by Danny McLarty

Is there anything worse than going for a long run?

I think I’d rather hang out in Green Bay, Wisconsin for a day! Well, maybe I’m getting a little carried away; nothing is that bad! But to me, the words fun and long distance running go together like a Green Bay Packers fan and a Chicago Bears fan. (Can you guess which team I like?)

Now, I know that some of you out there do actually enjoy distance running, and it is necessary in sports like cross-country. So for you, go do what you have to do. But for the rest of us, it’s torture!

This is where I come in! I’m here to help make your cardio much more fun than traditional slow-paced elliptical or treadmill work. With spring rolling in and warm sunny days ahead of us, it’s the perfect time to get outside for some high intensity work!

My business partner and I have been running a bootcamp over the last couple of years, and we’ve done our best to keep it fun, competitive, and very effective. Below, you’ll see some examples of drills we use. Before we get into the drills and their descriptions, lets talk about some of the benefits of high intensity training (HIIT).

More often than not, when I look at the physiques of those who inspire me, I see individuals who perform high intensity work (just think of weight lifters, sprinters in track, running backs in football, and so forth). Looking at these people is more than enough “evidence” to show us that high intensity work will give us that lean, muscular, and healthy look, yet some people seem to still need more to be sold on the plethora of benefits of HIIT.

There’s Scientific Proof!

Well, we now have studies that proof the efficacy of high intensity training. In fact, I recently read an article written by Mike Boyle on its benefits. In it, Coach Boyle states, ”A recent study, done in Canada at McMaster University and often referenced as the Gibala Study (1) after lead researcher Martin Gibala, compared 20 minutes of high intensity interval training, consisting of a 30-second sprint followed by a four minute rest, with 90 to 120 minutes in the target heart rate zone.

“The result was amazing. Subjects got the same improvement in oxygen utilization from both programs. What is more amazing is that the 20 minute program only requires about two minutes and 30 seconds of actual work!

“A second study that has become known as the Tabata study again shows the extreme benefits of interval training. Tabata compared moderate intensity endurance training at about 70 percent of VO2 max to high intensity intervals done at 170 percent of VO2 max.

“Tabata used a unique protocol of 20 seconds work to 10 seconds rest done in seven to eight bouts. This was basically a series of 20 second intervals performed during a four-minute span. Again, the results were nothing short of amazing. The 20/10 protocol improved the VO2 max and the anaerobic capabilities more than the steady state program.”

So much for those out there that say, “Yeah but, I get my distance work in so I can get in better shape.”  As we can see in the Gibala and Tabata studies, HIIT work improves oxygen utilization and VO2 max over steady-state cardio!

Again, as I mentioned above, unless you just love going out for a long jog and/or run cross-country, I don’t see the need to perform steady state cardio for most people in most situations.

Now, lets get into some drills that can be added to your HIIT cardio toolbox. It’s always more fun if you give yourself more options than just getting on the treadmill and performing hamster work!

The Drills

“T” Drill

The Set Up: Set up four cones. Cone 1 is the “start” cone, cone 2 is ten yards straight in front of the start cone, cone 3 is five yards to the left of cone 2, and cone 4 is ten yards to the right of cone 3 (5 yards to the right of cone 2).

The How-to: Sprint straight forward from cone 1 to cone 2, then shuffle sideways (doing your best not to cross your feet) to cone 3. Then, shuffle all the way over to the right to cone 4.

Next, shuffle to the left back to cone 2, then go backwards to the beginning. Repeat this order until time expires (see “Setting Up Your Time” toward the end of this article for tips).

“Switch” Drill

The Set Up: Set up six cones with the first set of cones 10 yards away from the furthest set of cones.

The How-to: On the “go” signal, sprint forward as fast you can. When you hear the “switch” signal, switch directions as quickly as possible and go backwards. When you hear “switch” again, change direction and go forward.

Continue with this until you hear the “go” signal again.  Once you hear “go,” this is the signal telling you to sprint forward as fast as possible until you pass the last cone.

“M” Drill

The Set Up: Set up five cones in an “M” shape (one cone in every corner of the letter). You’ll start at the lower left part of the “M.”

The How-to: Sprint straight forward from the bottom cone, to the second cone, then shuffle left to the middle cone, and shuffle right to the top right corner of the “M.” Then, go backwards to the bottom right portion of the “M” to finish off the letter.

Finally, shuffle left back to the beginning and repeat until time expires.

“Medicine Ball Jump and Chase” Drill

The How-to: Pick up a medicine ball using good “deadlift form.” Jump up as high as you can, land, and throw a “chest pass” as far as possible.  Chase after it, deadlift the ball back up and repeat until time expires.

“Medicine Ball Slams” Drill

The How-to: Once again, deadlift the medicine and pick it up overhead with long, straight arms.  Smash it down to the ground until time expires. Keeping the arms stretched out will give the core a nice workout as well!

“Suicides”

The How-to: These are basically the same as suicides (aka “killers”) in basketball, except if you’re doing this outdoors, you’ll do it with the cone set-up and not the lines on a basketball court.

Here, you’ll sprint from baseline to free-throw line and back; baseline to half court and back; baseline to the opposite free throw line and back; and finally from baseline to baseline and back. Repeat until time expires.

If you haven’t done these before, you’ll find out quickly why they’re called suicides!

Setting Up Your Time

You can set up the work and rest intervals however you like. A good starting point is 20 seconds “on” and 40 seconds “off.”  Rotate to the next station during your “off” time, and perform three rounds of each station.

I suggest starting with five of the drills that we’ve covered here. I like to progress by taking five seconds off of the rest intervals each week, so on week two, you would go all-out for 20 seconds, followed by 35-second rest intervals before starting the next station.

The examples above are just a small sample of what you can do to change it up and get outside for your cardio. There’s a countless amount of drills that you can perform; you’re only limited by your imagination.

Well, what are you waiting for? Get outside and have some fun going after those 6-pack abs!

About Danny McLarty:

Danny McLarty is a fitness coach at New Direction Fitness in Danville, California. Despite standing only 5 feet 7 inches, Danny eared a place in the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 for his high school and college career. He is a basketball skills coach, helping players improve their ability to get open, with and without the ball. He can be contacted by email.

Resources:

Journal of Physiology, “Short Term Sprint Interval Versus Traditional Endurance Training: Similar Initial Adaptations in Human Skeletal Muscle and Exercise Performance Sept 2006, Vol 575 Issue 3