Interval Training Tips for Effective Weight Loss

ByMarcus J Michael

Today, there is one proven form of exercise that is highly recommended for anybody who is really serious about losing weight and getting into his or her desired body shape in the shortest possible time and that is through the use of high intensity interval training - also known as HIIT.

High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a proven, time-efficient and safe interval training technique that by far outperforms any type of conventional low intensity aerobic exercise technique.

HIIT is an exercise technique that incorporates the alternating of short high-intensity exercise intervals with longer low-intensity recovery intervals during an exercise session. To put it more succinctly, HIIT is the mixing of short burst of intense exercise with longer recovery breaks - doing some short energy burst, then slowing down to recover and repeating the same procedure throughout the exercise session. You can make use of interval training during your exercise sessions such as sprinting, skating, jump rope, treadmill or swimming.

By way of illustration, let's assume you are going on your normal morning jogs. First, you might want to decide on the number of energy bursts (high intensity intervals) you want to add to your jogging this morning. It is equally important to remember that during this energy burst you'll have to push your heart rate above your normal training zone to about 80-90 per cent of your present capability.

You can begin jogging by warming up for about 5 minutes, then suddenly do a sprint burst for about 1 minute and thereafter slow down to your normal pace to recover for another 4 minutes. Repeating this procedure twice and giving yourself about 5 minutes to recover will add up to about 20 minutes of workout for a start. As you go on, you can start increasing the high intensity burst interval to increase the impact.

Generally, high intensity interval trainings last for just about 20 minutes excluding the warm-up and recovery periods. The idea behind HIIT is to develop the ability of holding onto the anaerobic state - high intensity interval - for a longer cumulative time during the workout session. However, the resting or recovery interval cycle of the workout is normally longer than the burst interval with an average of about two to four times.

There are basically four parameters which can be adjusted when planning a high intensity interval training workout taking into consideration your current overall fitness level as well as weight loss goals. These include:

Intensity / Speed of High-Intensity Interval
Duration / Distance / Time of High-Intensity Interval
Recovery Interval / Duration of rest
Number of repetitions of each interval

According to the American Council on Exercise, everybody can benefit from some type of high intensity interval training. While beginners can start by using interval training to gradually increase their level of endurance to a point where they become able of incorporating more strenuous higher intensity exercises, those already in good shape or even athletes can employ HIIT to boost their speed, endurance and overall performance.

The following interval training tips and guidelines can help you reduce any risk of injury and also help to maximize your high intensity interval training benefits.

1. Avoid performing exercises on an empty stomach

It is generally recommended to eat at least thirty minutes before workouts as this increases your ability to exercise harder and for much longer. Also eating before exercising helps you to eat fewer calories during the day compared to when you exercise on an empty stomach.

2. Maintain a healthy eating habit

It is still very important to ensure that you maintain a healthy eating lifestyle to provide the energy you need to cope with high intensity interval training and also to support your general weight loss initiative. Incorporate proteins, vegetables and low glycemic index carbohydrates into your diet to provide the necessary energy as well as minerals and vitamins.

3. Always warm up and cool down

Take about five minutes to warm up before exercising and another five minutes or thereabout to cool down after completing your exercise session. Warming up at slow rates prepares your joints, muscles and heart for the exercise. The cooling down period allows the body to return to its resting state and also help to prevent injury and muscle soreness.

4. Increase intensity gradually

Although the secret to HIIT is the intensity applied during the workout session, it is however generally physically demanding and therefore always recommended to start according to your current fitness level and not to push yourself too hard when just starting HIIT.

5. Push yourself as hard as you can

When your endurance level increases, you can now attempt to sustain your high intensity intervals for about three to five minutes before slowing down to recover. The body generally adapts under intensity, therefore it is advised to always push yourself a bit harder every now and then for the body to keep trying to adapt to functioning at these higher intensities which helps to increase your overall weight loss ability.

