21 Oct Interval training the way to go for women

For any ladies out there reading my fitness blog, I’ve talked to a few experts recently to gather some tips on strength training especially for you
I consulted a college coach, a licensed trainer and another pretty qualified person – my wife Angela, who happens to be a massage therapist and regular gym-goer
Many women make it a point to work out regularly, whether it’s in the form of lifting weights, using resistance training, doing yoga, running on a treadmill or a variety of other activities.
I will also bet that many women go through their routines without actually having a workout designed by a trainer or qualified coach.
Short of paying a trainer yourself, which wouldn’t be a bad idea if you have the money and time, here are some important tips on interval training and weightlifting to improve a woman’s workout. On Thursday, I’ll offer some more advice for women in the weight room.

Interval training works best
For the average woman who wants to look and feel good (ie: fit into that favorite pair of jeans that’s been a little snug lately), everyone I talked to highly recommended interval training.
Combine a program of lifting weights with intervals of high-intensity running on a treadmill, riding on a stationary bike or elliptical followed by recovery time. (just to catch your breath, don’t let your heart rate drop too much)
Pick out a different weightlifting exercise for another 5 minutes, get back on the treadmill or try the bike instead for another 5-7 minutes and repeat.
Although interval training is harder, it will surely bring greater benefits than jogging along at the same slow pace for 30 minutes in a row. Even thouhg it’s harder, most people think it’s more fun, too, as it breaks up the monotony.
If you do this workout a minimum of even just three times a week for around 45 minutes to an hour, it will make a world of difference.

Work out the big muscle groups
Have you ever been to the gym and seen women with tiny dumbbells doing triceps extensions or calf raises? These exercises really don‘t do much. If you want to maximize your workout in a shorter time period (ie: you don’t want to be exercising for 1 1/2 hours a day) they’re not really needed. 
Instead, concentrate on exercises that work entire muscle groups rather than isolating smaller areas. Do presses, rows and pull downs and those same little muscles will work in conjunction with the bigger ones.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com