Interval Resistance Training - How To Get Maximum Results In Minimum Time
With today's exceptionally busy and hectic college schedules, fitness, health & working out too often take a back seat.
This needn't be the case however as there is a way to stay active without wasting hours in the gym - interval training.
Interval training is simply alternating periods of work with periods of rest.
Studies on interval training have showed that when it came down to it, interval training proved 9 times more effective at burning fat than any other form of training.
One study in particular sparked attention.
A 1996 study by Dr.
Izumi Tabata showed that 4 minutes of specifically timed intervals substantially improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity above and beyond what was seen in a group exercising for 60 minutes.
This means both increased fat loss and muscle gain over traditional drawn out cardio.
The challenge with Tabata training is it can be very gruelling, without a high level of intensity the benefits begin to diminish.
I model my workout protocols around the study by Dr.
Izumi Tabata.
By this I mean the interval timing which I will describe below.
But I feel we can improve on the fat loss achieved if we use principles of bodyweight & resistance interval training to maximize the amount of muscle activated in a given time frame and then maximize the afterburn (a brief period after interval training that your body burns massive amounts of calories even at rest) with a short 20 minutes of cool down steady state cardio (see this is where your "normal" cardio is useful.
) It's important to note that even though the whole idea of interval training might be revolutionary and very effective; it's still just one tool in the tool box.
The true synergism will come when you use this tool with others like sound nutrition and of course powerful mindset strategies (Jedi mind tricks usually).
Choosing Exercises: There is an endless supply of movements to choose from when designing a training program.
Some work great with this style of interval training while others do not.
You should choose movements that fit certain basic criteria: 1.
Easy to do 2.
Limited or no equipment 3.
Minimal space required 4.
Maximum muscle group involvement (compound moves) 5.
Low injury risk That's it.
Some moves do not fit all the criteria - take a bicep curl for example, in my list of requirements above it covers 1, 2, 3 & 5 but not 4.
On top of that - given that it does not stimulate much muscle mass means that it doesn't work for our purposes.
A power clean uses almost every muscle there is, but as it is a relatively difficult movement to teach it violates requirements 1 & 5 and thus is also not a great choice for us.
Here are some sample exercises that fit all criteria: Squats, Pushups, Lunges, Rows, Mountain Climbers or Jumping Jacks.
Equipment You Need One of the great things about this type of training is that you do not *need* any equipment.
You can achieve truly remarkable results with only your body weight.
That said, workouts can be included that use dumbbells, some that use a band and an occasional jump rope all of which can add to your results, but none of which are what I would call essential.
Maximizing Your Results Choose 2 exercises, for example - Squats & Pushups.
The workout protocol will be 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 rounds repeated 2-3 times.
This combines for a total of 4 minutes for each round, or only 8-12 minutes for the total workout.
Sounds simple right? But let me be clear about this: As with most things in life you get out of it what you put in to it; 20 seconds on means you are *ON* 110% effort.
Give that 20 seconds all that you have; it doesn't matter what your level is, do as much as you can in that time frame.
The more you put in the more you will get out.
As important as it is that you perform as much work as you can in the 20 seconds, it is even more important that you pay close attention to form Proper form decreases your chances of injury, and you will live on to work out another day.
This needn't be the case however as there is a way to stay active without wasting hours in the gym - interval training.
Interval training is simply alternating periods of work with periods of rest.
Studies on interval training have showed that when it came down to it, interval training proved 9 times more effective at burning fat than any other form of training.
One study in particular sparked attention.
A 1996 study by Dr.
Izumi Tabata showed that 4 minutes of specifically timed intervals substantially improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity above and beyond what was seen in a group exercising for 60 minutes.
This means both increased fat loss and muscle gain over traditional drawn out cardio.
The challenge with Tabata training is it can be very gruelling, without a high level of intensity the benefits begin to diminish.
I model my workout protocols around the study by Dr.
Izumi Tabata.
By this I mean the interval timing which I will describe below.
But I feel we can improve on the fat loss achieved if we use principles of bodyweight & resistance interval training to maximize the amount of muscle activated in a given time frame and then maximize the afterburn (a brief period after interval training that your body burns massive amounts of calories even at rest) with a short 20 minutes of cool down steady state cardio (see this is where your "normal" cardio is useful.
) It's important to note that even though the whole idea of interval training might be revolutionary and very effective; it's still just one tool in the tool box.
The true synergism will come when you use this tool with others like sound nutrition and of course powerful mindset strategies (Jedi mind tricks usually).
Choosing Exercises: There is an endless supply of movements to choose from when designing a training program.
Some work great with this style of interval training while others do not.
You should choose movements that fit certain basic criteria: 1.
Easy to do 2.
Limited or no equipment 3.
Minimal space required 4.
Maximum muscle group involvement (compound moves) 5.
Low injury risk That's it.
Some moves do not fit all the criteria - take a bicep curl for example, in my list of requirements above it covers 1, 2, 3 & 5 but not 4.
On top of that - given that it does not stimulate much muscle mass means that it doesn't work for our purposes.
A power clean uses almost every muscle there is, but as it is a relatively difficult movement to teach it violates requirements 1 & 5 and thus is also not a great choice for us.
Here are some sample exercises that fit all criteria: Squats, Pushups, Lunges, Rows, Mountain Climbers or Jumping Jacks.
Equipment You Need One of the great things about this type of training is that you do not *need* any equipment.
You can achieve truly remarkable results with only your body weight.
That said, workouts can be included that use dumbbells, some that use a band and an occasional jump rope all of which can add to your results, but none of which are what I would call essential.
Maximizing Your Results Choose 2 exercises, for example - Squats & Pushups.
The workout protocol will be 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 8 rounds repeated 2-3 times.
This combines for a total of 4 minutes for each round, or only 8-12 minutes for the total workout.
Sounds simple right? But let me be clear about this: As with most things in life you get out of it what you put in to it; 20 seconds on means you are *ON* 110% effort.
Give that 20 seconds all that you have; it doesn't matter what your level is, do as much as you can in that time frame.
The more you put in the more you will get out.
As important as it is that you perform as much work as you can in the 20 seconds, it is even more important that you pay close attention to form Proper form decreases your chances of injury, and you will live on to work out another day.