Re-take CONTROL of your life today to get that trimmer and healthier figure of your dreams by checking us out right now to get some topnotch best weight loss tips in addition to some of the best weight loss programs that will help you lose that excess body fat permanently!

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Using High Intensity Interval Training for Weight Loss

ByMarcus J Michael

A time there was when the best advice from fitness experts was that you spend hours in the gym performing cardiovascular workouts in order to build better muscles and lose weight. However, there is a new twist to this erstwhile popularly held notion and it is the use of high intensity interval training.

Unlike several other quick weight loss advices that most people consider to be "too good to be true", high intensity interval training (also referred to as HIIT) is rather a proven, efficient, and safe alternative to effectively lose excess body weight when compared to conventional cardio exercises.

One issue that makes conventional cardio exercises which generally employ specific training methods over a period of time inefficient in helping individuals lose weight and maintain it is the fact that after about four to eight weeks, the body normally starts adapting to this specific training method and overall effectiveness starts to reduce.

The human body is good at adapting to both internal and external conditions especially those it considers to be stressors - like exercise. Therefore, while low intensity cardiovascular exercises have the ability to help individuals lose weight, a diminishing effect is generally experienced once the body finally adapts. At this stage you might have reached a "plateau" which generally indicates that your body has successfully adapted to your current routine.

This is one of the reasons why high intensity interval training (HIIT) is more effective as it does not allow the body to get used to the exercises being performed by interrupting its rhythm. HIIT is a specialized form of interval training that involves the incorporation of short intervals of maximum intensity exercises with longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercises in an exercise session.

Essentially, HIIT is you having to do a number of short burst of intense exercise followed by a longer recovery interval and the repeat of this sequence during your exercise session. This abrupt interval jolt automatically - howbeit unexpectedly - turn things up a bit forcing the body to search for more energy to satisfy the sudden increase in demand.

The body has three major options for sourcing energy fuel to satisfy this increased demand and these are - carbohydrate, fat, and protein and which can be obtained from either the bloodstream or the muscles.

Unlike carbohydrate, fat generally require more energy to burn and is considered a slower burning energy and is what is mostly used during cardio exercises as there is sufficient oxygen in the bloodstream for its oxidation at this intensity level. However, if sufficient intensity is applied to aerobic exercises, the body suddenly runs short of oxygen supply and this results in a reduction in the amount of fat than can be oxidized by the body.

Consequently, for the body to be able to keep up with this abrupt energy demand, it usually turns to carbohydrates which are a faster burning energy. At moderate intensity, the body can source carbohydrates (in the form of glucose) from the bloodstream but at higher intensities it generally turns to the glycogen (mixture of water and glucose) in the muscles.

At high intensity the body is said to be exercising in an anaerobic state - whereby the body is exercising so fast or energetically that the bloodstream cannot supply enough oxygen to the muscles forcing them to exercise without oxygen.

Having expended most of the glycogen in the muscles during the short energy burst, the body resorts to its stored body fat during the recovery interval and this cycle continues to the end of the exercise session. This routine generally creates a significant energy deficit in the body.

However, it is actually after the high intensity interval training itself that the effectiveness of this routine is experienced. This is due to the fact that the body continues to burn its stored fat while attempting to replace the expended muscle glycogen. It has been demonstrated that this fat burning process can continue for up to 48 hours after performing HIIT exercises and therein lays the awesome power of HIIT - supercharged increase in basal metabolic rate (BMR).

HIIT can be used during your sprinting, swimming, rowing, cycling, walking, or cardio machine (stationary bike, cross-trainer, or treadmill) exercise sessions. Incorporating HIIT into your regular fitness routines will enable you to increase your overall endurance, improve your oxygen intake, build new metabolically active muscles, and also burn calories much faster.

However, HIIT is pretty physically demanding and definitely not meant for everybody. It is therefore recommended that those who are relatively new to aerobics, who are not in good shape, have cardiovascular problems, or any other serious health concerns, should endeavor to start with low to moderate intensity exercises for some time before attempting any form of high intensity interval training.

