Shuttle runs are proven fat burners and are time efficient exercises—meaning you will get maximum fat-burning benefits in less time.
Don’t let your metabolism get sluggish or slow down. The number one reason that womens’ metabolisms slow down is loss of muscle mass. Save your muscle mass with short, effective interval cardio workouts like shuttles.
Muscle tissue is the most metabolically active tissue in your body. Your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass. So, muscle mass is your top fat-burning tool. Work hard to build and maintain your body.
Circuit weight training workouts with light weights increase growth hormone in your body. Growth hormone elevations during this type of exercise have been shown to decrease body fat and increase protein synthesis after exercise. Growth hormone helps promote tissue repair and muscle mass growth from lifting weights.
Intense interval cardio exercises such as sprints and shuttles also increase growth hormone release.
Heavy weight lifting (you won’t get bulky) will give you exercise-induced testosterone increases, which will help you build muscle mass.
“As women age, their metabolisms slow down, mainly because they are losing five or six pounds of muscle each decade starting in the mid-20s,” explains fitness expert Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director of the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts.
“There’s no reason you can’t have the same metabolism in your 30s and 40s that you had in your 20s,” stresses Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Fight Fat After Forty.
Use shuttle runs to add variety to your cardio workouts, burn fat faster and really lean and tone your body.
Shuttle runs are effective fat burners because of at least three mechanisms:
1. Interval cardio - Research has proven that the benefits of anaerobic exercise (like sprint interval cardio) is superior to aerobic exercise for fat loss, fitness and heart health.
The progression of your cardio exercise should be low-intensity aerobics to moderate/high-intensity aerobics to high-intensity anaerobic exercise.
2. Speed – Sprinting activates your bulkier, shapely fast twitch muscle fibers. These fast twitch muscle fibers lie dormant when you do slow-paced cardio sessions (hint).
Sprinting will really burn the fat on your butt, hips, thighs, hamstrings and lower legs. Fat will also be burned on your upper body. You don’t have to be fast, just run as fast as you can during the shuttle.
3. Sudden changes in direction – This adds more intensity to an otherwise intense form of exercise. Shuttles will improve your dynamic balance, power and coordination.
Try these 2 shuttle runs for cardio in your workouts to burn more fat (run on grass or rubber surface):
Speed Shuttle Drill or 5-10-5 Cone Drill – Place three cones in a straight line, 5 yards apart. Start in a 2-point or 3-point stance at the middle cone.
Run as fast as you can to the left cone (5 yds) and touch ground with your hand, run as fast as you can to the right cone (10 yds) and touch ground with your hand and finish running through the middle cone. That’s one repetition. Rest 1 minute between sets. Do 8-10 sets per workout session.
Speed Endurance Shuttle Run – Place cones at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 yards. Sprint to the 5 yard cone and sprint back to the start. Then, sprint to the 10 yard cone and sprint back to the start. The same would be done at the 15, 20 and 30 yard cones. That is one set. Rest for 2 minutes between sets. Do 5-6 sets.
Add shuttle runs to your exercise mix and you will start to see your body toning up faster.
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