Anaerobic exercises are exercises lasting between 15 seconds and three minutes, compared to aerobic exercises, which last three minutes or more. During anaerobic exercises, your cells do not need oxygen to convert the food you eat into energy your cells can use. Alternatively, aerobic exercise uses oxygen to convert food into the energy your cells need. The intensity and duration of your exercise determines whether your cells use primarily anaerobic or aerobic metabolism to fuel your workout.
Sprint and Hill Training
When exercise is short and intense, such as high-intensity interval training, your cells must quickly convert the carbohydrates, or glucose, in your blood into adenosine tri-phosphate, or ATP. ATP is the only form of energy your cells can use to fuel your workouts. Sprint for 20 seconds and then walk for 60 seconds, totaling 20 minutes, on Mondays. Run up a hill as fast as you can for 30 seconds then walk back down the hill for a total of eight to 12 intervals on Thursdays. According to a 2009 article by Jay Dawes, MS, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D, published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, high-intensity interval training increases your body's ability to utilize fat as a fuel for your exercise as well as increasing the number of enzymes you have to break down your stored body fat.
Continuous-Interval Training
Continuous-interval training uses anaerobic periods of exercise within an aerobic session. This type of training alternates short bursts of high-intensity work intervals and slightly longer periods of moderate-intensity intervals, commonly referred to as Fartlek training. The National Strength and Conditioning Association advises that Fartlek training will improve your running economy, or the ease at which you run, and the utilization of fat fuel. Use Fartlek training as an anaerobic exercise for any type of endurance activity you do, including running, swimming, cycling, skiing and paddling. The key to Fartlek training is varying the duration of your intervals. On Wednesdays, pick your favorite running path to complete a Fartlek run. Start with an easy jog for five minutes and then sprint past two mailboxes. Slow back down to a walk past three houses and then sprint very fast to the next mailbox. Continue this type of interval run for 20 minutes.
Weight-Training
Weight-training is a form of anaerobic exercise, especially when you use moderate to heavy weights and perform no more than 12 repetitions. On Tuesdays, do upper body exercises, including the flat bench press, incline bench press, flat dumbbell flies, dumbbell curls and triceps extensions. On Saturdays, work your legs and your shoulders by doing squats, lunges, leg curls, dumbbell shoulder presses, lateral raises, weighted crunches on a decline bench and reverse crunches. Complete four sets of six to 12 reps per exercise.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition &Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal;" High-Intensity Interval Training: Applications for General Fitness Training; Brad Schoenfeld and Jay Dawes; December 2009
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
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