Interval-training workouts give you better results in less time – no wonder they’re popular in gyms around the country. But they don’t just help you burn fat fast. They build stamina, boost cardiovascular fitness and can be done just about anywhere. What exactly are they? Read on to find out how to incorporate intervals into your fat-burning workout...
When time is scarce, exercise is often the first thing to go from the to-do list. For busy women, it can be difficult to manage even 30 minutes a day, the minimum recommended by research organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine.
But what if you could squeeze in a fat-burning workout in half that time? Instead of spending 30-60 minutes plodding along on a treadmill, you can get the same benefits from 15 minutes of interval training, researchers have found.
“Regardless of your fitness background, intervals are more efficient,” says San Diego sports medicine specialist John M. Martinez, M.D., team physician for USA Triathlon.
Interval training alternates strenuous exercise with moderate rest periods every few minutes or less. Because your body has a hard time adjusting to the unpredictable activity, you gain endurance and power more quickly, studies show.
In a 2010 study at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, participants sprinted on a stationary bike for 10 one-minute periods with 75 seconds of rest in between, three times a week. They experienced the same improvements in fitness as those who performed hours of conventional biking at an easy pace.
In a 2009 study, participants did 4-6 intervals, alternating 30 seconds of high-intensity cycling with four minutes of easy cycling. They raised their metabolism, making their bodies more efficient at using glucose, after doing just six of these workouts over the course of two weeks, according to researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Interval-training workouts widen the network of blood vessels that supply muscles and boost the number of mitochondria (structures that produce energy within the body’s cells), thereby increasing endurance, according to the McMaster researchers.
But, fair warning: You do have to work hard during the high-intensity periods to make this a fat-burning workout – maybe harder than you’re used to.
That means increasing your speed when you’re walking, running or cycling, says Gregory Florez, CEO of FitAdvisor.com and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). You can also increase the intensity by raising the incline on a treadmill, setting an exercise bike or elliptical machine on a higher level, or walking on hilly terrain outdoors, he says.
But don’t overdo it.
“This doesn’t mean you must start sprinting if you’ve only been walking [until now],” Florez says.
To avoid injury, increase intensity in small increments every 7-10 days, but no more.
“You should see tighter muscles and more definition within 4-6 weeks,” Florez says.
You’ll also increase your endurance – and burn more calories, Martinez says.
There are two reasons interval training makes a great fat-burning workout, says Tom Holland, CSCS, author of Beat the Gym: Personal Trainer Secrets – Without the Personal Trainer Price Tag (William Morrow, 2011).
First, you’re keeping your heart rate elevated at a higher rate than you would with regular cardio exercise. Then, you’re continuing to burn more fat afterward, due to post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
The number of excess calories and the length of EPOC time depends on your fitness level and the intensity and length of your workout.
“The longer and more intense the workout, the greater the EPOC,” Holland says.
How to Get Started with a Fat-Burning Workout
An effective 15-minute interval workout starts with a three-minute warm-up, followed by about 10 minutes alternating hard exercise with slower moves (known as “recovery” or “active rest”). Finish with a 3-5-minute cool-down.
How long should each interval be?
“You’d typically do a 30-second high-intensity interval followed by a 30-second recovery interval,” Holland says. That’s known as a 1:1 ratio of work to active rest – the same amount of time for each.
If you’re a beginner, you may need a longer recovery period, Holland says. Try 30 seconds of hard exercise alternating with 60 seconds of active rest – or a 1:2 ratio.
For example, if you’re exercising on a treadmill, you might alternate 30 seconds of running with 60 seconds of walking.
In the high-intensity period, go as fast as you safely can in the amount of time you’ve set.
“The shorter the interval, the harder the intensity should be,” Holland says.
If you’re not an experienced exerciser, or if you have any physical issues, don’t go all-out – aim for a moderate level of exertion, enough to raise your breathing rate. You’ll still get benefits without risking injury.
