Interval Training

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Q. Glen, Why Should I Try Interval Training?



A.For the longest time, most of us thought that the only way to burn fat and calories was to trudge through long, steady workouts, watching the minutes tick past at a glacial pace. While there's no doubt that those slow, steady workouts have a place in any routine, particularly for building endurance, there's another type of training that offers different types of benefits:

Interval training.

This type of training, which involves alternating high intensity exercise with rest periods, makes workouts more fun and it can also:

• Enhance athletic performance
• Boost your cardio fitness
• Accelerate weight loss
• Improve your body's ability to burn fat
• Make your workouts more time efficient

The reason they work so well is that, first, the more you shake up your body during the workout, the more energy your body expends getting your body back to normal after the workout. Second, interval training works regardless of fitness level and, by increasing your intensity for short periods of time, you teach your body how to work harder without killing yourself. Below are a few interval workouts you can try:

• Interval Workout - Sprints and Hills
• Beginner Interval Workout
• Intermediate Interval Workout
• More Interval Workouts

Make Your Own Interval Workouts

You can make your own interval workout by alternating high intensity activities (think sprinting, jump roping, power jumps, jumping jacks or anything that challenges your heart rate) for a period of time with low intensity moves (walking, marching in place, etc.). The general recommendation is to work at maximal effort for 1-4 minutes (long enough to become breathless) and recover for 5-10 minutes.

But, there are other ways to create an interval workout. You can make your intervals anaerobic, meaning you push as hard as you can, or you can keep the intervals aerobic, meaning you stay within about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate.

Do you have a favorite interval workout? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Bottom Line! Change your workouts change your results!!!

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !


My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."


Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!