Maximize Fat Burn, Minimize Boredom

Nope, watching him won't improve your workout.
Won't improve a lot of things, actually.

Are you getting tired of your regular routine at the gym?  Bringing yourself several times each week only to find yourself on the elliptical, AGAIN, watching Geraldo, AGAIN? Do you feel like you aren't getting the results you want from your workouts?

It's time to try interval training.  Interval training does two really great things to help maximize the effectiveness of your workout. First of all, it helps to keep your heart rate in the fat burning zone by changing exercises frequently and mixing cardiovascular work with strength training.  Second, it helps to keep your mind engaged in what you're doing so that you aren't just phoning in your workout.

Here is a very simple interval format, which should take you about an hour.  If you're feeling really geeky, get yourself a heart rate monitor so that you can follow your results.

Simple Interval Training Workout

6-7 minutes: warm up on the elliptical or treadmill

1 set of 10-15 reps of an upper body exercise
1 set of 10-15 reps of a lower body exercise
1 set of 10-15 reps of a DIFFERENT upper body exercise
1 set of 25-35 reps of an abdominal/core exercise

6-7 minutes on a DIFFERENT cardio machine than you warmed up with (great examples are bike, elliptical, treadmill, stair-climber, UBE, trampoline, or slide)

Repeat the above set of exercises, in the same order

6-7 minutes on a DIFFERENT cardio machine than you've used so far

1 set of 10-15 reps of a DIFFERENT lower body exercise than you've done
1 set of 10-15 reps of a DIFFERENT upper body exercise
1 set of 10-15 reps of a DIFFERENT lower body exercise
1 set of 25-35 reps of a DIFFERENT abdominal/core exercise

6-7 minutes on a DIFFERENT cardio machine than you've used so far

Repeat the second set of exercises, in the same order

Stretch for 5-10 minutes

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!