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Interval Training - Your Way to Maximum Fat Burning!
A question I often get asked is, “What is the best way to burn fat?” Most people believe that the best way is to hop on a piece of cardio equipment like the treadmill or Precor machine and ride until the cows come home. The absolute best way to burn fat in a very efficient amount of time is Interval Training.
Research has shown that interval training improves both your aerobic and anaerobic capacity and has also been shown to burn more total fat and calories than continuous training. The calories you burn after your workout contributes greatly to fat loss as well. This after burn is the total number of calories you consume, long after you have completed your workout. This greatly contributes to your overall fat loss, even if the duration of your cardio session is half of your traditional cardio workout.
Interval training is varying the intensity of your workout. You can use intervals to improve your fitness level, improve your sport or to burn an increased amount of fat. There are many ways to achieve an interval training session, but here is an example to get you started. For best results and safety, the intensity of the interval workouts should be set using a percent of one's age-related maximum heart rate. An easy method of determining maximum exercise heart rate for interval work is to subtract your age from 220 and then use 80-85 percent of that figure. For a 40 year old individual the interval exercise target heart rate would be 171 (220 - 40 = 180 x .85 = 153).
Start with a 5 minute warm-up (50-65% of your maximum effort) on your exercise equipment of choice. Gradually increase your effort level (speed) to 80-85% at maximum for 1 minute followed by a 2 minute recovery time of the same exercise at the initial speed. Repeat this cycle for 20 minutes, followed by a 5 minute cool down period. These numbers can be adjusted to match your fitness level, by either shortening or lengthening your high-end intensity level. Remember too, interval training is very stressful on the body should not be done more than three times a week.
Intervals have other benefits too, such as the potential to train your heart muscle longer and more effectively than a single bout of continuous training. During interval training, your heart must overcome a greater resistance, which leads to better cardiac function. Interval training also improves your muscle's ability to tolerate lactic acid (a byproduct of the muscle contraction). You become accustomed to short periods of high intensity training, which helps your body learn to delay the onset of fatigue.
One of the reasons that interval training works is that it utilizes a greater percent of the body's muscles (both slow and fast twitch), thus more fat and glycogen (stored carbs) are burned to support the expanding energy demands of the body during and after intense exercise. As a result of this increased energy demand, metabolic rate will be increased over the following 24 hours. Make sure to include this type of cardio program if your goal is to increase your heart's aerobic function and want to burn more fat at rest.
Check out Jackie's interview with the Summit Daily News: http://www.summitdaily.com/article/200771103008
