Sprints and hill sprints

Just wanted to share because some guys might be new to exercise, but a GREAT way to do cardio, especially for hard-gainers OR for guys like me who want to keep their muscle but still have strong cardio health, is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). The only piece of equipment you need is shoes and a field or a grassy hill, and the shoes are optional.

Interval training is in a lot of ways better than "steady state" cardio (where you run at a constant speed for 20-30 minutes or more), because with steady state, your body starts to burn muscle along with the fat.

HIIT by contrast, actually puts your body in a state where you release more testosterone and can even build muscle.

A great example is the difference between sprinters and marathon runners. Sprinters go all-out for very short distances, and as a consequence not only are their legs HUGE, but the rest of their body gets pretty thick, too. Marathon runners tend to be very, very lean to the point where they have very little muscle mass at all.

My workout today was just hill sprints: I live near a park with a hill and a smallish field. After warming up, I sprinted (running at close to my top speed) to the top, and then jogged down the hill back to the bottom. I then walked across the field, started jogging on the way back, and when I hit the hill again I broke into another sprint.

I did this 15 times today, for a workout of about 18-20 minutes, and then came home to get my protein shake and dinner.

Hill sprints are great to build power in the legs, but even sprinting on level ground is great for your whole body.

Sprint form 10-15 seconds, and then walk or jog for a minute. Repeat 10-12 times. After you've done this workout a few times, start increasing your sprint time and decreasing your rest time.

It's a great workout and its something that any jock can benefit from, even if they don't have a gym membership.