In summary, it can be categorically stated that high intensity interval training is the best way to go for any individual who is really serious about losing weight. If you've seen little or no results from your conventional cardio exercises, it is time to turn to a more efficient, effective, and safe weight loss strategy by making use of high intensity interval training.

Re-take CONTROL of your life today to get that trimmer and healthier figure of your dreams by checking us out right now to get some topnotch best weight loss tips in addition to some of the best weight loss programs that will help you lose that excess body fat permanently!

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Max Interval Training Provides Maximum Results In Minimal Time

ByJamie Casello

Everyone has a different pace when it comes to fitness training. Some prefer slow and steady while some enjoy fast and furious. There are benefits to both styles of exercise and new research that shows how different methods produce drastically different physiological effects.

There are people like enjoy reading a book while strolling on the tread mill and there are people who go full force on the AirDyne until they fall off the bike in a heap. Both methods will help with weight loss, improve your cardiovascular health as well as brain function and many other health benefits. People out there who are looking to control their weight, correct their diabetes or just improve their general health will gain from any regular exercise.

Elite athletes have been using interval training for over thirty years, but new sports science shows that mixing up your workout with both very slow and very fast intervals will give you more bang for your buck and in a shorter amount of time than they originally imagined. In fact, interval training can double your endurance in only 2 weeks of training. More surprising is the fact is that it will boost the endurance of people who are already engaged in regular conditioning.

Interval training provides another benefit which many people will be more interested in. Interval training increases the body's ability to burn fat. Recent studies of subjects over a two week period showed over a 35 percent increase in the amount of fat burned.

There has not been an exact number put on the best ratio of fast to slow training but the rest or recovery part of the interval should not allow the heart rate to return to a resting rate before the next high intensity phase begins again. It is believed that the low intensity phase will allow waste products to be removed from the muscle before the next push. This makes it possible for more high intensity training during the workout than one solid high intensity session.

You can apply this training technique to almost any type of cardio exercise. Additionally, any athlete will benefit from adding interval training to their current regimen and see performance improvements across the board. For those of us without elite training resources, there are a few high quality workout programs on the market such as the Insanity workout that make max interval training the foundation of the system and take max interval training to new levels. For those of us who are short on time, max interval training provides the greatest benefits in the shortest amount of time and who doesn't want that?

Want to find out more about Insanity, then visit Jamie Casello's site on how to choose the best Asylum interval training for your needs.

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Interval Training for Half Marathon Runners

Interval training is a useful way of helping to gain the maximum amount of benefit from your exercise in the minimum amount of time. But intervals have to be used with a certain amount of caution.

Increasingly interval training, where short bursts of really hard exercise are interspersed with less demanding periods, are seen as a great way of boosting performance without spending hours in the gym. Recent studies have even shown that unfit people can benefit by doing vigorous bursts of activity for a as little as 10 minutes per week, can decrease their likelihood of getting diabetes, and can even increase cardiovascular performance. It is well known that intervals do give more benefit than the total time taken on exercise would allow you to believe.

The downside to this approach was illustrated perfectly on a recent science program on TV. The presenter wanted to test the claim that repeating 30 second sprints, six or eight times in a total of 10 or 15 minutes total exercise per day, three days a week is enough to show significant health benefits. What happened? Within the first 10 seconds of the first sprint he had pulled a muscle in his leg. Trying very high intensity work is great, but only if you are strong enough to take them. And the only way to get strong enough is to build up steadily.

One of the best forms of intervals for runners is the called the 'Fartlek'. It's a rather informal way of adding hard bursts of running into your normal routine. Basically, after you have been running for a while, maybe 10 minutes, you set yourself a target. Maybe 'I'm going to run flat out for the next 30 seconds', or 'I'm going to run as fast as I can to that lamppost'. Then you just go for it. When you reach the target, back off to a slow jog (or even walk) until you've regained you breath, then back up to normal speed. Further on add a second short sprint, then rest, then another. The first time you try this I doubt if you will be able to do a fourth!

