Interval training is one of THE most
effective ways to burn fat while preserving muscle. When using
cardio training for fat loss, I recommend it almost exclusively
in my programs! This nice thing is, interval training is also
one of THE most effective ways to improve your overall cardiovascular
capacity as well.
There is a LOT of
good information available on what intervals are and how to
perform them. But what often seems to be missing is a detailed
plan that helps you progress from Point A (just starting out
with interval training) to Point B (performing the more challenging
interval training techniques).
The trick is knowing
where to start and how to progress from there. You can't just
jump in and start sprinting up hills without knowing what you're
doing and building yourself up to it. That's a good way to not
only hurt yourself but exhaust yourself as well!
So in response to
this, I've designed an interval training progression plan that
gets you started with the more introductory-level types of interval
training then gradually moves you into the more intense and
challenging interval training techniques.
I'll lay out how
many intervals to do, which style of interval training to do
and how long to do it for. This progression plan will also give
you good variety in your cardio training, which I'm sure you
know can get VERY dull if you keep doing it the same way over
and over.
You see, just like
with weight training, you need to constantly challenge and even
shock your body in order to keep making progress. Otherwise,
your body simply has no reason to adapt and get better. This
plan will do it for you!
The overall goals
with this cardio program are fat loss and improving cardiovascular
capacity. This type of training is NOT a plan I would recommend
if you're trying to build muscle. When training to build muscle,
you want to keep cardio training down to a lower maintenance
level (once or twice a week at most) and this is not a program
that does that.
The program is based
on doing cardio training 3 times per week and can be applied
to basically any method or apparatus of cardio training, be
it running, cycling, elliptical machine, stair machine, etc.
Any cardio based sports activity will work as well (e.g. swimming,
rollerblading).
Choose whatever cardio
activity works best for you, that you enjoy the most or that
you'd most like to improve your performance in, e.g. if you're
a runner, using running as the activity for your interval training.
You can certainly
utilize different cardio activities as you go through the program,
e.g. use treadmill running one day then the elliptical machine
the next. The real key lies in the intensity with which you
do the activities!
Before you start
in on the program, I would encourage you to read through the
following two articles. They'll help you understand what interval
training is all about and introduce you to the different types
of interval training.
What
Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn't The Best For Fat Burning?
The
Insider Secrets of Interval Training - Learn How Now!
EQUIPMENT NOTE:
If you need a good
timer for your intervals, check out the GymBoss
timer. I've been using one recently and it really works
like a charm. Unlike a lot of other timers, it actually has
a vibrate feature that means you don't have to have loud beeping
to know when time is up (great if you train with headphones
on!). You can set the timer to time different work and rest
intervals (e.g. 2 minutes work, 1 minute rest can be programmed
in), which is very nice. It's also not expensive (about 20 bucks).
The timer clips on and is neat little piece of equipment - very
useful for intervals and for weight training rest period timing.
Here's a summary
of the types of interval training we'll be using (these are
taken directly from the second article so if you've read that
article, the info is there - I've listed them here for easier
reference):
1.
Aerobic Interval Training
Aerobic Interval
Training is very beneficial for rapidly improving your aerobic
conditioning as well as burning fat. It will even help you build
up your endurance faster than long-duration cardio! It is also
a very good introductory format for starting interval training.
If you are new to interval training, I highly recommend beginning
with Aerobic Intervals.
This type of interval
training involves relatively long work periods and shorter rest
periods. Work periods are generally 2 to 5 minutes long in this
type of training. The idea is not to take it easy for that work
time but to work at a speed that challenges you to be able to
make it to the end of that work interval. Your 2 minute interval
pace is, therefore, going to be significantly faster than your
5 minute interval pace.
The rest interval
for this type of training is between 30 seconds to a minute.
Naturally, the shorter the rest period, the tougher the training
will be. Too much rest will allow your body to recover too much,
lessening the overall training effect of the exercise.
Here are some examples
of a number of different intervals you can use in your training:
Work |
Rest
|
2 min. |
30 sec. |
5 min. |
1 min. |
3 min. |
45 sec. |
2 min. |
1 min. |
5 min. |
30 sec. |
When using these intervals,
you can choose to stick to the same time intervals (e.g. do
2 minutes hard and 30 seconds slow for the duration of the
workout) or mix it up with different time intervals as you
go through your session. This type of training can generally
be done for about 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Maximal High-Intensity
Intervals
This type of interval
training is VERY high intensity and is VERY effective for fat
loss and cardio training. You essentially push yourself to the
maximum on every single work interval you do! This type of training
is extremely effective when training for sports that require
all-out repeated efforts, such as football, soccer, hockey,
etc. If you want to get faster and recover faster, this is the
type of training for you.
This type of training
sends very powerful signals to the body and the metabolism.
In addition to dramatically ratcheting up the body's metabolism,
maximal-effort training also causes large amounts of Growth
Hormone, one of your body's primary fat burning hormones (the
Fountain of Youth Hormone, as it's sometimes referred to) to
be released into the bloodstream. This two-pronged effect is
very powerful for fat-burning.
