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INTERVAL TRAINING

BY RHYDIAN DAVIES (ADVANCED INSTRUCTOR)

Many of you have probably heard of interval training but may not know how to incorporate it into your workout or about its benefits. Hands up, how many of you have ‘plonked’ yourself on a cardio machine and sat on it for about an hour going ‘through the motions’? I know I have! Firstly, there is nothing wrong with doing that (it’s better to do something than nothing of course), however it can be boring and time-consuming. So, what if I told you can cram an hour’s workout into 5-10 minutes and gain greater benefits from doing so? Here’s were interval training comes in!

 What is Interval Training?

Interval training is a type of physical training that involves bursts of high intensity work. This high intensity work is alternated with periods of rest or low activity. The term can refer to any cardiovascular workout (e.g. cycling, running, rowing, etc.) that involves brief bouts at near-maximum exertion interspersed with periods of lower-intensity activity.

How can I do this?

There are many, many interval training protocols and in a way there is no right or wrong. You can set it whichever way you like, and you can perform it before, after, or even on a separate day to your weights session. The important thing is that you understand the concept of Interval training i.e., repeated bouts of maximal effort followed by a period of recovery. The reason I reiterate this is because some people seem to think that you can do a light walk for 30 seconds then take 30 seconds rest. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that- you need to be prepared to push yourself! A good level of fitness is always going to give you an advantage when performing Intervals, but you don’t have to be Joe Decker (he’s the world’s ‘Fittest’ man in case you were wondering) to give it a go!

Here are few interval workouts to get you started: (‘ON’ denotes period of high intensity, ‘OFF’ denotes a period of recovery or low intensity)

Beginner:

15 seconds ‘ON’: 45 seconds ‘OFF’ - repeat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Intermediate:

30 seconds ‘ON’: 30 seconds ‘OFF’ - repeat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Advanced:

Tabata- 20 seconds ‘ON’: 10 seconds ‘OFF’ – repeat 8 times.

What are the benefits?

Interval training can help give your workouts the kick up the backside it may need! If you feel your workouts have become stale then Interval training can re-invigorate your sessions and breathe some life back into you on a mental level as well! In addition, studies have shown that interval training can be a more effective method for fat burning in comparison to traditional endurance training. This is because Interval Training increases resting metabolic rate for up to 24 hours following a workout. Basically, the body is able to recover quicker following a low intensity cardio workout compared to a high intensity session, so the effects of a high intensity interval session will have a longer lasting effect on the body, even though you’re training for a shorter period of time. I have already spoken to many members about fitting Intervals into their workout, and what I say to them is- “keep your workouts short, sharp and intense!”. Intervals can also improve athletic performance as it replicates the intensities of sports such as rugby and soccer and also develops aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Not only does Interval give you these benefits, but it helps you in another way as well…..Time! Let’s face it, many of us fit in our workouts around a busy lifestyle, so Interval training can streamline your sessions, giving you more time to do the things you really want to do!…..….what’s that?..........more training?......…fair enough!