Coppell Trainer Tip of the Week – Interval Training

Coppell, TX – One of the biggest things the Get You In Shape Boot Camp implements into its program is Interval Training. We do that with our boot camps in each of our 14 sessions and we also do that in our off-day cardio programming. Everyone keeps talking about Interval Training and the benefits of it. So this week we will take a look at Interval Training.

What is the best way to burn the most amount of calories in the least amount of time? All the studies and science point to Interval Training . There are many studies about interval training but I am going to just try to keep this tip simple and basic.
Interval training is when you do any exercise or cardio for a period of time and then you rest or slow down for a period of time. There are all levels and all “zones ” that your heart rate can get to when exercising.
In general, there is a low heart rate level, a medium heart rate level and a high or fast heart rate level. You can even get to as many as five different levels, which some heart rate monitors have zones for.

Since we are talking about what Interval Training is and how it seems to be more beneficial than others, let’s take a typical person who goes to workout at the gym and does cardio. They get on the same piece of cardio equipment as they always do and do their 30-45 minutes at the same pace or same level. The heart rate during the time that person exercises generally is going to stay the same throughout the workout since there is not really a change throughout the workout. The workouts are almost always the same which means their body will always get used to what they do. While that is great and there are benefits in exercise, switching to interval training will help that person more.

The heart rate while doing interval training goes up pretty high as you exercise for a period of time. As you rest or slow down, your heart rate will do the same. An example of interval training to keep it simple would be 1 minute at your slow pace (walking or slowly jogging) and 1 minute at your fast pace (jogging or running). You would just continue this 1 minute on – 1 minute off routine for the same time period as you would normally do.
If we looked at what your heart did through the 30 minute workout (I would start at 30 minutes) it would look like a roller coaster as it goes up each minute going fast and goes goes each rest or slow period.

What does this mean about burning more calories? With interval training, your body naturally has to adapt more to the changes in heart rate than the typical cardio workout. It has to work harder because the heart is going up and down. Your body can also give a little more effort in the fast minute because of the rest.

If I told you that you would lose more weight or have more benefits by doing this, would you do it? Most people would say yes. So I will go ahead and tell you that you will get more benefits (and weight loss is one) by implementing Interval Training into your workouts. The tricky part pf doing interval training is that it is tougher than regular training. Once again, you body has to work harder during interval training to adapt to the changes that you are making. That just means that it is going to be tougher than reading that magazine on the cardio equipment.

Another important part with interval training is always changing it up. Change up the duration (the time you exercise and rest/slow down), the intensity (how hard you push yourself), and the exercises and equipment (jumps ropes, cardio equipment, fitness equipment, CHANGE IT UP). This will help your body continuously adapt to the change (BURN MORE CALORIES) so you get the most of every minute of every workout. This will allow your body to burn more calories in 30 minutes of work than 40-60 minutes doing the conventional cardio ( staying at a steady pace for the entire workout)

Here is a little more on Interval training if you would like to read more.

Interval training has been the basis for athletic training routines for years. The first forms of interval training, called “fartlek” involved alternating short, fast bursts of intensive exercise with slow, easy activity. Fartlek was casual, unstructured training that perfectly fit it’s English translation: “speed play.”

The interval programs of today have become highly sophisticated methods of structured training for athletic performance enhancement. Physiologists and trainers have designed interval programs that are specifically suited to individual athletes. These sessions include precisely measured intervals that match the athlete’s sport, event and current level of conditioning. Often the appropriate intensity and duration of the intervals is determined by the results of anaerobic threshold testing (AT) that includes measuring the blood-lactate of an athlete during intense exercise.

How Interval Training Works

Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity effort, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen. The by-product is lactic acid, which is related to the burning sensation felt in the muscles during high intensity efforts. During the high intensity interval, lactic acid builds and the athlete enters oxygen debt. During the recovery phase the heart and lungs work together to “pay back” this oxygen debt and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system is in control, using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.

This repetitive form of training leads to the adaptation response. The body begins to build new capillaries, and is better able to take in and deliver oxygen to the working muscles. Muscles develop a higher tolerance to the build-up of lactate, and the heart muscle is strengthened. These changes result in improved performance particularly within the cardiovascular system.

Interval training also helps prevent the injuries often associated with repetitive endurance exercise, and they allow you to increase your training intensity without overtraining or burn-out. In this way, adding intervals to your workout routine is a good way to cross train.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise. If you are counting calories burned, high intensity exercise such as intervals are better than long, slow endurance exercise, but you may pay a price.

You don’t need to be a world-class athlete and have sophisticated blood analysis to take advantage of the benefits of interval training. The standard Interval training of changing the speed and time will work for anyone. This type of interval work is based upon your subjective needs. Simply pay attention to how you feel and set your intensity and duration accordingly.

Precautions for Safe Interval Training

·         Warm Up before starting intervals

·         Assess current conditioning and set training goals that are within your ability

·         Start slowly. (for example: walk 2 minutes/ run 2 minutes) In general, longer intervals    provide better results

·         Keep a steady, but challenging pace throughout the interval

·         Build the number of repetitions over time

·         Bring your heart rate down to about 50%  during the rest interval

·         To improve, increase intensity or duration, but not both at the same time

·         Make any changes slowly over a period of time

·         Train on a smooth, flat surface to ensure even effort

·         You can also use circuit training as a form of interval training

Advanced Interval Training
You can take a more scientific approach to interval training by varying your work and recovery intervals based on your pre-determined goals. Here are the four variables you can manipulate when designing your interval training program:

·         Intensity (speed) of work interval

·         Duration (distance or time) of work interval

·         Duration of rest or recovery interval

·         Number of repetitions of each interval

It is recommended that you consult an athletic trainer, coach or personal trainer prior to designing an interval training program.

Article written by Brad Linder

Brad and Cynthia Linder, owners of Get You In Shape, recently joined a select group of the world’s leading health and fitness entrepreneurs to co-write the health and fitness book titled, 3 Steps To YOUR BEST BODY In Record Time: America’s Leading Fitness Experts Reveal The Proven 3-Step System To The Body You Always Wanted…In Minimum Time. Nick Nanton, Esq. along with business partner, JW Dicks, Esq., signed a publishing deal with each of these authors to contribute their expertise to the book, which was released under their CelebrityPress™ imprint.

3 Steps To YOUR BEST BODY In Record Time was released in the summer of 2011.  It features top advice from health, fitness and wellness experts from across the globe covering the subjects of total body health, fitness and nutrition.  The book is designed to help people find a breakthrough fitness strategy that works for them. 3 Steps To YOUR BEST BODY In Record Time offers proven strategies to help people achieve the level of fitness they have always desired. Brad and Cynthia Linder contributed a chapter titled “Breaking The Plateau: It’s All About The Journal.”

On the day of release, 3 Steps To YOUR BEST BODY skyrocketed to best-seller status on Amazon.com, reaching as high as #69 overall in the Amazon Top 100.  The book reached #1 in both the Quick Workouts and Weight Training Categories, while reaching #3 in the Exercise and Fitness category and #24 in Health, Mind and Body category.

Brad and Cynthia’s fitness business, Get You In Shape, has grown into one of the leading fitness companies in the Dallas area.  What started as one man’s mission has grown into a business that offers fitness boot camps, corporate wellness, private training, and nutritional programs. Clients range from high-end millionaires to dedicated housewives. The simple approach of Get You In Shape is to educate, encourage, motivate, and inspire clients to achieve their personal goals. Because of this comprehensive approach to health and wellness, Get You In Shape is ranked in the top tier of fitness businesses in the Dallas, Texas area.