Interval training is a term that pops up from time-to-time in magazines, talk shows, on TV. It's been pretty well explained and there is a huge volume of information about what interval training is, so I will spare you the details. But just in case you're totally new to this type of exercise design Interval Training is basically a workout that varies some aspect of intensity (load, speed, etc.) from higher to lower, back to higher as you progress through the workout.
I make very few blanket statements when it comes to fitness, but I will make this one:
Given optimal conditions, interval training works for everyone.
Having made this statement I guess I need to explain why interval training works for everyone.
1. Everyone has the ability to train at their personal near-peak performance capacity - Sure, it's probably true that no two people workout with the exact same intensity. Some people are stronger and some weaker, some are faster and some are slower, some people can exercise longer and some can exercise only for short periods of time. But, no matter who you are, you have a peak performance capacity. I have my clients exercise at what I call "near-peak performance capacity", essentially the ability to exercise at YOUR highest intensity while maintaining a safe training environment.
Obviously interval training will not bring about the desired results you have if you are exercising in a manner that does not stress or place demand on your peak performance capacity. For instance: If you can bench press 300 pounds 15 times and immediately get up and run 1 mile in 5 minutes flat, you are not going to benefit a great deal from an interval training workout using 10 minute mile runs coupled with 150 pound bench presses for 10 reps. This simply isn't offering your body the exercise intensity and stimulation required to bring about change. You're better than that!
So, the statement I made above does have conditions. The most important is personal honesty in your exercise programming. Unless you are honestly pushing yourself to perform at near-peak capacity at various intervals of time during your workouts, the effectiveness of your workout will be compromised.
The converse is also true. If you do push yourself to perform at near-capacity peak performance as often as possible during your interval training workout, your body will absolutely respond in a manner that reflects your training effort.
This is the message you should take away from this section:
If you exercise using your best effort as often as possible during your workout, then interval training will absolutely work to bring about the changes your training is designed to produce.
2. As your body progresses, your training must also progress - One of the coolest things about being a professional fitness coach is getting to see how a person's effort in the gym has a direct effect on the capability of their body to progress its own level of physical fitness. As complex as some things regarding fitness can be, this one is relatively simple. When you push your body harder than it is used to being pushed (safely of course), it responds and adapts by bringing about physical changes that produce a higher level of physical fitness. When you lift heavier weights than you are accustomed to lifting, your body works to make the muscles being used stronger in order to more easily manage the load. Likewise, when you push yourself to run a certain distance faster than you normally do, your body responds by improving its physiology so that you can more efficiently perform this task with greater ease each time to try it, your body works to get more fit! Simple. Interval training allows your to push your body to new levels with each workout you do.
The main idea of this section is this:
No matter who you are, if you place reasonable demand on your body that it is not accustomed to experiencing, your body by nature, will respond by working to improve your ability to perform that/those task(s) as easily as possible. Do this often enough and soon the new demand will no longer be nearly as difficult as it once was - your body will improve its level of fitness to handle that demand because you sent it a message to improve - and it will.
3. Interval training is fun! Boring workouts suck! - Have fun with your interval training program design. Make it a game! Decide which components of your workout you want to prioritize and which components you want to simply ensure get some work. Take the components of the program you want to maximize and plug them into your workout so that you can absolutely put 100% effort into these exercises in order to improve. Use the secondary exercises that you simply want to make sure are getting "some work" to reduce your effort, recover from the intense exercise bout and let them prepare you for your next jump in intensity as you get back into an exercise you wish to perform at a higher level.
For instance, let's say you really want to maximize your leg training to produce strong and powerful legs that have great muscle tone while also training your abs with lesser emphasis.
You may do a workout that looks something like this using a spotter for the lifts of course:
Warm-up 15 minutes with slow building to high-speed 40 m. jog each followed by light stretching session.
40 meter sprint (explosive leg action)
5 sit-ups (legs rest, abs are getting work)
5 lying leg raises (legs rest, abs are getting work)
5 twisting crunches (legs rest, abs are getting work)
6 reps Squats @ 80% 1 repetition max (1RM) (heavy, demanding leg work)
10 sit-ups
10 lying leg raises
10 twisting crunches
40 meter sprint (explosive leg action)
15 sit-ups
15 lying leg raises
15 twisting crunches
4 reps Squats @ 85% 1 repetition max (1RM) (very heavy, demanding leg work)
20 sit-ups
20 lying leg raises
20 twisting crunches
40 meter sprint (explosive leg actions)
25 sit-ups
25 lying leg raises
25 twisting crunches
2 reps Squat @ 90% 1 repetition max (1RM) (extremely heavy, demanding leg work)
cool down 15 minutes - walking/stretching combo
While this is just an example, it shows that you can design an interval training workout to suit your purposes very simply, making your exercise more enjoyable, more fun and ultimately more effective.
These are just a few reasons I recommend interval training in some aspect to the vast majority of my clients. It helps them learn how their body responds to exercise, it allows them to have personal input into their workouts and because they tend to follow personalized meal plans (yes nourishing your body is essential), their bodies perform optimally and they notice that their training produces results quickly without ever getting stuck in the habit of doing the same boring workouts over-and-over every time they step foot in the gym.
I hope you can use some of the information provided here to explore interval training for yourself. You won't regret it.
Jared Meacham, MS.Ed., CSCS.
Jared is a fitness entrepreneur, writer and recognized weight-loss expert. He is owner of Precision Body Designs, LLC and is creator of the Body Fat Meltdown women's weight-loss program.
He is also creator of the Dirty Fitness Training Program - 60 unique workouts designed to maximize all 5 components of physical fitness in just 75 days.
[http://www.jaredmeacham.com]
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