I hate running.
I'll admit it.
Running laps was the quickest way to torture me in high school.
Sprints weren't as bad. I'm generally better at sprints than I am at running distance. But that doesn't mean I'm going to do them on my own. Especially not on a treadmill. "Sprinting" on a treadmill for me is about an 8.0.
I'm a realist though. I understand that cardiovascular conditioning is important. And I've got a little stamina when it comes to cardio. I'm okay at it. I'll never be the girl plugging away for 10 miles on a treadmill. Or going outside to run for fun. I'll likely never race-train. If I ever run a race, it will be a 5K and it will be to prove that I can. There will be no goal above "finish".
But I'm, admittedly, addicted to the endorphins that go along with sweating. I crave it. It's actually becoming a problem. While I don't work out everyday, that doesn't mean I don't want to. In a perfect world, I could. That's what I did last summer simply because I had the time on my hands. But this is a very long explanation and I should save my addictive-personality issues (marshmallows anyone?) for another day.
I've been doing a lot of research on HIIT training and interval training. I first became interested in this last spring when I started R.I.P.P.E.D. classes (This website explains it well). It's designed around interval training. Bringing the heart rate up, dropping it down, bringing it up again, etc. for 50 minutes. Then I started the whole tabata strength workout thing. I've never done such a simple, EFFECTIVE, quick strength training workout. Even Turbokick is based on intervals (2 minutes higher intensity, 1 minute lower intensity) for about 30 minutes, then a "turbo" intensity round, then a cool down.
All of this has led me to believe that intervals are the way to go for an effective workout. I created this myself and it's based off of the idea that you can do anything for a minute. It holds my attention and made me realize exactly why I never liked the treadmill before: I was bored.
If you're a non-runner who just wants to get some cardio into your routine, it might work for you too. I've done it a few times now, to be sure of the times/mileage (2.82 miles).
It's 30 minutes from start to finish, and you can adjust the levels to what works best for you. I usually start sweating around that 7.5 on the pyramid climb. I could see myself increasing the pyramid levels as I get better at it.
*I'm not qualified to be a personal trainer or give fitness advice. This is just something I'm sharing.*
Do you run? What kind of running do you like the best? My favorite cardio is kick-boxing, but I'm also inherently lazy and this is a good one for a day you don't feel like over-achieving but still want to sweat.
