SAMPLE INTERVAL SESSIONS FOR WALKERS

Below are some sample sessions designed to increase your walking pace and shock the body to higher levels of fitness. Adjust the samples to suit your own level of ability, if unsure see a qualified trainer or your health professional.

FARTLEK

Note: In fartlek style sessions, the recovery is slower than your normal level to ensure sufficient recover. If walking, some walkers may want to actually stop to help their recovery a little.

STANDARD INTERVAL

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 1 min moderate, 1 minute easy, 1 minute moderately solid, 1 minute easy, 1 minute solid.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: 5 minutes at set pace (2 minutes easy) Repeat interval 4 times.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

INCLINING INTERVALS

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 1 min moderate, 1 minute easy, 1 minute moderately solid, 1 minute easy, 1 minute solid.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: 2 minute at rythm. 2 minutes easy. 4 minutes at rythm. 2 minutes easy. 6 minutes at rythm. 2 minutes easy. 8 minutes at rythm. 2 minutes easy. 10 minutes finishing strong.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

DECLINING INTERVALS

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 1 min moderate, 1 minute easy, 1 minute moderately solid, 1 minute easy, 1 minute solid.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: 10 minute at rythm. 2 minutes easy. 8 minutes at rythm. 2 minutes easy. 6 minutes moderately solid. 2 minutes easy. 4 minutes solid. 2 minutes easy. 2 minutes finishing strong.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

PYRAMID SET

• Warm up: 800m easy walk.
• Build up: 200m power walking / 200m easy walk (repeat 4 times).
• Light stretch: Do some leg stretches.
• Core training: 400m powerwalking (400m easy walk), 800m powerwalking (400m easy), 1.2km powerwalking (400m easy), 800m powerwalking (400m easy), 400m powerwalking.
• Cool down: 1km easy walking.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

STANDARD INTERVAL / DECLINING REST

• Warm up: 800m easy walk.
• Build up: 200m power walking / 200m easy walk (repeat 4 times).
• Light stretch: Do some leg stretches.
• Core training: 400m powerwalking effort (400 easy walk) 400m powerwalking holding same pace (300m easy walk) 400m powerwalking holding same pace (200m easy walk) 400m powerwalking holding same pace (100m easy walk) 400m powerwalking holding same pace.
• Cool down: 1km easy walking.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

DECLINING INTERVAL / DECLINING REST / WITH A KICK

• Warm up: 800m easy walk.
• Build up: 200m power walking / 200m easy walk (repeat 4 times).
• Light stretch: Do some leg stretches.
• Core training: 1km powerwalking at smooth rythm (400 easy walk) 500m powerwalking slightly quicker (200m easy walk) 250m powerwalking at solid pace (100m easy walk) 1km quicker than first effort.
• Cool down: 1km easy walking.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

RYTHM WITH MULTIPLE INCLINING KICKS

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 1 min moderate, 1 minute easy, 1 minute moderately solid, 1 minute easy, 1 minute solid.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: Effort at set distance eg: 30 minutes. Aim to hold a smooth and solid rythm. Every 3rd minute throw in a kick. Kick 1 (10 secs). Kick 2 (15 secs). Kick 3 (20 secs) etc. Increase the length of each effort each time. It will get very tough near the end.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

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SAMPLE STRENGTHENING SESSIONS FOR WALKERS

Below are some sample sessions designed to promote walking strength. Adjust the samples to suit your own level of ability, if unsure see a qualified trainer or your health professional.

HILL OR STEPS INTERVALS

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: Do a couple of walks half way up the hill. Walk easy down and repeat.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: Now it's time for hill repeats. Time yourself to the top, but aim to keep it smooth and solid, not a sprint. Make the recovery and easy walk back down. Then repeat until you have gotten your workout (see if you hold pace). The fitter you get, the more efforts you do, and the faster you go.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

SOFT SAND AND WALKING

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 1 min moderate, 1 minute easy, 1 minute moderately solid, 1 minute easy, 1 minute solid.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: The core can be any of the variables presented in the walk/run guide. Make it a long slow walk, the next do some intervals, or even some repeat efforts up the sand dunes.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

BUSH WALKING

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 5 minutes moderate.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: Stay in control and enjoy the scenery. Just walking in the bush will do wonders for your walking strength.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.

INTERVALS ON THE TREADMILL

• Warm up: 5 minutes easy.
• Build up: 2 min easy incline, 2 minute moderate incline, 1 minute solid incline.
• Light stretch: Feel free to do a light stretch here if you need it.
• Core training: 5 minutes at chosen incline (3 minutes easy on flat) Repeat interval 4 times.
• Cool down: 8 minutes easy.
• Stretching: Always finish off your sessions with some stretching - especially focusing on the trained muscles.