Interval cardio training is rapidly gaining popularity. Even honored athletes are enthusiastic about their effectiveness. What can we say about ordinary athletes and beginners, easily amenable to new trends in the world of fitness. Interval cardio allows you to quickly get rid of excess fat and improve muscle condition.
The type of cardio exercises appeared as a form of fitness entertainment, and there were no prerequisites for its cardinal development. It all started with visitors to gyms, lazy to participate in cardiac classes. To cheer them up, the staff decided to put exercise bikes in the aerobics rooms. So it turned out that cardio fans began to unwittingly adapt to the rhythm of the aerobics trainer - now fast, then slow.
What is interval cardio?
To begin with, it’s worth understanding the term. Interval cardio training is one type of anaerobic exercise. It differs significantly from standard training: the main feature is the alternation of the intensity of the load on the body. For example, the option with sprint and walking according to the 15/45 scheme looks like this: an athlete runs a sprint in 15 seconds, and takes the next 45 seconds for walking or slow running. Next, the cycle repeats in a circle for half an hour.
This option is suitable for those who seek to lose weight, but at the same time maintain muscle mass. There is an obvious improvement in the figure, as the muscles become more elastic and resilient, and the body becomes more prominent. Fat will just burn. The main thing is to eat right, warm up before and after training and give all your best in the process of training.
Differences from traditional cardio
For a long time there was heated debate about what type of training will get rid of excess fat without harming the athlete’s muscular form. Since there was no scientific research in this area, athletes had to learn all the subtleties in practice. Experiments have shown that in an hour of regular cardio, much more calories are burned than in a half-hour interval training.
Athletes who want to dry out before performing, practiced slow running on the treadmill for an hour in the morning and evening. Weight, of course, began to leave, because more calories were spent. But along with him, the athlete was losing precious muscle mass. Bodybuilders did not like this result, and therefore a choice was made in favor of the interval approach. Interval loads do not cause brutal appetite at the end of the day, which is difficult to fight, while for ordinary cardio this is a completely natural phenomenon.
It was noted that normal cardio work only works for 2-3 months, then the effect of it comes to naught. In fact, standard cardio reduces immunity and does not contribute to the acceleration of metabolism, as previously thought.
Interval loads, in turn, retain the effect of increasing metabolism for another 12 hours after exercise. Also, ordinary cardio is accompanied by the breakdown of muscle fibers, which is unacceptable for an athlete.
Pros of Interval Cardio
Active disputes still bring their dissonance into the understanding of cardio loads, and to date, a lot of research has been done on this. Experiments have shown that interval training has a greater effect than running or walking on a treadmill during normal cardio workouts. Pros for an athlete:
- Fast fat burning due to the intensity of training, and the training can last several minutes. For one such lesson, an athlete spends more energy than an hour of unhurried traditional cardio.
- Increased energy costs - within a day after training, the body tries to make up for metabolic losses, so it spends more energy.
- An increase in insulin sensitivity, which allows the body to process carbohydrates faster, regulate blood sugar, process glucose and accumulate nutrients in muscles and not in adipose tissue.
- Increased overall body stamina. Interval exercise is a real endurance training program.
- The ability to build weight with regular classes. Loads can be directed only to a specific muscle group. Circular training is possible to improve the shape of the whole body.
The interval approach is the obligatory alternation of high-intensity and low-efficiency exercises. The duration of each exercise can vary from 7 seconds to 5 minutes, but no more.
Cons of Interval Cardio
At the same time, experts also revealed the negative effect of interval loads. Their cons:
- Not recommended for beginners due to the high intensity of the loads. Such loads are difficult even for experienced athletes, let alone those who just came to train. You need to start small, and only after a while you can try to introduce interval cardio into the program. Those who are obese or joint diseases are generally contraindicated in such activities.
- It is important to combine exercises with strength training in order not to overstrain muscles and joints. For example, if you work on your legs 2 weeks a week and plan to add interval training after the main load, the risk of joint injury increases.
- Frequent interval training is dangerous. Even if you notice that the body is changing every day, and are ready to give everything up every day, remember: interval cardio workouts should be performed no more than twice a week. Often in the gyms there are people who, after a standard strength training, decide to finish their body with an hour-long interval lesson - in no case should this be done.
- The complexity of the execution. If the usual cardio allows you to relax and even enjoy the process, then with interval everything is the other way around. Training is most often accompanied by discomfort, burning and pulling pains in the muscles. This is a normal process. If the athlete is not ready to give everything 100% and gives up after the first big load, interval cardio is not for him.
