Fitness & Exercise

Extreme Fitness: Calorie-Torching Workouts

Interval Workout continued...

6. Tricep Extensions: Using dumbbells, do one set of 15 or 20 overhead tricep extensions. Your elbows should point toward the ceiling, with the weights behind your head. Lift the weights directly above your head and back down again.

7. Pushups. Do one set of 15 push-ups, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle from the body. Modification: Do the push-ups with your knees on the ground, but do 25 instead of 15.

8. Sprint: Back to the treadmill. Sprint for 1 minute, aiming for 70% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, jog for 90 seconds.

9. Jumping Jacks. Do one set of 15 or 20 jumping jacks. If you're strong enough, add two 10- or 15-pound dumbbells -- lift up the weights when you jump out, in an overhead press position, pulling them back down to shoulder height as your legs go back together.

10. Finale: Incline your treadmill to an angle that really challenges you -- but don't hang onto the treadmill's rails. Walk at a 2.0-3.5 speed for 30 seconds, aiming for 60% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring the treadmill down to a 1.0 incline and drop your speed to 1.9 or 2.0 for a 1-minute walk. Finish by stretching.

Quick CrossFit Series

CrossFit workouts are about getting maximum effort in minimum time.

The following exercises come from Doug Katona, co-founder and owner of CrossFit Endurance in Newport Beach, Calif. They can be done on their own, all together, or in any combination.

30-90s

1. Warm up for 10-12 minutes, finishing the warm-up at 75% of your maximum heart rate or at 7.5 on the perceived exertion scale, in which 0 is no effort and 10 is your max.
2. Choose any type of cardio. Do it at your maximum effort for 30 seconds.
3. Stop and recover for 2 minutes, or for 90 seconds if you're already in good condition. Do not shortchange the rest period.
4. Do this up to three times.

Body Weight Blast

As fast as you can, do 10 squats, 10 push-ups, and 10 full sit-ups. Then do nine reps of each. Then eight, seven, six, and so forth, until you reach one rep of each exercise. Rest as little as possible between sets. Record your time and try to improve each week.

100 Burpees

If you only have a little time, try to do 100 burpees. Or, if that's too much, start with 25, then move to 50, then to 75, until you can do 100.

Begin in a squat position with your hands on the floor, in front.

• Kick back your feet to a push-up position.
• Return your feet to the squat position.
• Jump from the squat position into the air, straight above you.
• Repeat, moving as fast as possible