You do!
When short on time or simply looking for a change up from your steady state, mind numbing training program, consider interval training. Interval training can meet the needs of every busy person and can be done in any location including a gym, a park or even in an office stairwell.
When short on time or simply looking for a change up from your steady state, mind numbing training program, consider interval training. Interval training can meet the needs of every busy person and can be done in any location including a gym, a park or even in an office stairwell. What are the benefits?
Effective cardiovascular training will create more efficient fat metabolism by opening up/improving your VO2 max. What’s Vo2 Max? How well your body uses oxygen determines how well YOU burn fat. So let’s use oxygen well. Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Japan, studied the effects of all-out intervals on the overall performance of athletes with regards to oxygen efficiency. In the study, participants exercised at intervals of rest that were equal to or less than their intervals of work. Participants showed a 14% increase in top-end energy (anaerobic) capacity after doing the defined workout on stationary bikes five times a week for eight weeks. When our energy systems perform efficiently, we are able to burn fat in all intensities of exercise, and if we have developed a bit of muscle mass on our frame, we are able to burn fat better even at rest. Taking the Tabata principles and applying them directly is one way to a greater level of fitness. We can also take those principles and modify them to create an efficient workout even YOU can fit in your day.
How do I do it?
This week, let’s look at one type of interval. Beginning with a good warm up, perform 30 seconds of ALL OUT cardio blocks followed by 1-2 minutes of moderate intensity cardio for a slight recovery. The intervals should be at your highest intensity tolerance, so you may need to spend a workout or two establishing just how fast you can sprint or peddle or jump rope.
For Example:
I. Your WARM UP should be 5-6 minutes long and should start with a slow pace at a slight incline or increased level/resistance followed by a fast movement to tune in to fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Now everyone is ready to join the game.
II. Begin your first HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL. All out intervals should be 30 seconds long. During the first 15 seconds you should feel like I might just be tolerable, but the last 15 seconds should be very, very challenging. We call that feeling “looking for a way out,” and it usually indicates we are working above our anaerobic threshold.
III. RECOVER for 2 minutes. Your heart rate should drop, but how much depends on your fitness level. You may not quite feel “ready” for your next interval, but go for it! Over time, your body will learn to recover better in that short time. At that point, we work on reducing that recovery time. Be sure to be systematic – know the recovery time exactly and try to keep it the same during each workout. Repeating a stimulus is one of those ways we create change in our bodies.
IV. REPEAT the work/recover pattern for 5-8 intervals. With each interval, you will feel less and less prepared for that next all-out effort, but stick with it. If you do, it will get better. You will get better. Start with 5 intervals and be consistent until you feel like you can add the 6th, and so on.
As you hit the gym or the jogging trail this week, change it up! In 30 minutes you can start improving your VO2 Max and improve your fat-burning ability. Mix it in with your resistance/weight training days by starting your workout with these intervals. If time is not a challenge, close your resistance workouts with a bit of endurance cardio, that long, slow work we know burns fat after weight training.
If you’d like to read more about the Tabata training, or a variety of interval approaches, try these links:
http://www.experiencelifemag.com/issues/march-2008/fit-body/the-tabata-tune-up.html
http://www.drlenkravitz.com/Articles/calorie2009.html
Stay tuned for future posts to talk more about the pros and cons of that endurance work, zone training and how to blend it all together to stay efficient an effective with your exercise.
Steven Hudson
BS Sport Management, Group Training Coordinator, Trainer Level V, Lifetime Fitness Inc.
Stay tuned for future posts to talk more about the pros and cons of that endurance work, zone training and how to blend it all together to stay efficient an effective with your exercise.
Steven Hudson
BS Sport Management, Group Training Coordinator, Trainer Level V, Lifetime Fitness Inc.
Jennifer L. Gaynor
BA Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Regional Training Specialist, Trainer Level V, Lifetime Fitness, Inc.
Contact email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
