The key principle of Cardio Interval Training is variety. If you don’t introduce variety into your routine, you are in danger of entering a “fat loss plateau” where your body adapts to the number of calories you are using up by slowing up your metabolism. Even if you reduce your calorie intake by 500 per day, your body will be used to your routine and keep the required calories in reserve for your workout. The only way to break out of this trap is by avoiding a repetitive exercise routine that your body gets used to.
During weekly exercise sessions, you should alternate between two different workouts, but crucially, you must change the workouts completely every four weeks. So, what are the best methods for doing this? Firstly, increase or decrease the number of intervals per workout, and also the rest times between intervals. Also, increase or decrease the length and intensity of the interval itself. The key is to constantly push yourself and keep your mind as well as your body active.
Another way to achieve variety is to switch exercise methods. Some suggestions for alternative methods include:
- Rowing machine
- Step machine
- Treadmill with or without an incline
- Sprinting- preferably outside, and with some inclines
- Stationary Cycling
- Cross-trainer machine
- Swimming
- Bodyweights
You probably have a couple of questions about these suggestions. Let’s deal with timing first. Interval recommendations vary from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. 15 second intervals are great for achieving a very high rate of exertion. You need to be quite fit to start off with, and it’s best to use sprinting or swimming as your method, because machines don’t build up speed quickly enough. The same goes for the Japanese method known as Tabata Protocol, where you exert for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. The main advantage of this method is that you can get a high burn workout done in a short period of time.
The most widely used Turbulence Training interval timing is probably 30 seconds. Depending on your level of fitness, you can rest for 30-90 seconds between intervals. The thing many people like about this method is the longer rest, which allows you to achieve a consistent level of performance, almost matching the first interval. This is difficult to achieve with shorter rests. For those looking to gain that extra edge, the 45 second interval is a good choice. It is especially popular with team sport players, such as hockey, soccer and basketball, as it builds up stamina. Recovery time should be 45-90 seconds. As your body gets used to 45 seconds, notch up to 60 seconds.
If you were training for a competitive event, you would need to really push your body with 120 second intervals- great for advanced aerobic fitness and fat loss. Rest periods should be 120 seconds, repeated 6 times. For the endurance athlete with plenty of training time, 5 minute intervals are used.
It is important not to let yourself be overwhelmed at first. Remember, you don’t need to push yourself to extreme limits every time, until you are gulping for air and your heart is hammering. Go at it steadily, and just challenge yourself a little to step outside that comfort zone. You’ll soon find the right method and notice the difference in your body shape.
