Track time
Just going to a track gives you the feeling that you're doing a real workout. When I work with my coach, Stephen Bauer, at UCLA, we're training alongside world-class runners and Olympic athletes. It's an atmosphere of athleticism and total inspiration. This workout will not only burn major calories but it'll improve your speed, agility and balance.

A clear benefit of training at a track is that you don't have to guess how far you're going; four laps on a standard track equals one mile. If you train at a park, you'll be guessing how far to go, and if you're in the grass you might hit a hole or stumble over something and injure yourself, so try to find a college or high-school track that you can go to a few times each week.

Here are some rules to live by while you follow the workouts listed on the pullout poster:

• A good warm-up and stretch session are two necessities before intensifying your workout. Make sure you warm up before you stretch, especially if it's a cold day.
• Stretch your entire body, particularly your hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, Achilles tendons and calves.
• I give you two complete track workouts on the pullout, but you can mix and match them, and throw in other exercises as well. Some possibilities are lunges, walking lunges, squats, calf raises off a step, and jumping as far as you can in the sand pit.
• For the bleacher/stair workout, try sprinting up one set, walking down the next and so on.
• The sprints are an interval program designed by Bauer. Run 200 meters at about 70% of your maximum speed, then recover by walking or jogging until your pulse reaches 120 beats per minute (bpm). Either wear a heart-rate monitor or take your pulse with two fingers at the side of your neck. Count for 10 seconds and multiply that number by 6.
• Mix up your 200-meter runs. For example, the first day do 100s, the second 200s, the third 300s and the fourth day run the entire 400 meters. Then cycle down again.
• It helps if you can do this workout with a friend. You don't necessarily need a trainer, but having someone to run with you or time you makes a difference.
• To really improve your performance, do track work three times a week.
• Wear a great pair of running shoes. You can skimp on the workout clothes, but definitely don't skimp on your running shoes.
• This is a whole different kind of workout, so ease into it. You're going to be sore in places where you've never been sore before. Fat loss is inevitable!

Each workout is a mini-circuit, in which you go from one exercise to another without resting in between. After you complete one set of each exercise in the circuit, rest for 30 seconds. Repeat, rest again, and repeat a final time. I use high reps in this program because your focus isn't on building a huge amount of strength. If you'd like to use heavier weights, choose a weight that still allows you to do 15 reps. Otherwise, go with 20-25 reps.

Try to do 30 minutes of cardio after you finish lifting weights, just to kick your calorie-burning up a notch. You don't need to go all-out here since you'll be sprinting at the track; just maintain a comfortable yet slightly challenging pace.

Easy Day
Once a week, do easy, fun cardio like in-line skating, biking or walking for about an hour. You'll get a nice physical and mental break, yet still burn a fair amount of calories. Add a few sets of regular and close-grip push-ups at the end to work your chest, shoulders and triceps. Sometimes I'll find a spot and do push-ups outside in the middle of my run.

Dedicate Yourself
If you have a scale, weigh yourself only once at the beginning of the program. Weighing yourself daily or even weekly may throw you off, especially if you're having your menstrual cycle or you're holding water for some reason. You might also try taking a photo of yourself in the beginning, then dedicating yourself to completing this program. Just think to yourself, I'm the only one who can do this for myself; I'm the only one who can make myself look different. After a month, take another picture and go from there. But I bet you'll be so into having fun with how you look and how much better your clothes fit that you won't want to quit!