I think the brand is K-Swiss (never owned a pair, sorry K-Swiss, but sponsor me and I’ll write nice things), and on the front window of their Santa Monica store, Danny McBride (as a character he plays in a movie or show I don’t watch either) is holding a pair of shoes (I normally wouldn’t wear) next to a slogan that says “tubes, if you don’t like them, then change your mind!”

RUNNING: IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, THEN CHANGE YOUR MIND!
I am not contradicting myself when I say “run for enjoyment, don’t run because you think it’ll make you lose fat” and in this post, I am recommending a sprint routine that will help you burn extra fat. Running/jogging at a steady heart rate does burn calories, yes, and does little for your metabolism and “after-burn effect”. Sprinting uses a lot more muscles and is more closely related to resistance training sets, because you’re going to get gassed after a relatively short distance. Your heart can deliver only so much oxygen to your lungs and muscles at once! The routine I am about to suggest is to be done in addition to your weight lifting program, not instead of, and have “fun” doing it, see what you’re made of. And, it’s more “functional” for sports or any physical activities.

SPRINTING HELPS DISTANCE RUNNING
The best marathoners (and by that I also mean the fittest, least injured kind) know the value of sprinting. The “burn” or “wall” happens sooner, which allows them to mentally overcome that challenge to get to their second wind faster.

SPRINTING IS EASIER ON THE JOINTS
less impact, less “overuse pattern”. And again, more muscles used, more calories burnt, more fat loss. You’ve seen overweight people on the treadmill not making progress after a while (diet factor also included), yet I bet you’ve never seen an overweight sprinter.

SPRINTING SAVES TIME WHILE BUILDING RESILIENCE
See my point above about distance running. Same extra benefit here if you’re busy.

THE WORKOUT
Constant: Pick a spot where you can run 100 meters/yards. Sprint at 50% of your maximal effort. Walk or lightly jog back to your starting point. Repeat. Several times.
Do it on a light training day or off day.

VARIABLES
Time: as many sprints as you can in “X” minutes of your choosing. Beat by one+ next time.
Performance: time each sprint and stop when your time is 20% longer than the previous run (vortex). Only use your latest run as a baseline for the next. Again, try to beat the amount of sprints by at least one next time.
Rounds: Choose a set amount of sprints and time how long it takes you to perform them.
Pick any self-limiting variable above and stick with it for at least one or two more sessions. I even do 2 variables at once (performance and time).

FINISH
After you’ve reached your time limit or your vortex, do one last sprint at 85% max effort. Record the time. You’ll notice something very interesting…