Sometimes you just need a backyard conditioning session. Find yourself a little bit of grass and try this session. Each exercise name is a video link.

• squat

• bear crawl

• lunge

• lateral lunge

• windmill

Do 5-10 reps of each exercise and then move on to the next exercise. Do the whole first round with no equipment. When you have done all of the exercises, rest for 1-2 minutes and repeat. You can do the entire session with no equipment, but some of the videos show equipment being used. IF you have weights, you can use them on round 2 and later.

Round 2

If you want an increase in challenge on the second round, try squat jumps instead of squats, and Bulgarian split squats instead of lunges. Your round will look like this:

• squat jump

• bear crawl

• Bulgarian split squat

• lateral lunge

• windmill

Aim for 3 rounds and reassess. Work hard but work smart. Listen to your body, and rest as you need.

Cooldown & Stretching

When you have done all the rounds you’d like, walk a few laps as your heart rate decreases. Then do the following stretches, 30 seconds per side, twice.

• standing hip flexor stretch

• standing hamstrings stretch

• side stretch

Love it or hate it, cardio is great for you. Cardio can improve your health, quality of life, and athletic and physique goals. There are many ways to do cardio, though, so let’s cover the details so you can discover what style is best for you.

American Heart Association Guidelines

For reference, the American Heart Association recommends, in addition to 2 days a week of moderate to high intensity muscle building activity, either:

• at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days a week for a total of 150 minutes. These can be broken into 10 minutes chunks. OR

• at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity 3 days per week for a total of 75 minutes

Low Intensity Steady State

LISS cardio is done at a very low intensity, or slow pace, usually for an extended period of time. This is usually a long walk and is done for recovery or just extra movement. If you are an experienced swimmer or cyclist and can settle into an easy pace, you can do LISS with those methods too. If you are physically exhausted from an accumulation of hard training, this is a good option. 

Moderate Intensity Exercise

Moderate intensity exercise is a step above LISS in intensity, but is very do-able for a period of time. Examples include brisk walking, walking on a treadmill at an incline, jogging, cycling, rowing or swimming. Moderate intensity exercise can be done multiple times a week.

High Intensity Exercise

High intensity exercise is vigorous in nature and feels highly exertional. High intensity exercise sessions will usually be harder and quicker than moderate or low intensity. Examples include running, hard cycling, swimming and jump roping.

High Intensity Interval Training

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is characterized by bouts of high intensity alternating with low intensity or rest intervals. The high intensity intervals are typically done at an exertion level near impossible to maintain, thus necessitating the rest periods. Examples include sprints, hill sprints, stair climbing, kettle bell swinging, and jump roping. You might do HIIT only a couple times a week since it is quite demanding.

It All Adds Up!

Remember that exercise accumulates! No movement is wasted! Find something fun and try a new cardio method today!

When I started this series about outdoor training for power, this was a supplement to gym training. This was pre-corona, pre-masks and social distancing. Now, it’s a viable training option for when you can’t, or don’t want to go to the gym.

If you missed Part 1, a beginning/intermediate protocol, start there. If you haven’t been jogging on a regular basis for at least 3 weeks, start with the conservative version outlined in Part 1. Trust me, it’s worth the time to lay down some ground work.

Read this: Outdoor Training for Power, Part I

This protocol, Part 2, is a little more plyometric, a little more powerful. The same rules apply, so let’s begin there.

Training Session Overview

Do this session in the order that follows. Exercises are covered in detail below.

• Warm up

• bleachers or stair run

• Bulgarian split squat

• box jumps

• pushups

• cool down

Training Session – Warm up

Walk a lap.

Jog a lap.

Do a few stretches if you’d like, but save the aggressive stretching for post training.

Bleachers or Stairs

If you can find safe, sturdy bleachers or stairs to walk or run, begin there. Begin by walking a lap or two. From there, set a goal. The stairs I walk are approximately 40 steps, so I go up and down them about 30 times. Each lap takes less than a minute, so it’s fairly easy to gauge how many more I have left in me.

I recommend doing 5 – 10 laps depending on the length of the stairs, and noting both how long it took you and how tired you feel after. From there, you can make appropriate adjustments.

