The most efficient way to burn calories with exercise: interval training

Interval training is fast becoming one of the most popular exercise techniques for burning fat. This is because doing intervals generally takes less time than more traditional cardio and helps you burn calories both while exercising and for hours after you leave the gym.

What is interval training?

Instead of exercising on a stationary bike, elliptical, treadmill, etc. at a relatively constant pace over a long period of time so that your heart rate is between 60% and 80% of its maximum (generally speaking), interval training requires you to exert enough physical energy to bring your heart rate between 80% and 90%% of your maximum heart rate for a short period of time (this is your interval). The intervals are then followed by a period of significantly lower intensity exercise so that your heart rate drops back to around 60% of its maximum.

How does interval training affect your body?

During your short burst of intense activity, your body will need to tap into its sources of energy – sugar in your bloodstream. This is not the most scientific explanation available, but imagine this: your body has a finite amount of sugar in its bloodstream at any given time. When you participate in vigorous physical activity like you do during interval training, your body will quickly use all the available energy in your bloodstream. Fortunately, this does not mean that your body will simply collapse into a pile of skin and bone without energy (although if you feel dizzy while exercising, stop) because your body has a backup plan: fat. Think of fat as a bunch of stored energy, so when your body starts to run out of energy, it will draw from its stores to supply your muscles with the energy they need. Therefore, you are burning fat at a faster rate than you would if you were only engaging in moderate physical activity.

Due to the intense nature of intervals and the cost to your muscles, post-workout recovery will also take your body more energy (meaning you will burn even more calories) than usual to repair and rebuild your muscles and strengthen them. leaner state.

How should I do interval training?

This is highly dependent on your current cardiovascular fitness. If you do some type of moderate cardiovascular activity for at least 30 minutes 3 or more times a week, I’d say you’re ready to implement intervals into your exercise routine (if you haven’t gotten to this point yet, try working your way up to it sooner of doing an interval program or use light intervals to help you reach your goals. Because it can cause muscle pain, you should only replace one regular cardio workout per week with interval training when you’re starting out. Always, regardless of your fitness level begin with a 5-minute warm-up of mild to moderate intensity and finish with a 5-minute cool-down that ranges from moderate to light intensity. After your 5-minute warm-up, increase the intensity for 30 seconds and then lower the intensity again. intensity for a minute and a half before starting your next interval. Do 5 your first time and build your way up. r from there. If you have a heart rate monitor, this is the easiest way to determine if your intensity level is appropriate. Otherwise they are not very expensive or you can try using the heart rate monitors installed on most cardio equipment (I think they are generally within 5bpm which is close enough). As you improve at interval training, gradually reduce your rest time until it equals the amount of time you spend doing your interval. You can also increase the amount of time you are strenuously active, and you can start taking intervals more than once a week if you want.

Interval training is also especially good for runners or cyclists looking to increase their speed, and it can help you avoid boredom doing the same thing every time you hit the gym. Remember to start slow to avoid injury and let me know how it goes!