---

I cannot believe how fast this summer is flying by! I’ve been training hard over the last couple of months – prepping for competition this fall. I’m aiming to bring a whole new package to stage this time around – focusing on fuller glutes and quads. With that – has come heavier weights and less cardio (no complaints from this girl)!!!

I think one of the biggest mistakes women make is actually TOO much cardio. We’ve all done it and we’ve all seen people doing it – running for an hour and then getting into the cycle of dreading future workouts – no one has time for that. Not only does it take up a lot of time, but unless you are pairing it with a consistent strength training routine, excessive cardio can also burn muscle – creating that “skinny fat” look. I generally think people turn to the treadmill due to a lack of general knowledge about how to lift and what machines/weights to use, or the “idea” that lifting will create bulky muscles. If you are a woman and reading this – I PROMISE, it is beyond hard to gain muscle let alone build bulky muscles. For the amount of work that I put in and see my fellow competitors put in you would think we would look HUGE, but that’s just not the case.

I want to challenge you to switch things up – don’t be a victim of the treadmill! You can have an effective cardio workout in 30 minutes or less and move onto something else. HIIT cardio (High Intensity Interval Training) is a perfect example. This training method allows you to cut your normal cardio time in half and builds full muscles in the meantime.

Try HIIT cardio: (Ex: alternate 60 seconds of jogging with 30 seconds of sprinting)

*Good for beginners to advanced
*Duration: 15-20 minutes, you will need to play around with your speeds and jogging/sprinting times.

My HIIT schedule for today:
15 minute duration

Min 1-2 jog 4.5 mph
Min 2-3 sprint 7.8 mph
Min 3-4 jog 4.5 mph
Min 4-5 sprint 7.8 mpg
Min 4-4:45 jog 4.5
Min 4:45-5:30 sprint 8.2
Min 5:30 6:15 jog 4.5 mph
Min 6:15-7 sprint 8.2
Min 7-7:30 jog 4.5 mph
Min 7:30-8 sprint 9 mph
Min 8-8:30 jog 4.5
Min 8:30-9 sprint 9 mph
Min 9-10 jog 4.5 mph
Min 10-11 sprint 7.8 mph
Min 11-12 jog 4.5 mph
Min 12-13 sprint 7.8 mph
Min 13-13:45 jog 4.5 mph
Min 13:45 -14:30 sprint 9 mph
Min 14:30- 15 jog 4.5

COOL DOWN!!!

You can also follow this up with 15 minutes of steady running.

Enjoy and don’t forget to switch things up! It keeps your body guessing and makes things way more fun and interesting for you!