High interval intensity training may be the secret weapon you’re looking for. So you are looking for an effective way to burn fat, lose weight or break through a plateau in your training schedule, but you don’t have hours and hours to spend on long steady state cardio exercises. There is an effective alternative that not only burns more fat for a longer time but also takes up to 1/3 of the time of your typical cardio workout routine. That alternative is high interval intensity training.
One of the fantastic things about high interval intensity training is that it can be applied to many variations of exercise workouts. Here are a couple of ways to implement your high intensity interval training program.
1. Complexes involve combining 2 or more exercises and performing them consecutively without rest. For example, you may do a leg exercise, push exercise, pull exercise and a core exercise all in succession. You would take a short rest between sets and perform anywhere from 2-4 sets.
2. Density Training; when done correctly, this mode of exercise can be one of the best and most effective combinations of cardio and strength training. Pick up to 5 of your favorite exercises and a resistance that would equal a 10 to 12 repetition maximum. You will perform 5 reps of each exercise for a given period of time (i.e. 10 minutes). See how many total repetitions of each exercise you can perform in the predetermined time period. The motivating aspect of this mode of training is that even though it is extremely challenging, you know that you are going to be finished in 10 minutes or whatever amount of time you predetermine.
3. Record Time: the goal behind this mode of training is that you complete a given number of sets and reps in as little time as possible. For example, you may select a series of 8 bodyweight exercises and do 2 sets of each circuit of exercises as quickly as possible. The next time you perform this specific workout, compare your time to the first and see if you have improved.
4. Traditional Interval Training: this mode of exercise involves determining a set ratio of work to active rest. Perform 5-10 sets of the interval. The most common ratios are 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3. For example, if you have chosen a 1:3 ratio, you would work as hard as possible for 30 seconds and active rest for 90 seconds. The ratio that you choose would depend on the goals of your training program and the energy systems involved in the sport or training that you are doing.
A well planned high interval intensity training program can break through any plateau that you may be experiencing. Most current research suggests that this form of training can be more effective than traditional steady state exercise programs and can be performed in less than half the time.