A true recommendation of how many to do would vary wildly from person to person. For the first session, do that 5 – 10 range and continue with the workout. Based on how you feel later in the day and how you recover tomorrow, you’ll have a better idea how many to do in the future.

Total reps: 5-10 to begin

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is also called the rear leg elevated split squat. Set up on solid footing on both legs, with the leg behind you elevated. Remember you are standing on railroad tracks, not a tight rope. That bit of lateral space between your right and left leg will give you stability. Do the first set without weight. You can hold a weight on the next sets if you would like.

Sets x reps: 2×10

If you’re repeating this workout, you can do a third and fourth set.

Box Jumps

You can use a box, bleachers, or stairs to jump onto here; anything as long as it is stable. Start at a very low height to begin. Remember, you can develop power without even jumping onto anything, so don’t go crazy with the height just yet.

Stand about a half a step away from the box, with feet about hip width apart. To begin, move into a half squat position, with your arms behind you. Explosively jump up, pressing yourself away from the ground, as you throw your arms forward. Arms move in the direction you are going.

Your legs and feet should move and land together. Absorb the impact by bending at the knees and hips as you land.

STEP down. Don’t jump.

Do small sets of the box jump so you can retain crisp, powerful movements. NO slogging through sloppy reps!

Total reps: 15, done in small sets of 2 or 3.

Pushups

Oh, how I love pushups! These are good for everybody and can be done almost anywhere! If you have bleachers, you can use them to modify pushups for more or less challenge. If pushups from your feet are too challenging right now, do pushups with your upper body elevated.

First, find your grip. If you are doing pushups from the bleachers, please do not stand far away from the bleachers and dive bomb forward to catch the bleachers! Place your hands a bit wider than shoulder width, and then step your feet back. Your hands should be straight forward from your chest, not your eyeballs. If you were doing pushups from the ground, this would mean your hands are at chest level, and not under your face.

From here, think about squeezing under your armpits. This will use your lats to stabilize your shoulders, and keep your shoulders from inching up toward your ears.

You can even think of pulling yourself to the bleachers or ground, so your back stays engaged as you do your pushups. Bend at the elbows, keep your chin tucked, and when your chest is bleacher or ground level, push back up.

You’ll find it helpful to squeeze your whole torso, glutes, and abs as you do pushups. Make your body a solid plank, not a wet noodle!

Sets x reps: 3 challenging sets. Save 2 in the tank. This means if you think you could do 10, do 8. If you’re rolling along and you could do 20, stop at 18.

Cool Down

Jog or walk two laps.

Stretch hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes and chest. This chest stretch can be done on flat ground without a foam roller (which the video shows).

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds and repeat.

Try this session out and let me know how it goes! Email me: kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

I can’t wait to hear!

Do you ever feel like your training needs a bump? Are you in a rut more than you are in a groove? Take your training outside! It’s becoming better weather by the day and it’s a great opportunity to challenge your body in a different way. 

Power movements and sprinting increase calories burned, increase conditioning and cardiovascular capacity and build muscle. Have you ever seen a skinny fat sprinter? Probably not. These are all reasons to take your training to the track. 

I’m going to give you to protocols here, and I want you to take the more conservative one if you haven’t been including jogging in your program in the last three weeks.

Training Session

Walk a lap.

Jog a lap.

Build ups:

• 100 meters. Start at 50% and build to 60%

• 100 meters. Start at 50% and build to 70%.

• 100 meters. Start at 50% and build to 80%.

A build up is where you begin the distance at a certain sub-max pace and accelerate into a harder run. It is not a sprint.

Important: If running is new in your program, skip the hard runs and move right to skipping. (After you have done this program three times asymptomatically and pain-free, you can add the hard runs.)

If you are currently conditioned for running, then do two harder build ups:

Start at 70 and build to 90%. Repeat.

Skipping

Skip 50 meters, walk back, and repeat. These should be powerful! If you have to slog through these, your session is over! Moved to the cool down and stretch.

Broad Jumps

Want more? Still have some pep in you? Do 7 broad jumps.