The advantages of this kind of interval are that it ensures that you are completely warmed up before you start pushing the boundaries and the fact that you are already in the middle of a 30 minute run suggests that your body has had sufficient training to avoid pulling a muscle in the first 10 seconds. Don't think that it's a breeze though. On paper it may sound easy, but in practice it is really physically demanding. And if something starts to hurt STOP! And at the end, make sure that you jog slowly for the last 10 minutes of your run, to give you a good 'warm down' after your exertions.

One final word of advice - don't try and do intervals every time you go for a run. They are really demanding on the body, which is why you get so much benefit from such a short exertion. But more than once or twice a week will almost certainly lead to injury for even the most enthusiastic runner. And if you are a beginner, don't try them at all, until you can comfortably run for 30 minutes without stopping. Intervals are not for the faint hearted...literally!

Find out more about training for a half marathon at www.erunningweightloss.com/halfmarathontraining

Rob Knowles used to be a sedentary, overweight office dweller. He still wastes his days trying to earn an honest living in an office, but he did take up running, he lost some weight and now he just won't stop going on about it!

© 2012 Rob Knowles

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High Intensity Interval Training In Just 3 Minutes

It's everyone's dream... little work and lots of benefit, but before you sign on you need to understand what this is all about. According to some new research, a few short bursts of very high intensity interval training (working out to just a few minutes per week) can bring you many of the benefits that come from hours of more conventional workouts. It sounds too good to be true...

However, the claim is backed by a number of years of research that comes from different countries. The form of exercise, known as High Intensity Training (HIT) involves doing three minutes of intense exercise per week for a month and appears to bring some pretty impressive changes in important health indicators.

Insulin sensitivity can be improved (according to research) by 24% by just 3 minutes of HIT for a month. Aerobic fitness, an indication of how well your heart/lungs are doing at giving your body oxygen also improves and serves as an excellent signal of future health.

But there is a small catch... how much you benefit from these kinds of workouts may depend largely on your genes.

A research team looked into the reasons for why exercise worked for some and not for others, and found that the results could be linked to a few genes. Today there is a genetic test designed to see who may respond to HIT and who will probably not get the full benefit.

The idea that some people may be genetically wired not to respond to aerobic exercise is intriguing. An international study on 1,000 exercisers found that while 15% made incredible strides, 20% of the subjects showed no real improvements from exactly the same exercise regimen.

Once you start, HIT is super easy. One example is to do some gentle cycling as a warm up for a few minutes and then hit high gear for 20 seconds. Take a few minutes of gentle cycling to get your breath and then do another 20 seconds. Repeat this pattern a third time and your HIT workout is complete for the day.

If you have any form of pre-existing condition, talk with your doctor before giving HIT a try. If this isn't the approach for you, there are lots of other fun, engaging activities you might do instead.

Why does it work?

According to the experts, part of the reason is that this form of exercise uses more muscle tissue compared to classic aerobic exercise.

HIT calls for intensely working the leg muscles as well as the arms and shoulders - that's 80% of the muscle cells in the body. This compares to 20-40% used when walking or doing moderately intense jogging or cycling.

This type of exercise also appears to break down stores of glucose found stored in muscles as glycogen. When you break up glycogen stores you make more room for glucose to be removed from the blood.

Keep in mind too that many of us feel uncomfortable when it comes to exercising because we're self-conscious about our fitness level or how out of shape we look. Don't let this stop you from trying high intensity interval training and getting in shape. Working out with friends who don't care what you look like or how you do can be tremendously beneficial, because you get companionship, support and someone to help keep you going.

FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from the Daily Health Bulletin. Click through now to discover more on the benefits of swapping from traditional exercise to high intensity interval training, plus other great weight loss ideas.

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