Lose kilos in less time?
Do you want to improve your stamina, a beautiful muscular body or lose weight? You can do it five times faster with interval training! Sounds like a sales trick, but the effects of this form of training have been scientifically proven several times.
Moving seems so easy in the summer: you walk the dog, mow the grass and go to the supermarket by bike. Try and keep it up now that the weather is driving you in. And to get fitter or lose weight, you would have to spend hours in the gym. However?
Switch tempo
Not so! Scientific studies show that interval training can achieve the same results in one hour as with normal training in five hours. And that’s good news for people with little time or who already exercise a lot, but have hit a dreaded plateau.
The trick? You constantly vary the pace of your workout. Then you train at full strength for a few minutes, then you continue at an average pace.
What are the benefits of interval training?
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You can train harder
Interval training makes it possible to train at a very intensive level. You may only do it for a few minutes, but that is still longer than if you only train at an average pace.
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You gain more muscles
To work harder, your body needs to use new muscle mass. Once these muscles are trained, they are used more often and expend more energy. Even if you just walk the dog and even if you watch TV.
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You burn more fat
Interval training influences the functioning of the cells of the body. These are more likely to burn fat, even if you do light exercise. Women who participated in a scientific study in 2005 consumed 36 percent more fat during an hour of cycling after 2 weeks of interval training.
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Your condition improves
After two weeks of interval training, six of the eight subjects were able to cycle twice as long before becoming exhausted in another study. The eight people who just kept training didn’t notice any difference.
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It works after a few weeks
The effects were measurable in the American studies after just two weeks. The subjects’ endurance increased and the ability of their hearts and lungs to supply the body with oxygen improved by 13 percent.
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It takes less time
Endurance athletes achieve the same results with one hour of interval training per week as colleagues who train normally for five hours a week. Even after your training at rest, your body still uses plenty of energy. Ideal when you have little time to exercise.
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Your body didn’t get used to it
When you do the same exercises week after week, your body gets used to it. And you should always train longer and harder to achieve new results. Consequence; you will no longer lose weight and your condition will no longer improve. In short, you are on a plateau. Interval training helps people get off this plateau.
(Source: ‘Journal of Applied Physiology’ scientific journal)
You can do it too
Interval training has been helping professional athletes get to the next level for decades, but it is also suitable for the non-fanatics among us.
You can apply it to all the sports you do. Whether it’s fitness training or strength training. For example, swimmers can swim a lap extra hard and alternate it with a few laps at a normal pace. Runners alternate a block run with a jog and so on.
That’s how you do it right
Beginners would do well to build it up slowly. Start with, for example, a minute of vigorous exercise and then take it easy for three minutes. Slowly increase the time each week that you pull a little harder and make the rest periods a little shorter. You can also alternate cardio and strength training in one workout.
Keep in mind that interval training requires a lot from your body. You are supposed to get out of breath and start to sweat. But don’t train more intensely than your body can bear.
You may want to run faster, but if that means tripping or injuring yourself, build up a little slower. This means that sometimes you will have to try a little bit to see what works best for you.
Train with your mind
Interval training is suitable for all ages and fitness levels, but people with heart problems, high blood pressure or problems with their joints should consult their doctor first. And, very important, never forget to do a good warm-up and cool-down.
Also, don’t do the interval training too often; once or twice a week is more than enough for people who are not used to this form of training. In any case, make sure that your body has 24 hours to recover.
