Committing to a weekly running ‘practice’ won’t just give you improved endurance and strength; it can allow you to finally have that lean, banging body you so badly want! To lose weight the right way (without any hiccups or plateaus), we’ve come up with two fast acting weight loss tips to guarantee success!
Crank Up the Intensity on Hilly Terrain
If you get winded just thinking about running up a hill, changing your attitude—and approach—which could be your winning ticket to success. Many people make the mistake of thinking that running uphill means exhausting their cardio, and quickly find that after they complete their first run they can’t push themselves to make it another five, or ten. This is often the cause of not correctly pacing themselves—which can result in lost effort. Start with a slow pace (even walking uphill if you feel out of shape).
After you’ve warmed up with a lap or two, treat your hill like intervals (instead of a scary incline). Run a few laps going at a moderate pace, and do three sets of burpees or push-ups at the top. Your heart rate will be sky high, and with a consistent hill workout each week, you’ll soon notice a slimmer, fitter physique!
Incorporate Shuttle Runs
If you’re really serious about losing weight in a healthy way, the key is to target your fat burning zone. This won’t just allow you to shed unwanted pounds, but to tone up in the process. What’s better than that? Shuttle runs are a great way to start burning fat, significantly raise your heart rate and develop a solid way to practice interval cardio to produce direct, and fast results. Plus, it’s an easy workout you can adapt your growing fitness level to—simply add more intensity to your shuttle runs for a further challenge. Here’s how to do it:
• Place five cones at the 5, 10, 15, 25 and 30 yard marks. Your goal is three sets (which over time, you can increase to five or more sets.)
• Start off sprinting to the 30-yard mark, and then sprint back to the start.
• Without stopping, sprint to the 25-yard mark, and sprint back to the start.
• Repeat the above with the 15, 10 and 5 yard mark, and then rest for 90 seconds.
• Repeat two more times. Talk about a great fat burning workout!
Now, you can also change up your shuttle runs by changing your direction. So, for the first shuttle run follow the above directions. But, for your second set (while resting), move cones and place them to the right of you (instead of straight ahead), or place them in a zig zag formation. You can even incorporate backwards running to mix things up and improve your balance and coordination!
