And then theres High-Intensity Continuous Training (HICT)aerobic workouts sent from lifters heaven.
HICT is essentially a slow aerobic session, so your heart rate will never go above 150 beats per minute. Youll do one explosive rep of a loaded exerciselike a stepup while wearing a weight vestevery few seconds. And youll continue to do that over and over again for 5 to 7 minutes straight.
Heres why this formula is pure gold for lifters: HICT not only improves your aerobic conditioning, but also the stamina of your fast-twitch fibers, says Mike Robertson, C.S.C.S., owner of Robertson Training Systems and co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training. Those are the muscle fibers with the greatest potential for size and strength.
By targeting these fibers with a single powerful repetition each time, youre working them without ever exhausting them. This boosts the fibers endurance so that you can handle heavier loads for longer durations the next time you lift, says Robertson.
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And even though each rep is fast and explosive, the overall pace is slow and steady, he explains.
Core and Cardio Finisher:
A slower aerobic session like thisas opposed to all-out intervals or sprintscan help your body recover between weightlifting sessions by increasing blood flow and resetting your nervous system. That means you can go harder when you hit the iron.
Now thats a cardio workout all lifters can praise.
How to do it: Pick an exercise from the list below. Perform one rep as powerfully as you can every 3 to 5 seconds for up to 7 minutes straight. Thats one round. Do 2 more, resting 5 minutes between each round.
Monitor your heart rate to make sure it stays between 140 and 150 beats per minute the entire time. If it drops below, increase the resistance or load. If it goes above, decrease it.
No heart rate monitor? Then breathe exclusively through your nose during the workout. If you cant maintain this breathing pattern, then youre going too hard or you need to lower the resistance.
Related: Get ripped in 28 days with five 30-minute workouts in New Rules of Muscle .
Airdyne or stationary bike: Set the bike at a high resistance. Pedal the bike until both feet make a complete rotation. Thats one rep.
Weighted stepup on a high box: Wear a weight vest. Stand facing a bench, box, or step thats about knee height. Place your left foot on the bench, and then press down through your heel as to push your body up until your left leg is straight. (Dont rest your right leg on the bench at the top; instead hold it in the air.) Lower your right foot back to the floor, followed by your left. Now repeat, this time stepping onto the bench with your right foot. Once youve pushed up with both legs, thats one rep.
StairMaster: Set the machine at a high resistance. Take one step with each foot. Thats one rep.
Prowler or sled: Attach a rope to an exercise sled thats loaded with weight. Lay the rope on the floor so that its straight, and walk to its end. Facing the sled, grab the rope with both hands using an overhand grip. Your hands should be spaced about a foot apart, with your right in front of your left. Assume an athletic position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees bent.
(There should be some slack in the rope at all times. If theres not, take a step or two toward the sled.)
Now, explosively pull the rope toward your abs so that the sled moves forward. Release your left hand, and then grab the rope about a foot in front of your right hand. Pull again. Thats one rep.
Reset every 2 to 3 reps so that there is always slack in the rope.