To avoid injuries, the main thing is to choose for yourself the option of exercises that will be optimal for the body. Gradually, the athlete will be able to regulate it in favor of increasing intensity. The ideal training scheme can only be achieved by trial and error.
Which exercise equipment is suitable?
The following simulators are suitable for interval training:
- Exercise bike on which you need to set the maximum level of resistance.
- Sprint or fast running on a treadmill.
- Running in a stadium or in a park.
- Training in the pool with the study of various swimming techniques.
- Rowing - for those who love boat trips. You can use a special simulator in the hall.
In general, any simulator on which you can perform cardio exercises is suitable. In the absence of cardiovascular equipment, running around the stadium or outdoors in a convenient location will suffice. Cycling on a flat surface is also suitable.
Warm up before training
Often beginner athletes deprive the workout with due attention. Its implementation is a must in any training! A set of exercises for warming up before training will warm up the muscles and make the joints work, thereby reducing the load on the body directly during training.
Before running, it is important to complete the following training:
- Rotation in all joints - neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hip joint. Perform 5-8 times in one direction, without sudden movements.
- Jogging at a slow pace for about 5 minutes to increase heart rate.
- Performing stretching exercises - squats with a wide setting of the feet, you can stand in the bar to warm up all the muscles.
- Before the sprint, it is recommended to jump out of the squats, before running a distance - a quick run for 2 minutes with a high raising of the knees. Before running, be sure to warm your leg muscles well.
After training, it is imperative to perform a set of exercises for warming up and static stretching. If you do not finish the workout, the muscles the next day will be very sore due to lactic acid, which has accumulated in the muscles during training. By stretching, the athlete accelerates it throughout the body.
Let's demonstrate how interval training in the gym or exercises for quick weight loss at home can look like. The training programs below are arranged in order to increase muscle loads.
Exercise 1
Suitable for beginners. Looks like that:
- Half a minute of fast running or working out on an exercise bike (on the toughest program).
- Rest - 4 minutes.
- Repeat the cycle 4-6 times.
Before performing an exercise on a complex exercise bike program, preparation of the knee joints is required to avoid injuries. To do this, during the warm-up, you need to spend a few minutes just the exercise bike, but perform the exercise at a moderate pace.
Exercise 2
You can perform this interval cardio on a treadmill. Program:
- Fast run - 8-10 seconds.
- Moderate run - 12 seconds.
- Repeat 60 times.
Exercise 3
Interval cardio on an ellipsoid or treadmill :
- Running at the highest possible speed - 15 seconds.
- Less intense running - 30 seconds.
- Repeat 25-30 times.
Exercise 4
Actively loads muscles due to prolonged running at maximum speed. Example:
- Fast run - 4 minutes.
- 3 minutes break
- Repeat 4-5 times.
Classes on such high-intensity programs will not give fat a chance. But it is important to remember that you need to give all your best. If you are not able to squeeze all your strength in interval training, regular cardio training or walking on a treadmill will do more good.
Interval Cardio At Home
Engaging in the interval system without a coach is dangerous. If you want to improve your home exercises for burning fat in this way, then by the time you master interval training, you should:
- Exercise regularly 3 times a week for 3-4 months.
- To be able to perform basic exercises - push-ups, squats, deadlift and pull-ups.
- Perform cardio exercises at least 120 minutes a week.
Ideally, if there is a cardio trainer at home - a treadmill, ellipsoid, exercise bike will do. If not, then you can run in the park or in the stadium. Interval loading should be introduced gradually. At first, this is best done on days free of power loads. For home workouts, motivation and patience are just as important.
Post Workout Nutrition
Many people think that eating after exercise is not necessary. Especially if exercises are performed for quick weight loss at home. Eating after class is not only possible, but also necessary - the body needs to restore the energy expended, and all the food eaten will be directed to this.
Do not forget that during training, the body loses a large amount of water with sweat, so you need to replenish the balance. Water should be drunk both during the class and after it. Do not drink coffee and chocolate for 2 hours after class.
However, those who want to lose weight need to pause and eat only 1.5-2 hours after training. The fact is that during the lesson the process of fat burning starts, which continues for another 2 hours after the end of the exercises. During this period, the body takes energy from fat, and excess weight burns out. Then you can eat protein foods - low-fat cottage cheese, scrambled eggs without yolk, boiled chicken breast or steamed white fish.
In the pursuit of a magical means for burning fat, many do not listen to their body, overload it and only make it worse. It is important to understand that intensity is not a big deal. It is necessary to engage in the program that will be comfortable for the body. She will do more good.