Power! Fast! Commit! Big execution and stick the landing.  Knees as wide as feet, not caving in. Like skips, these jumps should be powerful. If you feel like this is a grind, stop there. Slogging through power exercises defeats the purpose. 

Cool Down

Jog or walk two laps.

Stretch hamstrings, quads, and glutes.

Try It!

Try out this session and let me know how it goes! Once you’ve done this session a few times, try Part 2. It is similar but slightly advanced. As always, email me if you have questions! Happy training!

Today on the KVUE Exercise Minute, Erika Lopez and I discuss HIIT Interval training for fat loss. Please see the link for the entire video, and for exercise demonstrations. 

Video here: HIIT Interval Training with Kathryn Alexander and Erika Lopez

Erika: I am here with Kathryn Alexander. We are talking about some of the questions I’ve been getting on social media. They have been asking what is the best form of cardio that is most effective for weight loss. What do you recommend?

Kathryn: I would say HIIT training. High intensity interval training is going to be the most effective for burning a lot of calories, increasing conditioning, and that results in fat loss.

Erika: What exactly is HIIT training?

Kathryn: HIIT means high intensity interval training, and it means for a period of time, you’re going to work really hard – harder than you can maintain at a steady pace –  but then you bring it back down.

Erika: So what are some of the exercises that we can do for a HIIT workout?

Kathryn: A good option at home is to do mountain climbers for 30 seconds, and then on your next interval, you can do plank jacks, rest, on your next interval you can do jumping jacks. I would say a hard 30 seconds, rest, 30 seconds to a minute.

Erika: Perfect. And so as long as you continue to get your heart rate up and then bring it down that’s what’s most important.

Kathryn: Exactly.

Erika, thank you so much for the opportunity to be on the KVUE Exercise Minute! 

If you are reading and have questions, please feel free to email me! kathryn@kathrynalexander.com

How do people get everything done? My to-do list is never ending. I’m not some special exception with a busier life; you can probably relate. Check this out: 

• program client workouts
• write thank you notes
• workout
• call my mom (she’s the best)
• write/edit blog post
• mow my lawn and trim those hyperactive shrubs that take over
• do 3 loads laundry (light, dark and purple, Geaux Tigers!!)
• workout
• research changing client programs (this is a big one, will explain later)
• encourage more consistent workouts to increase health such as developing bone strength, muscular strength and staving off heart disease and stroke
• experiment with different ways of increasing client compliance
• encourage all my clients, all my subscribers, and everybody I can influence to exercise smarter and live healthier
• blah blah blah
• are you still reading?
• decrease heart disease! avoid heart attacks! reduce early death! 

Ok WOW that escalated quickly. All my to-do lists begin with small and defined tasks before progressing into saving the world. I am being entirely serious. I want to save the world.

I even left off some things like going to the grocery store and watching LSU, UT, and the Saints play football (make fun if you want, but it requires some serious wardrobe changes and time management). I sometimes even write “drink coffee” or “shower” so I can put a couple more check marks.

Setting Expectations

I wrestle constantly with the decision of where to set the bar for my clients. It’s tough because everyone’s time demands are different, everyone’s affinity toward exercising is different. If you love exercise and see it as a blessed break in your day, it’s not a burden to do. If you’re slammed busy with a spouse and co-workers and kids depending on you, carving out another 30-60 minutes in your day to do something you don’t even wanna do is, well, tough.

So where do I set the bar for my clients? In the past, if I knew exactly how much or little exercise could get my client to his goals, I would suggest doing exactly that. The problem is, what if I estimate wrong, ask him to do too little, and he (obviously) don’t reach his goals? That’s a real problem.

It’s time I change my approach.

<Note to other coaches: I would LOVE your input about your philosophy here. What do you ask of your clients in terms of work demand? Email me: kathryn@kathrynalexander.com>

Heart Disease and the Very Real Implications

I was rocked this week by the death of a gym-goer and friend. Heart disease, way too young. He exercised and ate healthy, which illustrates that we aren’t in control of all of our risk factors. For this reason, we should do the best we can with the risk factors we can control. 

Why don’t we do better, when we can control SO MUCH of our health status? It takes so much time. In addition to all the other things we have to do, going to the gym or getting out the door for a walk really cuts into our day. I get it. But we have to do better!

