Guest Post: How HIIT Workouts Can Change Your Life For the Better by Lisa Johnson (and Review of Lisa's DVDs)

"The idea that you have to do 30 to 60 minutes of cardio in order to stay in your skinny jeans is really getting rocked in the fitness industry these days. 

Scientists have been whispering and are now shouting about a new approach that is possibly MORE effective than a steady state cardio session.  It has a lot of names, HIIT, Tabata, Fartlek, but is most often called interval training. 

Interval training is a short burst of activity.  Study participants have been recorded doing workouts as short as four minutes.  You alternate a period of all out activity (usually between 30 and 60 seconds) with a very brief rest period (usually between 10 and 60 seconds). 

These bursts of activity are not for the feint of heart.  You will be pink and sweaty, you will be heaving a lung, you will be uncomfortable and possibly even slightly nauseous.  Yes that’s how hard you should work out.   On a scale of 1 to 10 for rates of perceived exertion (RPE) you should be working out at an 8 or 9. 

But the reward is a speedy metabolism, more time back in your life and those coveted skinny jeans.

Sounds great right?  So how do you do it?  The idea is to use simple movements, say a squat, and do them repeatedly for a short period of time.  I have designed four 10-minute workouts that each have 10 exercises in them.  This is how it works …

Beginner: 30 seconds of the exercise, 30 seconds of rest.

Intermediate:  40 seconds of the exercise, 20 seconds of rest.

Advanced:  50 seconds of exercise, 10 seconds of rest.

When I ask people if they can handle 50 seconds they scoff at me … until they try to actually do it.   This type of training does take some conditioning and 10 seconds is not enough to catch your breath, so when you go into the next move you’ll still be tired from the previous one.  This progression is what stresses the body which reacts by boosting metabolism. 

Pretty cool no?  I’ve found that since I’ve been in my 40s the normal walking around and regular Pilates that I do weren’t enough anymore and I needed a bit more help to stay thin.  I can’t tell you how much HIIT workouts have changed my life for the better.  I love them so much I made my own video! "

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I had an opportunity to try out Lisa's DVDs recently, and couldn't believe the results.  Her Modern Pilates is a 50-minute mat workout that makes you “tighter, higher, smaller."  I had only tried Pilates a few times before in the gym, but never thought it to be an exercise that could really tighten your abs and buns, while toning arms and legs.  But, since having my two daughters, and struggling for the past year to lose the remaining baby weight, I was up for anything, that would help me reach my weight loss goals.  I loved how this was a mat video workout, and only took 50 minutes out of my day.  Usually anything over an hour is not doable, as I try to fit in my daily workouts first thing in the AM before the girls get up, during their mid-morning naps, or at night-time after everyone is in bed. This DVD went at a steady pace, and before I knew it the 50-minute workout was over, and I was feeling refreshed and relaxed.  And, after doing this workout for a few days, I began to feel my stomach and bottom getting tighter.  Flash forward two weeks and my arms are not jiggling as much either. :-)  I can't wait to continue on with this 50-minute workout and see how toned I can get, as I work to reach my weight loss goals.

Lisa's other DVD, Body Physica Intense: Four High Intensity Workouts DVD is broken down into four complete 10 minute cardio workouts, specifically designed to boost your metabolism, and great for all fitness levels.  Like I said above, I don't have more than an hour to exercise, and am always looking for quick and easy workouts, that I can squeeze it, while also noticing results.  I have been using this DVD for a few weeks now, and love how I can switch up between the four different 10-minute cardio workouts.  And, I have to say, I am noticed a boost in my metabolism.  I thought that after you reach 30 yrs. old age, one of the first things to go is your metabolism.  I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted in my teens and twenties, and not have to worry about gaining weight.  But, as soon as I hit 30 yrs. old, anything and everything I ate ended up around my waist, etc.  It was like my metabolism had slowed down tremendously.  And, once I got pregnant and had my girls, my metabolism was one of the main reasons I couldn't burn off the excess baby weight.  But, thanks to Lisa's cardio workouts, my metabolism has improved and I am finally seeing through baby weight pounds coming off slowly, but surely. :-)

So, if you are looking for a great set of DVDs to help get you back in tip top shape, why not give Lisa Johnson's fitness DVDs a try?  And, at $34.99 for the two DVDs, you can't go wrong. :-)  Click here now to order one or both of Lisa's fitness DVDs, to try out in the privacy of your own home -- http://www.bodyphysica.com/.


About Lisa Johnson:

 

Lisa Johnson is highly regarded in the American fitness industry. She runs an award-winning Pilates studio and has quickly established herself as a writer of integrity on all things fitness. As a trainer who is “in the trenches” working daily with people, Lisa brings a unique perspective to her fitness writing. She is not only an active fitness professional but also knows how to translate even the most complex movement to the average Jane.

Lisa has appeared as a fitness expert in numerous publications including The New York Times, Glamour, Family Circle, The Boston Globe, Entrepreneur and Inc. Her television appearances include CBS News and “Sundays with Liz Walker” on WBZ-TV Boston.

As a writer, Lisa was a columnist for PilatesStyle magazine from 2006 through 2008 and has written extensively at her blog, Lisa Johnson Fitness: Everything for a Healthy Body.

Lisa is available as a fitness expert and writer and for appearances and interviews. Please contact her for further information.

Credentials:

• Harvard University, Bachelor of Science, 1994
• Certified Personal Trainer, 1997
• Certified Pilates Instructor, 1998
• Only Pilates instructor accepted as an educational affiliate member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG), 2006

 

Disclosure: I was sent samples from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.