Interval training

After talking about Type 2 Diabetes, turning to Interval Training might look like a stretch to being called a segway. Type 2 Diabetes is addressed and helped by doing both cardio and strength training. The two together have a synergistic affect which far exceeds the impact of doing just one or the other.

With one of my client's, he's fit and strong, I've been trying to blur the edges between cardio and strength training. The Ron Segal research showed the advantages of doing intense cardio and then moving on directly to strength training and again working out hard. For some people spending 75 minutes (or more) in the gym is just too much. It's either too time consuming, too boring or too exausting. The answer might just be Interval Training.

The idea behind Interval training is to target different muscle groups in quick succession so that the heart rate is pushed up high without totally exausting any one muscle group. This form of exercise should have the advantage of insulin-sensitizing all of the muscle groups exercised.

A typical work-out with this client might be:
- walk on treadmill
- jog on treadmill
- sprint on treadmill
- walk to recover after sprint
- 3 to 5 more pairs of sprints for 20 to 30 seconds followed by 40 to 60 seconds of walkin
- move onto weighta and select a barbell of reasonably challenging weight
- use barbell for Olympic clean and jerk for 3 sets of 10 reps
- by now the sweat should be flowing. Make sure client stays hydrated. Keep checking that client is not going hypoglycemic (feeling low blood sugar). I keep M&M's, raisins and protein bars available to deal with signs of hypoglycemia. The client would obviously not consume all of these during a work-out but the feeling woozy and strange that can come upon a Type 2 Diabetic during a hard work-out needs to be addressed by some fast to digest food.
- Now we'll alternate between hard upper and lower body exercises. A typical example might be: Pull ups to work back and shoulders; vertical jumps to work legs hard.
- Abs work such as Medicine Ball throws to client on an incline bench add in hard, dynamic movement while legs and arms are recovering.

This hard workout which is both cardio and strength combined into one seamless exercise session should increase insulin sensitivity for the next 48 to 72 hours.