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Hey Life Warriors!
Normally when we talk about cardio, the first thing that comes to mind is slow steady running. However, although that is a good option for many people, for others it is not so good for different reasons. If this is your case, today we propose a different but equally effective: sprint to improve your cardio.
First of all, let’s clarify something important: if you have ever noticed the physique of sprinters and you think that the only thing they do to have those physiques is to run sprints, we are sorry to disappoint you. There is a lot of gym work, a lot of dedication, very specific nutrition and a certain genetic predisposition (no, genetics is not everything, and of all these factors it is the least important, but it certainly helps).
However, even if you’re not going to get these bodies just by doing a few sprints, there are some advantages to this modality that you can take advantage of:
- Sprint interval training (SIT) has the same effect on our aerobic endurance as moderate intensity steady running, as several studies have shown. However, we need much less time to train this way.
- Sprint training provides a higher post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and a higher caloric expenditure in recovery, as we can see in this study.
- Last but not least, sprint training, in addition to fat loss and increased aerobic capacity, promotes muscle mass gain, as shown in this study with middle-aged women (ladies, sprints are good for you too!).
How do I include sprinting in my exercising routine?
We have different ways to do it, but before we get into the plan, let’s highlight a couple important things to consider
- Sprinting is an explosive exercise, which requires a great deal of sudden effort from the posterior leg muscles, especially the hamstrings (the back of the thighs). It is essential to warm up before sprinting. Never sprint without warming up.
- The series of sprints will also involve a great effort of our cardiovascular system. We will be training at a very high intensity for a relatively short period of time. If you have never trained before or have not trained for many months or years, sprints may not be the best option to start with.
That said, here’s a six-week plan with one session per week created by Charley Gould for this phenomenal T-Nation article.
Here’s the plan. All that’s left to do now is put on your running shoes and go for it!