
Thanks to a few people who like to think outside of the square, our efficiency in the gym is becoming better then ever. Times are changing and people are getting smarter with their training. Well, if you want to lose muscle mass as well as fat, then go right ahead. This was even better if you performed it before breakfast on an empty stomach. Old school cardio training for fat loss dictates that you perform a low intensity aerobic session, training in your optimal fat burning zone (about 55-70% of your MHR) for about 45 minutes. Now no person in his or her right mind likes this, right? Well, the pain kinda sucks, but the results are well worth it. If you keep running and you keep falling short, you are instructed to finish the exercise - you have reached your absolute limit. Your aerobic threshold is determined when you cannot reach the target line in time of the next beep. Basically, the idea is to keep running between these 2 points until you hit your aerobic threshold, and fall over in a screaming heap, gasping for air. To increase intensity, the time between each beep will decrease as you hit a new level.

You start off really nice and slow, and then the intensity starts to increase. What it consists of is running between 2 points, 20 metres apart to a cadence, which will increase in intensity over the duration of the exercise. The beep test is a test used by Physical Training Instructors to assess the fitness of soldiers. Here I was introduced to a new kind of shuttle training, the 'Beep Test'.


Then when I turned of age, I did what most patriotic lads do and joined the ARMY. I can always remember doing shuttle runs as part of our conditioning training, and I remembered it always hurt and I always hated it for that. Living in Australia, I played (as far as I am concerned, but many will disagree) our national sport, Rugby League for many years. Ok, time for a little history so I can get you up to speed. Well, did you know that you had been toying with probably the most effective form of cardio training for fat loss - ever! It is now my underlying belief that this is the way to go for shredded glory, and this is the cardio strategy I will use for my next competition outing, the Musclemania Australia. For all of us, who have been involved in team sports in our adolescents, no doubt you have used 'shuttle runs' as part of your training program.
