SPRINTING

Lately I’ve been trying to add some new things to my workout to get a little extra “Umph” in my day and I discovered something that I think deserves sharing…it’s a little exercise known as Sprinting.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big advocate of Running. I’ve been a steady runner now for about 15 years and I love it.  I’ve always enjoyed running 3-6 miles on a regular basis and the health benefits I’ve enjoyed are amazing.  Running has even saved my life (a story that I’ll have to share here someday).

I’m also a big fan of really simple exercises that work multiple sets of muscles simultaneously (which is why I’m a big advocate of free weights over machines, or simply doing body-weight work, and only doing three or four exercises for an entire workout).

As I looked around for some good, simple, efficient exercises I started reading about the benefits of Sprinting, and I decided to add it to my workout routine as a finisher (meaning that I finish my workout with this activity) 

Here’s how I do it. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday when I finish my weight lifting workout, I head to the parking lot of the elementary school next to my house and I sprint across it 10 times.  This amounts to about a 500 M sprint.  I sprint in one direction (roughly 50 M), then jog/walk back to the starting line, then sprint again…repeating this 10 times.  It takes roughly 7-10 minutes and it a GREAT finisher for my workout. 

In one 10 minute session can burn nearly 250 calories (about the same as running three miles) and I get a MASSIVE finish to my workout. 

I’m trying to build up to do more sprints.  The problem I have is that I have to catch a bus to get to work, but as I get faster I add one more sprint to my workout.

I’m still doing my distance running for the pure joy of it, but the results from sprinting are remarkable.  I initially dropped about 10 lbs. and went down nearly two inches on my pants size. 

You’ll want to make sure that you are ready to do this.  Sprinting has a higher risk of injury to thigh muscles than jogging, and if you are not in pretty good shape already you can injure yourself doing high intensity sprints.  You need to have a good place to do it (this is why I choose the parking lot at the school, it’s well lit early in the morning and normally clear of garbage and debris.  I know of some guys who do it on a local football field as well since it is well maintained).
Keep exercising and get fit for 2014.  Physically fit men make better priesthood men.
Here are a few interesting facts on fitness and men:
-    71 % of men admit that they should exercise more.
-    Muscles are 3 times more efficient at burning calories than fat
-    69 % of men consider themselves physically fit
-    Only 13% of men are actually physically fit
-    Over half of young people aged 12-21 are NOT vigorously active on a regular basis.
-    If you are 25 lbs overweight you have nearly 5000 extra MILES of blood vessels that your heart must pump blood through

NO FEAR – NO WHINING – NO REGRETS