I am 7 weeks away from taking a physical test that requires a degree of cardio that I don't have right now. So the issue here is getting my wind up as high as possible in 7 weeks time.
Do Taku's intervals look like the smart choice for me? I'm not sure because his program is a 12 weeker, and I just don't have that much time. I do Scrapper's wo#1 mon/wed/fri - fyi. Thanks for any advice!
What exactly is the test?
It's not like you need to finish the twelve weeks to gain any cardio benefit. Heck, you should notice a good difference after one week.
Toddseney - the test is a firefighter physical. I have done it once before, so I know what to expect.
There are different versions of this around the country, I am in Arizona. Here you have 00:10:20 to complete several different events stacked back to back, with about a ten second walk inbetween events. The whole time you wear a weight vest, starting at 75lbs on a stair master, then dropping to 50lbs for the rest.
It's not that tuff if you have some wind, but the only way I have ever upped my cardio to get to where I need to be is with some roadwork. I haven't tried Taku's stuff, but have wanted to for a while. I just don't want to mess around with the short time I have left to prepare. I guess I'm looking for most bang for buck right now. Thanks-
You can accelerate the program as well, if you're in decent shape (not overweight, general fitness, etc...) cut it short like this:Week 1: 4x90 seconds work + 90 seconds recovery
Week 2: 5x60 seconds work + 60 seconds recovery
Week 3: 6x45 seconds work + 30 seconds recovery
Week 4: 7x30 seconds work + 20 seconds recovery
Week 5: 8x20 seconds work + 10 seconds recovery
Week 6: 10x20 seocnds work + 10 second recovery
Week 7: 1 day as week 6, then light workouts, not an all out sprint, rest up for the event.I would advise at least some event specific training along with the intervals. Meaning you put the weight vest (or some chains, or whatever) on and do the actual exercises you'll be doing.
Hmmm..options
also thanks for the advice on specific training, I totally agree.
You will notice results quickly with the interval program. I am starting week 3 of Phase 1 next week, and have already noticed my wind better both during the sprints and later in the day when I go to CSW class. My heart rate also drops very quickly when I finish a sprint and do the rest period.
is there a website for info on takus?
it sounds very effective
www.trainforstrength.com
I used Taku's interval program as the basis for my cardio routine and I've seen huge results.
I've cut my mile time in half! and now I'm going back to week one and just uping the speed of each sprint since I can run longer and faster!
Thank you Liam!
sweeet. all these good reviews are making me feel like taku's stuff is the way to go. this is week #1!
Hey Folks thanks for the good words. Big_Slcker...That looks like a good way to speed things up to me. And Doug is right, You should notice a difference in a week or two. Consistently peoepl report to me in feed back that they notice a difference in two weeks.
TAKU.
Thanks Taku. I started your program back in October for my first tournament. Prior, I was 150lbs with poor ok 'cardio' and wanted to get to 140lbs or under. I was doing long distance steady running for 30-40 mins (5-7km) every 2 days, but didn't notice any real improvement in conditioning.
After 4 weeks of your interval training, 5 times a week, I lost close to 15lbs and my cardio improved immensely. This improvement also translated well to other sports not just mma. I continue it today doing the 30(run)/20(rest) or 20(run)/10(rest) 3 days/week and maintaining weight.
A few things worth noting was that I had no strength loss and the ladies like the sprinter type body I produced.
Thanks again.