The Treadmill Pyramid - Get Fighting Fit with this Work Out HIT!

Here's a work out I devised which I use on some of my clients and also use myself. The work out can be used for anyone looking to get fit, lose fat or even if you are preparing for a fight. It's so effective I wouldn't recommend using it more than twice a week due to burn out! This work out is great for various reasons, it is a form of high intensity interval training which means thanks to excess post-oxygen consumption or EPOC for short, it continues burning calories for up to 24hrs after you have finished exercising due to an elevated resting metabolic rate, which of course means more fat loss for you. Also, because of the pyramid factor in this work out, the 'rounds' get faster and faster, which means as you get more tired it becomes harder and harder. I like this, because like Boxing, as the fight goes on you get more and more tired and are forced to dig deep. This work out replicates this and just like Boxing where you have moments of high intensity coupled with periods of lower intensity, this interval work out will take you high before coming down low again.

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Let's get into the work out and I will explain after. I like to do at least 5-6 rounds of this work out, each round lasts 3mins just like Boxing. The first two rounds are essentially more of a warm up but taxing enough depending on how quickly you want to reach top intensity. An amateur or white collar bout will last 3 rounds, and each round is 2-3mins so you want to train for more rounds than you actually be fighting so when you come in on fight night, you've got those extra rounds in the bank and have enough gas in the tank.

*Always set the treadmill to an incline. I use 1% - this is to reduce stress on the knees and shins.

As you can see, each round has you working faster and harder than the previous round. There are many variables here you can alter to suit your needs. If you find your top end speed is different, for example 14.5kph and you have reached your top end speed after 4 rounds, then do the next 2 rounds at the same top speed. If you want to start off at different speeds, for example 7kph to 10kph and increase the speed each round from there, that is fine too, as long as you are progressively increasing the speed and pushing yourself. You can also vary the incline and the number of seconds you are sprinting at your top end speed or running at your base speed ie 20 seconds sprint, 20 seconds jog. Do factor in it will take the treadmill 10-15 seconds to increase the speed, if you are going from 8.5kph to 15kph, it will take the treadmill probably 12 maybe 15 seconds to hit 15kph.

Sprinting is one of the best forms of high intensity and explosive work outs you can do, what is more explosive than Sprinting? This will not only help your endurance but the High Intensity Interval Training with Sprints will increase speed and power too.
The total time for the work out above is around 30mins if you are doing 6 rounds. Combine the above with other forms of cardio to prevent stagnation. If you are preparing for a fight, then you have to allow days for longer runs consisting of steady state cardio such as jogging, on days you are not jogging, mix in the work out above to keep your running routine varied so you are not getting bored looking ahead to the same work out each time.