Grooving to the Clock – 1 Minute Interval Workout

Working out can get stagnant and boring if you’re constantly doing the same routine over and over.  It also gets monotonous for your body and muscles; you gain less and plateau quickly.  To get the type of fitness results and body most people are looking for; athletic, muscular and toned, it helps to get your heart rate up while working out, but not only on a treadmill.  The point of this article is to help you get a great workout and maybe even have some fun while you do it!

What kind of workout is this?

This is a circuit-training workout, but most people are poor personal motivators and before you know it they are sitting at a machine for 3 minutes or socializing for 5.  The point of this workout is to keep you having fun, focused and on a schedule that keeps you moving.

The 1-Minute Music Mix

If you’ve ever heard of a power hour, you are already one step ahead.  Power hour is a drinking related game, but we’re going to switch that around and use it for a better purpose.  It’s fun!  What you’re doing is making a play list of 1-minute clips of your favorite songs back to back.  Every song is 1 minute!  If you need help making a mix for your Ipod or if you want to use your Smartphone and access play lists that are already on line, do a Google search for “making a power hour mix” or something similar.  You will be an expert in no time.

What muscles should I target?

Focus mainly on the major muscle groups as these are the most important and your secondary muscles still greatly benefit.  If you plan to add in some specific muscle exercises, it’s a general rule to start with more major groups first and work towards secondary groups.  Starting with bench press and pull-ups, and eventually doing tricep extensions and curls would be a good example.

How many reps should I do in each set?

People have different fitness goals in mind and may want to use different weight levels, and that’s fine.  In general, select a weight that will allow you to do around 15-25 reps.  This will get your muscles pumping, but keep your lungs breathing and should work out perfectly with your 1 minute intervals.

How do I add in my hot new music mix?

Now you’re ready to pump it up!  You’ve got your favorite songs ready to rock, all in 1-minute segments.  What you’re doing is switching exercises every time the song changes. Let me show you an example segment to help:

• Minute 1 – Chest – Get onto the bench press or similar machine and crank out a set.  Go until you are tired or until your song changes.
• SONG CHANGE – SWITCH EXERCISES
• Minute 2 – Back – Hop onto the pull-up bar or lat pull down machine and get after it.
• SONG CHANGE – SWITCH
• Minute 3 – Abs – Get on the floor and do a set of crunches until your music changes.
• SONG CHANGE – SWITCH
• Minute 4 – Chest – Get back to your chest exercise and repeat.  SONG CHANGE
• Minute 5 – Back – Do a set of rows.  SONG CHANGE
• Minute 6 – Tired? Grab some water for a minute and get ready for the next 5 minutes of exercises.

Use Creativity!

As I said before, this is a quick example to give you an idea of what I’m talking about.  Move around the gym, mix it up, and work your own personal favorites into this routine.  The most important thing is that you’re loving your music and staying on schedule!  It may be hard at first, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it and have a good mental clock for timing your exercises.

How long should I do it?

The length that you do this workout will depend on your fitness level.  The goal is to push yourself, but please do not overdo anything and cause any injury.  This is a guideline and you should feel free to use your 1-minute songs for resting. Stop for a quick break if and hop back into it.  A general guideline would be somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes.  You will find that you get a lot done in a short amount of time!