Android app: a timer for Sprint 8 workouts

I recently learned about an interesting exercise technique called Sprint 8, promoted by a guy named Phil Campbell, due to my sister's interest in Joseph Mercola, a doctor who took an interest in Sprint 8. The idea is pretty simple. Pick a favorite exercise, maybe a stairmaster or a stationary bike, and do eight sprints in the following way. Remember to consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

• Do two or three minutes of warm-up, nothing too strenuous.
• Push yourself for 30 seconds. Work as hard as you can without risk of injury. This is a "sprint".
• For 90 seconds to 2 minutes, move to a slower easier pace. Catch your breath. This is called "active resting".
• Do a second 30-second sprint, followed by another 90-to-120-second active rest.
• Repeat until you've done a total of eight sprints.

The Android app is a timer for doing Sprint 8, and the source code is posted on Github. If you're set up for Android app development, feel free to compile it and try it on your Android phone. The app is now available in the Android Market.

There's a lot of exercise physiology knowledge to Sprint 8 that, in all honesty, I haven't yet studied. Maybe I will in future, and possibly blog about it. But I do know that after just a couple of short Sprint 8 workouts I feel really good. My back pain is way down and I get less winded when I climb a flight of stairs. Sprint 8 workouts are claimed to produce human growth hormone (the stuff outlawed in Olympic and professional sports because it gives athletes an unfair competitive advantage) which appears to have anti-aging effects. Also see "interval training", believed to work well for fat loss.