Interval training is quickly becoming one of the most popular exercise techniques to burn fat. This is because performing intervals generally takes less time than more traditional cardiovascular exercise and it helps you to burn calories both while you are exercising and for hours after you have left the gym.
What is interval training?
Instead of exercising on a stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, etc. at a relatively steady pace for a long period of time to get your heart rate somewhere between 60%-80% of your maximum (generally speaking), interval training requires you to exert enough physical energy to bring your heart rate between 80% and 90% of your maximum heart rate for a short period of time (this is your interval). The intervals are then followed by a period of significantly lower intensity exercise to bring your heart rate back down to around 60% of your maximum.
How does interval training affect your body?
During your short burst of intense activity, your body will need to pull on its energy sources: sugar in your bloodstream. This isn't the most scientific explanation available, but picture this: your body has a finite amount of sugar in your bloodstream at any given time. When you partake in intense physical activity like you do during interval training, your body will quickly use up all of the available energy in your bloodstream. Fortunately, this doesn't mean your body is just going to collapse in heap of energy-less skin and bones (though if you every feel light headed while exercising, stop) because your body has a back-up plan: fat. Think of fat as a bunch of stored energy, so when your body is starting to run low on energy, it'll pull from your reserves to supply your muscles with the energy they need. Thus, you're burning fat at a more accelerated rate than you would if you're only performing moderate physical activity.
Because of the intense nature of intervals and the toll it can take on your muscles, post-workout recovery will also take your body more energy (meaning you'll burn even more calories) than usual to repair and rebuild your muscles to a stronger, leaner state.
How should I do interval training?
This largely depends on your current cardiovascular shape. If you do some kind of moderate cardiovascular activity for at least 30 minutes 3 or more times a week, I'd say you're ready to implement intervals into your workout routine (If you're not at this point yet, either try to work your way up to it before doing an interval program or use gentle intervals to help you achieve your goals. For example, try alternating walking with a light jog.). Because it may result in muscle soreness, you should only replace one regular cardiovascular workout per week with interval training when you're starting out. Always, regardless of your fitness level, begin with a 5 minute warm-up of light to moderate intensity and end with a 5 minute cool down going from moderate to light intensity. After your 5 minute warm-up, kick the intensity up for 30 seconds, and then bring the intensity back down for a minute and a half before beginning your next interval. Do 5 your first time, and build your way up from there. If you have a heart rate monitor, this is the easiest way to determine if your intensity level is appropriate. If not, they're not very expensive or you can try using the heart rate monitors installed on most cardio equipment (I find they're usually within 5 bpm which is close enough). As you get better at interval training, gradually reduce your rest time until it is equal with the amount of time you spend doing your interval. You can also increase the amount of time that you are doing intense activity for and you can start doing intervals more than once a week if you so desire.
Interval training is also especially good for runners or bikers looking to increase their speed, and it can help you to prevent boredom from doing the same thing every time you go to the gym. Remember to start slow to prevent injuries and let me know how it goes!
Thanks for reading everyone. My name is Nathaniel and as someone who used to be 40-50 pounds heavier than I wanted to be, I learned about a lot of effective ways to eat better and exercise more efficiently to live an overall healthier lifestyle. To see more tips on health and fitness, check out my blog: http://safehealthandfitness.blogspot.com/
To learn about how a smart-carb diet can help you lose weight, take a look at this blog post: http://safehealthandfitness.blogspot.com/2012/10/smart-carb-diet.html
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