Interval Training More Effective Than Cardio?

Interval Training Workouts Prove to be More Effective Than Long Slow Cardio

by Aaron Ivey

When it comes to measuring athletic performance and endurance performance, the maximal rate of oxygen absorption into the muscles (VO2max) is the most recognized test.  Greater VO2max usually means you are in greater cardiovascular condition.  This can become an advantage in sports as well as in everyday life.  You may not be competing against another team or opponent, you may be competing with your own body.  So what is the best way to increase your VO2max?  Researchers in Norway may have the answer.

They examined 4 different types of exercise protocols ranging from aerobic training to high intensity interval training.  Each group trained for 8 weeks 3 times per week.

Group 1 trained for 45 minutes of running on the treadmill at 70% of their maximal heart rate.

Group 2 trained at lactate threshold (~85% of maximum heart rate) for 24.25 minutes.

Group 3 trained using intervals at 15 seconds of high intensity (90-95%) of heart rate maximum for 47 repetitions.  The total time of the training for this group was the same as for group 2.

Group 4 trained using 4 sets of intervals for 4 minutes at 90-95% of heart rate maximum.  This group rested for 3 minutes at 70% of heart rate maximum in between each repetition.

The Results:

The VO2max in groups 3 and 4 increased by 5.5% and 7.2% respectively.  Groups 1 and 2 showed no significant improvement in VO2max.  Another interesting finding was that the volume of blood that the heart pumped with each beat increased with groups 3 and 4.

So, there you have it!  Research, again, suggests that interval training is more effective for improving aerobic endurance than traditional long slow steady cardio training.

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 39 no4 Ap 2007 pp 665-671

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The Top 5 Treadmill Workout Plans Using Interval Training

The Top 5 Treadmill Workout Plans Using Interval Training

It’s real easy to find a lot of treadmill workout plans. However, which of them are effective. Nobody likes to spend an hour and the gym doing long, slow, boring cardio workouts only to find out that what they were doing wasn’t effective enough to help them reach their goals. I’m going to give you 5 treadmill workout plans that you can modify in many different ways using interval training methods.

Interval training on the treadmill is not the easiest way to workout. You have to wait for the belt to catch up or slow down and if you are using an incline it may take a few seconds for it reach the level you need. But, let’s face it, sometimes the treadmill is the only available option. Personally, I prefer either sprinting outside on a track or a stationary bike (spin style).

1. Adjust the incline – This is the best option for someone who is just starting out with an exercise program. Start out walking at zero incline and at a comfortable pace that you will be able to maintain even if you are exhausted. Use this speed for the duration of the interval training workout. After a warm up of 3 – 5 minutes raise the incline to a level that will make you work hard for 30 seconds. After the 30 seconds, lower the incline back to zero. Repeat the cycle up to 10 times and follow with a 3 minute cool down. You’ve now just completed a workout in just less than 20 minutes.

2. Go for speed – Following the same principle as with the incline, adjust the speed instead. Remember, the treadmill will take a few seconds to get to the speed you want.  The speed to use during your work phase should be very challenging.

3. Modified Tabata – Tabata interval protocol is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times. This will give you a 4 minute workout that you will never forget. However, I suggest that if you attempt this on the treadmill you should account for the transition time that the belt needs to slow down and speed up. So, you may consider using a 25 second work to 15 second cycle.

4. Rest to Work ratio – The rest to work ration is the amount of time you spend at low intensity (rest) to the amount of time you spend at high intensity (work). It is often expressed like this: 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1. For example, if you are using a 3:1 ratio you may spend 90 seconds resting to 30 seconds working. Changing the ratio will stress different energy systems. This is partly why interval training can be used for so many different sports – it can be modified to be sport specific training.

5. Backwards – You will certainly get lots of looks with this one. Walk on the treadmill backwards. I suggest using the incline to make your work portion more challenging. One caution you will need to remember: you will have to turn around a little to change the incline so be careful. This may be better to use with the pre-programmed interval workouts.

So there you have it! The top 5 treadmill workout plans using interval training methods. Use the principles in each of the modifications to add variety to your interval training program. With a little creativity you can create a nearly endless number of programs for your treadmill workouts.