The Turbo Jam workout system is an exercise program sold through the company Beachbody. It was created by Chalene Johnson, the creator of Turbo Kick, a trademarked group exercise brand of kickboxing. The Turbo Jam website claims that you can burn 750 to 1,000 calories in a 45-minute workout. The energetic routine works your upper body, lower body and core using moderate-intensity interval training.
What is Interval Training?
Interval training is a specific form of exercise that alternates short bursts of high-intensity activity with periods of active rest, according to the American Council on Exercise. The active recovery periods are usually the same or similar to the high-intensity exercise but at a slower pace or a low-impact version. Interval training combines both aerobic and anaerobic training together and can be a very difficult and scientific method of training. You can manipulate speed, duration of work and rest as well as the number of repetitions or intervals you perform. Turbo Jam includes interval training as part of a comprehensive workout.
Turbo Jam Workouts
The Turbo Jam system comes with five different workouts, none of which last longer than 45 minutes. The first is the 30-minute Learn & Burn workout. In this DVD you learn the "Elite 11" moves that are part of every workout. The second is the 40-minute Turbo Sculpt which incorporates resistance training as well as cardio. There is a 20-minute workout for a fast exercise session as well as a 20-minute Ab Jam for your core muscles. The last workout is a 45-minute Cardio Party which focuses on raising your heart rate for endurance training. All of these workouts incorporate interval training to burn the maximum amount of calories.
Exercise Recommendations
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you perform cardiovascular exercise at least three days each week and resistance training two days per week. The different Turbo Jam workouts will allow you to meet this criteria to improve your health and positively impact your body weight. Interval training can be used to combine cardio and resistance or focus on one or the other. Cardio Party focuses on aerobic interval training while Ab Jam and Turbo Sculpt focus on resistance interval training. The Learn & Burn and 20-minute Workout incorporate both forms of interval training.
Considerations
Interval training can be difficult, so if you are new to exercise you may want to start with light to moderate, low-impact exercise such as walking or swimming along with light resistance training. Once you have become accustomed to exercise, you can begin to add intervals that push and challenge your body. If you enjoy dance as well as kickboxing, Turbo Jam may be a good form of interval training for you.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Fit Facts: Interval Training
- Beachbody: Turbo Jam: How It Works
- Turbo Kick: Chalene's Trainings
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
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