 30 seconds.
Next exercise will be an incline chest press with a barbell, three sets of 15. Active rest between each set will be step-ups on a bench, walking lunges, and jump rope, 30 seconds each.
You will be about 15 minutes into the workout, a good time for a 20 second break for water.
Next exercise will be a superset with cable flys and push-ups. Starting with cable flys, three sets of 20 reps, you will then go straight into push-ups, doing as many as you can. If you have been pushing your workout the whole time you will be lucky to get five push-ups at the most. Your active rest exercise will be one minute sprints on a spin bike.

This program is designed to be performed 5 days, each workout only taking 30 minutes. The above workout targets chest but you can use whatever split you like.
For example,
Day 1 can be chest
Day 2 can be back
Day 3 can be legs
Day 4 can be delts
Day 5 can be arms

Following this program, along with a balanced nutrition/supplement program, will help you see huge improvements in the mirror.

By Shaun Eckhardt - from www.twinlab.com