Quick and Dirty Training

Lately I have been putting into practice some of the training approaches that I use with my clients who are very busy in physically intensive jobs.  Fire fighters, construction workers and even high-stress managers may be totally beat at the end of the day, but that doesn't protect them from getting de-conditioned and even fat...  So to help them ensure that they continue working towards their conditioning and body composition goals I have them perform 2 to 3 very high-intensity, but very short, sessions per week in addition to regular "recovery" and "prehab" work which can be done in snatches when time permits.

I really believe in these very short bursts of high-intensity work for people in this situation.  Although they are already working hard, their bodies need a regular "kick-start" to push them out of homeostasis and invigorate their metabolism.  And at the same time, by keeping the sessions short, we avoid the risk of pushing their already taxed systems into a state of over-reaching or over-training.

I've spent the last two weeks coaching ski pros all day and doing the occasional training sessions in the evening with clients or classes.  I'm pretty physically beat, but I have been making time for 15 to 20 minutes of high-intensity training every 2-3 days (depending on my perceived level of fatigue / recovery).  I'm always loath to start.  But I always come out of it feeling more energized, not just immediately afterwards but in the days following.  And I also am reassured in the fact that I am continuing to work towards the physical objectives which I have set for myself.

Generally, these session consist of a Metabolic Resistance Circuit.  Basically, this is a collection of 4-5 resistance exercises strung together, one after the other, in a circuit.  The circuits I devise usually last between 2-3 minutes and I'll use varying rest periods and means of progression depending on the goals.  The exercises can be bodyweight, clubbell, pull-ups, rings, sandbags, dumbells, barbells or whatever else is appropriate for the goals you are trying to achieve.

Even with clients who are not working physical jobs, this is the tool of choice as far as I am concerned for energy system development for most purposes.  It gives you an incredible bang for your buck.  You get strength development in various planes while simultaneously garnering an excellent cardiovascular training effect.  In fact, it has been clearly shown that this type of training will elicit significant improvement in both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems.

So why spend all that time running or biking when you can get the same benefits in a fraction of the time... (unless you like those activities and enjoy the time spent).  If you want some significant return on investment, try this type of Metabolic Resistance Circuit.

Cheers,
Adam

PS A great example is the RMAX 4x7: Magic in the Mundane DVD.