I’ve had to my fair share of time hog workouts – I use to spend 6-8 hours in the gym when I was single, young and fun(?). Now in 2010 I’m almost thirty, a family man, working full time and entrepreneur on the side. So my routine at the gym has taken a massive hit and so has my gut. After seeing the below video of Damien Walters (a freak of a freerunner) I felt punked – I had trouble clearing a puddle. Lifesaver in place I started to venture for a rescue routine for my lost physique and strength.
1. HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING – Cardio inferno
First of the routines that I found was High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) HIIT is a form of cardio which is beneficial to burning fat in a short and intense workout. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 9–20 minutes. The original protocol set a 2:1 ratio for work to recovery periods. For example, a runner would alternate 15-20 seconds of hard sprinting with 10 seconds of jogging or walking. I found this a great way to do cardio, but it does have its limitation in gaining strength. Cardio is also usually lower body, so the arms don’t do much more than a hang around (swimming using the method is great, but make sure you have the lane to yourself).
2. CROSSFIT – The longest 20 minutes of your life
So to get a full body workout I needed to in search of something more. Then I read my countryman Mikko Salo became the fittest man in the world, winning the Crossfit Games in 2010. So within a week I had found the only Crossfit Gym in Finland to take the basic course. What I found was a great combination of gymnastics, weightlifting and a 20 or less interval training program. I’ve been doing the routines or Workout’s of the Day (WOD) and I got to tell you – 20 minutes is along long time. I truly recommend.
3.TacFit – fit as a commando
After getting a Strength involved I thought about how would I incorporate more dynamic movement in to the intense workout routines. Google I did and found TacFit. A routine created by a American fitness guru Scott Sonnon with 26 routines labeled after the NATO alphabets from Alpha to Zulu. Scott’s merits are indisputable -the man was brought in to the Israeli army as a fitness coach. The movements are made to increase dynamic strength instead of your bench press results. I’ve tried it out and I’ll tell you – I wish I was still a kid, because this stuff will make you feel like a child trying to do the full range of motions with precision. So flexibility and range of motion covered.