3 Interval-Training Workouts
To burn fat faster, do these heart-pumping programs once or twice a week in place of longer, slower cardio workouts, Martinez suggests. (But don’t do them two days in a row – your muscles will need time to recover.)
Treadmill intervals are a good way to get started, because “most treadmills have interval programs (sometimes called ‘hills’),” Martinez says.
Any one of these are good as a fat-burning workout – or mix them up for better overall fitness and variety.
Fat-Burning Workout #1: Walking Program
This is a good choice if you’re new to interval-training workouts, Holland says. Try it on a treadmill or outdoor walking path, depending on your mood and the weather.
Your high-intensity intervals will consist of fast walking (or running) – the speed will vary according to your fitness level, but you should be breathing hard. (You can also raise the treadmill incline.) Recovery intervals should include moderate-paced walking – slow enough that you can catch your breath.
Start by alternating 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise with 30 seconds (or longer) of recovery. As you get fitter, gradually increase both intervals until you reach two minutes.
Walking interval-workout sample:
Warm-up: Walk at a slow-to-moderate pace for three minutes.
Intervals:
1. Alternate 30 seconds of fast walking with 30 seconds-1 minute of moderate walking. Keep doing this for about 10 minutes, and gradually work up to 20.
Cool-down: Walk slowly and do some stretching for 3 minutes or more.
Fat-Burning Workout #2: Stair Intervals
Do this workout wherever you can find a long flight of stairs, indoors or out.
Walk up stairs for high-intensity intervals and down stairs for recovery. Beginners should start with 10-to-15-second intervals, walking up one step at a time.
Gradually increase intervals, but don’t exceed two minutes for each. If you’re an avid exerciser, try running upstairs; increase the challenge by taking two stairs at a time. Begin with a 5-minute warm-up and end with a 3-5-minute cool-down.
Stair-climbing interval-workout sample:
Warm-up: Slowly walk up and down stairs for 3-5 minutes.
Intervals:
1. Alternate 30 seconds of quickly walking up stairs with 30-60 seconds walking down stairs (of course, this will partly depend on when you reach the bottom).
2. Continue for a total of 10-15 minutes, taking rest breaks as needed.
Cool-down: Walk on level ground for a few minutes.
Fat-Burning Workout #3: Cardio and Resistance Combo
“Exercisers who want to burn fat faster can try a cycle of cardio and strength training,” Holland says.
Going directly from weight to cardio exercises keeps your heart rate elevated longer, resulting in greater overall fitness, adds Florez.
Although it’s possible to perform body-weight exercises such as push-ups outdoors, you’ll probably be most comfortable doing this in a gym.
Leave at least 48 hours between these workouts (and possibly 3 days if you experience too much soreness). Although there are built-in recovery periods, take extra rest breaks whenever you need to – the point is to increase your fitness level gradually.
Cardio-resistance interval-workout sample:
Warm-up: Walk briskly (4 mph) on a treadmill for three minutes.
Intervals:
1. Walk fast (or run) for 30 seconds.
2. Walk at a moderate pace for 30 seconds.
3. Get off the treadmill and perform as many squats as you can (safely and with perfect form) in 30 seconds. (To see how to do a squat, go here.)
4. Do as many push-ups as you can (also safely and with perfect form) in 30 seconds. (To see how to do a regular or knee push-up, go here.)
5. Immediately get back on the treadmill and walk or run as fast as you can for 30 seconds.
6. Walk at a moderate pace for 30 seconds.
7. Repeat entire series at least once.
Cool-down: Walk slowly and do some stretching for three minutes or more.
As you get fitter, you may be able to repeat the entire cycle more than once – or you can continue with more fast/slow walking intervals, without doing more squats and push-ups.
What’s Your Fitness Style?
Aspects of your personality determine the kind of exerciser you are, so if you’re in a fitness rut, it’s time to put your unique interests back into the workout equation.
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