Maximal Intervals
are much shorter than Aerobic Intervals. Generally, the longest
you'll be able to perform a maximal effort is around 30 seconds
so all the work intervals are 30 seconds or less.
Rest periods can
be short or long, depending how good of shape a person is in
and/or how much they want to recover in between intervals. Shorter
rest periods make the work intervals more challenging but the
speed of the work will also drop quickly after a few intervals.
Longer rest periods will allow the body to recover a little
more, allowing faster speeds on more intervals. Rest periods
should always be at least as long as the work periods. This
is to allow enough recovery to be able to perform well on the
next work period.
Here are some examples
of Maximal work and rest intervals you can use in your training.
As I mentioned above, you can stick with one time period through
the whole session, or vary your intervals you go through the
workout.
Work |
Rest
|
30 sec. |
30 sec. |
30 sec. |
1 min. |
20 sec. |
1 min. |
10 sec. |
30 sec. |
30 sec. |
2 min. |
Since Maximal Intervals are
so challenging, a person should not expect or try to be able
to jump right in at a high level for a large number of intervals.
It is very important to build yourself up gradually.
Start by performing
five Maximal Intervals the first two sessions you do the training.
The next two sessions, do six Maximal Intervals. Continue adding
intervals in this step-up fashion until you are doing intervals
for a maximum of 15 minutes straight. The exact number of intervals
you do in a session will depend on the times you're using in
your work and rest intervals.
Because Maximal Intervals
are so challenging, you may find yourself getting too fatigued
to perform at a fast pace as you get towards the end. When this
happens, try doing Reverse Pyramid intervals. Instead of keeping
your work interval the same, reduce it by 5 seconds every couple
of intervals.
Here's a sample of
how to do it:
Interval 1 - 30 seconds
hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 2 - 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 3 - 25 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 4 - 25 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 5 - 20 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 6 - 20 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 7 - 15 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
Interval 7 - 15 seconds hard, 30 seconds rest.
3. Sub-Maximal High Intensity
Intervals
Sub-Maximal intervals
are excellent for burning fat and for building up your cardiovascular
conditioning. This type of training will do each of these far
better than continuous-tempo, lower-intensity training.
This type of interval
training is very similar in concept and execution to the Maximal
interval style. The difference is, instead of pushing yourself
as hard as you can on each work interval, you work at a pace
that is somewhat below your max. This allows you to do more
total work intervals during the session while still keeping
your intensity levels high.
Most Interval programs
on cardio machines follow this principle. The resistance/speed
is increased to a higher level for a set period of time then
reduced for a set period of time. The level is not so high that
you must put your maximum effort into each work interval, but
it is at a level you could not keep up for long periods.
This type of training
is also very effective for fat loss and increasing the metabolism.
Intervals in this
style can be longer, since you're not working at maximum speed,
but not much longer. Work periods of 30 seconds to a minute
and rest periods of 30 seconds to a minute work well for it.
Here are some sample intervals you can use in your training:
Work |
Rest
|
30 sec. |
30 sec. |
30 sec. |
1 min. |
1 min. |
1 min. |
1 min. |
30 sec. |
45 sec. |
45 sec. |
This type of training can be
done for about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the intensity
level of the work.
4. Near-Maximal Aerobic
Intervals
This is a unique
form of interval training that I've been working with that basically
combines Aerobic Interval Training with Maximal Interval Training
to allow you to work at near-peak levels for long periods of
time. This has the benefit of burning a tremendous amount of
calories for longer periods of work time than is possible with
normal intervals.
The work intervals
themselves are short but the rest periods are much shorter!
Instead of pushing yourself to the max on every interval, you
work at a pace somewhat short of your max. This type of training
allows you to perform near your max for longer periods of time.
It is a very challenging and unique form of interval training.
Here's how it works:
Start with a work
interval of 20 seconds and a rest interval of 5 seconds. Your
pace should be one that you would only be able to keep up steady
for about 1 to 2 minutes before having to stop. Do that pace
for 20 seconds then go very slow for 5 seconds. Jump right back
in and do that same pace for another 20 seconds then very slow
for 5 seconds. Keep this cycle repeating for a designated period
of time, e.g. 5 minutes, 10 minutes or 15 minutes.
Here are some sample
intervals you can use with this training style:
Work |
Rest
|
20 sec. |
5 sec. |
25 sec. |
5 sec. |
30 sec. |
10 sec. |
15 sec. |
7 sec. |
40 sec. |
10 sec. |
This type of training works
very well with cardio machines that allow you to switch resistance
instantly or very quickly (stationary bikes, stair machines
or elliptical trainers often allow this). Machines that must
cycle slowly through their speeds as they change do not work
well for this (treadmills fall into this category). It can
also be done with running then walking, cycling then pedalling
slowly, or even swimming hard then stroking lazily. You'll
find it very challenging to be having to constantly restart
your momentum from almost scratch on every interval!
Please note: it's
very important that you don't stop completely when you take
your short rest period. Keep yourself moving during this time
even if you're just moving very slowly!
8 Week
Interval Training Progression
-
This basically
assumes you're starting from scratch without interval training
experience but with cardio and weight training experience.
So it's not a total beginner program but it gives you a
good place to start if you've not done intervals before.
