Spend Less Time and Lose More Fat with Interval Training

I use the term “Interval Training” quite a bit on this site when discussing exercise strategies for fat loss. However, up until this post I’ve done a poor job in describing what the hell “Interval Training” really is.

If you’re someone who loves the fancy cardio machines and spends entire gym sessions in hope of burning loads of body fat, I’d suggest you pay special attention. What you’ve been doing up to this point may be sabotaging your fat loss goals while wasting colossal amounts of time!

[Long cardio sessions remind me a lot of this tricycle. Old, boring, and an inefficient way to get around the neighbourhood. Time to graduate to two wheels and start training more effectively with Interval Training.]

What are Intervals?

They are brief, high intensity periods of exercise (where you work out as intensely as you can), alternated with active recovery periods, (where you slow down just long enough to catch your breath).

It’s tough to pin-point the origin of this style of training but I can recall a good friend of mine even back in high school telling me about the grueling football practice he had just gone through where they would sprint for a short distance (100 meters), then jog the next 20 meters (the recovery period) and then sprint again. Sounds like intervals to me! So to call it new or ground breaking would be a tad misleading.

Why is Interval Training Effective?

The solution for fat loss lies in shorter, more-intense sessions. Two published studies from 2006 really sealed the deal regarding interval training as one of the best methods for losing fat fast.

The first study from The Journal of Applied Physiology confirms the body’s increased capacity to burn fat during high intensity interval training over a two week period.

Just as important, the second study from The Journal of Physiology finds similar adaptations in muscle and exercise performance using interval training as it does in endurance training. The guys doing the interval training were exercising for 2.5 hours while the endurance group spent 10.5 hours in the same two week period. Double Jackpot! Same results using less time! Need I really say more?

How to Do Intervals?

You would look rather silly running around your neighborhood, stopping and starting every 10 seconds, so let’s use an easy example that anybody can do regardless of their current weight: Walking on a Treadmill

1. Start with a 2 to 5 minute warm-up
Always nice to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.

2. Now do 30 seconds of brisk walking
This should be done at a moderate intensity like that time you ran to answer the phone slightly out of breath only to hear a pre-recorded telemarketing message about debt solutions. Damn, I hate those phone calls!

3. Slow down and continue this pace for the next 2 minutes.
Welcome to the active recovery period. Your probably sweating a little but your coherent enough to call 911 and give them directions to your house (just kidding).

Congratulations, you’ve completed your very first interval!

This pattern will continue until you’ve completed 4 to 8 intervals. The number of intervals really depends on your fitness level, but I can tell you that doing this type of training for only 10 minutes will leave you feeling like you’ve ran a marathon and finished in first place. Great feeling of accomplishment! I suggest you always finish with a 5 minute walk to cool down and catch your breath before calling it a day.

If your interval workout seems too difficult or too easy, make changes by adjusting one of these four variables at a time:

1. Intensity (speed) of interval
2. Duration (distance or time) of interval
3. Duration of recovery period
4. Number of repetitions of each interval (4-8)

Of course, using a treadmill for intervals is only one example. You can perform intervals using:

- Any type of cardio equipment (treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike);
- A combination of cardio equipment (alternate between two or more types);
- Walk or run on a variety of terrains outside;
- Body weight exercises – use just one or combine a couple;
- Strength training – personal favorite and promise to detail it more in future articles;

Working harder for longer, but in a shorter overall period of time has really contributed to my own personal fat loss results and I’m confident it will for you as well. If your interested in more advanced interval progressions I suggest you check out our Turbulence Training review.

Author Craig Ballantyne has created some of the most challenging and rewarding workouts using interval training principles. Just imagine, you’ll never have to go back to long time-wasting cardio again!