After all, we won’t get to put any checks on that to-do list if we are dead.

AHA Recommendations

The American Heart Association recommends, in addition to 2 days a week of moderate to high intensity muscle building activity, either:

• at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity at least 5 days a week for a total of 150 minutes. These can be broken into 10 minutes chunks. OR
• at least 25 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity 3 days per week for a total of 75 minutes

You can read more details here.

What To Do Next

The takeaway is that we must start taking the time to add more exercise in, despite how busy we all are. Be creative with how you can fit it in. If you truly can’t fit in 25 minutes of activity 3 times a week, you probably need the stress relief most! 

• Lace up your shoes and walk right out your front door. 15 minutes out, 15 back. 
• Try new hikes or routes in your city. Window shopping on South Congress? Yes please. 
• Ramp a treadmill up to a high incline and walk at a high speed for a vigorous aerobic session if you don’t like walking. Vary the speed/incline by minute to avoid boredom. 

To my clients, expect to see some changes in your workouts soon, and be thinking about how you can fit in 2 more homework workout sessions.

If you have more ideas on how you sneak exercise into your day, please let me know! I hope every one of you finds a way to make healthier decisions and life better! 

Last week I attended the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Tactical Strength and Conditioning Annual Training, a meeting of leaders in the police, fire and military community. Recognizing the commonalities in their units, programs, and experience allows for faster learning and implementation of effective programs. 

In short, when our police, fire, and military departments are fitter, we are all safer.

So, we meet, listen, learn and talk a lot!

You might wonder why, as a personal trainer in Austin, Texas, I chose to attend the TSAC Annual Training.

Continuing education is a huge component for trainer’s integrity. The chance to meet and learn from other strength and conditioning coaches is hugely beneficial to me.  

But, I could have attended a general fitness conference or a personal trainer specific conference. Why a tactical conference? Last year, I was employed as an exercise physiologist with the Austin Fire Department. We attended the TSAC Conference, and I was taken with the people I met and the experiences they shared.

And how does this apply to my clients? Let’s back up and minute and consider the goals of a large scale military training program. The individual soldier will be most effective when he or she is strong, conditioned, agile, and healthy. Healthy includes recovery, diet, and sleep. 

Similarly, the optimal firefighter will be able to meet unexpected physical demands, understand how to recovery properly, and generally be fit. Police officers also must be quick with their feet and their mind, and conditioned to run and wrestle if necessary. 

Add in the extra stresses these populations face. They do not have the luxury of knowing what specific abilities they will need, or what exact situations they will encounter. Nutrition will certainly not be planned and perfect; hello, fleeing suspect or box alarm at dinnertime.

They don’t always have the best training circumstances either. Deployments don’t necessarily lend themselves to regular and consistent training in perfectly equipped gyms.

Certainly, the rest of us can learn from these tactical athletes. If they are able to get their training in with an uncertain schedule, potentially limited equipment, and limited meal options, the rest of us civilians can do it too.

There are 6 gyms or personal training studios on the 1.2 mile “commute” from my home to my second home. That is, Hyde Park Gym for those of you who don’t know me. Granted, I live in the fitness crazed town of Austin, but the point remains: we who are lucky enough to live in a major city have every opportunity to be fit and well surrounding us.

Several of the talks I heard were about mental toughness, a crucial skill to develop, with wide application from soldiers to civilians. Matt Wenning, one of the strongest powerlifters of today, taught my favorite hands-on session, which was the sumo deadlift, a major foundational lift for strength. 

I got to listen to Eric Cressey, Dan John and Dr. William Kraemer, none of whom need an introduction to those familiar with the training community. 

Many more names that you would know shared their experience with us, and some you would not. All in all, it was a week of great learning, ideas, and doing. I’ll leave you with one last thought.  Mark Taysom, who is a strength and conditioning coach responsible for thousands of soldier’s training, said in his opening remarks, “A lot of people are great. They just don’t know they’re great.”

My job is to bring out the greatness in people.  Some of them are performance athletes or public servants. Others are civilians like me. If I can learn from those coaching individuals whose hurdles are higher and responsibilities are great, I can help my all my clients better.