-
The three training
days per week can be done at any day of the week, e.g. monday,
wednesday, and friday. I like to include at least one day
off in between cardio days.
-
Cardio can
also be done on the same days as weight training. I would
recommend doing cardio AFTER doing weights as doing cardio
before will affect your strength levels when doing weights.
-
With this program,
we'll gradually be increasing the workload, the intensity
and decreasing rest periods. We'll also be changing up the
different styles of cardio being done.
-
Start each
cardio training session with 2-3 minutes of slow to moderate-pace
warm-up of the specific activity you'll be using.
-
When the program
calls for slow-pace or rest intervals, this basically means
dropping back to a very minimal and easy pace or simply
walking around - nothing challenging at all.
-
After 8 weeks
on this program, take at least a week off cardio training.
When you go back to it, feel free to experiment with other
combinations of interval training - you're going to be in
great cardio shape!
-
Note - these
progressions aren't based on any scientific studies, only
my own experience with interval training with how to best
progress as you do it so that you get the most out of it.
Week
1 - Aerobic Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
2 minutes of faster-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 7 faster-pace
intervals
|
2 minutes of faster-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 7 faster-pace
intervals
|
1 1/2 minutes of faster-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 9 faster-pace
intervals
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for about 5 minutes or so, if you had to.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for about 5 minutes or so, if you had to.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for about 3 minutes or so, if you had to - basically
faster than you did the previous two days
|
Week
2 - Aerobic Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
1 1/2 minutes of faster-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 9 faster-pace
intervals
|
2 minutes of fast-pace
activity then 30 seconds slow pace activity
Perform 9 faster-pace
intervals
|
2 minutes of fast-pace
activity then 30 seconds slow pace activity
Perform 9 faster-pace
intervals
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for about 3 minutes or so, if you had to.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for about 2 to 3 minutes or so, if you had to -
again, a bit faster than you did the previous two
days.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for about 2 to 3 minutes or so, if you had to.
|
Week
3 - Sub-Maximal Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
1 minute of fast-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 6 faster-pace
intervals
|
1 minute of fast-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 8 faster-pace
intervals
|
1 minute of fast-pace
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 10 faster-pace
intervals
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for not a whole lot longer than a minute to a minute
and a half.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for not a whole lot longer than a minute to a minute
and a half.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for not a whole lot longer than a minute to a minute
and a half.
|
Week
4 - Sub-Maximal Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
30 seconds of fast-pace
activity then 30 seconds slow pace activity
Perform 10 faster-pace
intervals
|
30 seconds of fast-pace
activity then 30 seconds slow pace activity
Perform 14 faster-pace
intervals
|
30 seconds of fast-pace
activity then 30 seconds slow pace activity
Perform 18 faster-pace
intervals
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for not a whole lot longer than 45 seconds or so.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for not a whole lot longer than 45 seconds or so.
|
- Faster pace in this
case means a speed which you could only sustain
for not a whole lot longer than 45 seconds or so.
|
Week
5 - Maximal Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
15 seconds of full-out
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 8 full-out intervals
|
15 seconds of full-out
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 10 full-out
intervals
|
20 seconds of full-out
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 10 full-out
intervals
|
- Full out here means
as fast as you can go for the full 15 seconds!
|
- Full out here means
as fast as you can go for the full 15 seconds!
|
- Full out here means
as fast as you can go for the full 20 seconds!
|
Week
6 - Maximal Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
20 seconds of full-out
activity then 1 minute slow pace activity
Perform 12 full-out
intervals
|
30 seconds of full-out
activity then 1 1/2 minutes slow pace activity
Perform 8 full-out intervals
|
30 seconds of full-out
activity then 1 1/2 minutes slow pace activity
Perform 10 full-out
intervals
|
- Full out here means
as fast as you can go for the full 20 seconds!
|
- Full out here means
as fast as you can go for the full 30 seconds!
|
- Full out here means
as fast as you can go for the full 30 seconds!
|
Week
7 - Near-Maximal Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
30 seconds of fast pace
then 10 seconds slow pace activity
Do this for a total
of 15 minutes training time - basically keep alternating
these work and rest intervals until you've done 15
minutes.
|
30 seconds of fast pace
then 10 seconds slow pace activity
Do this for a total
of 18 minutes training time - basically keep alternating
these work and rest intervals until you've done 18
minutes.
|
15 seconds of fast pace
then 5 seconds slow pace activity
Do this for a total
of 15 minutes training time - basically keep alternating
these work and rest intervals until you've done 15
minutes.
|
- Fast pace here means
a pace you could only normally keep for about 1
to 2 minutes.
|
- Fast pace here means
a pace you could only normally keep for about 1
to 2 minutes.
|
- Fast pace here means
a pace you could only normally keep for about 1
minute or so.
|
Week
8 - Near-Maximal Interval Training
Day
1 |
Day
2 |
Day
3 |
15 seconds of fast pace
then 5 seconds slow pace activity
Do this for a total
of 18 minutes training time - basically keep alternating
these work and rest intervals until you've done 18
minutes.
|
25 seconds of fast pace
then 5 seconds slow pace activity
Do this for a total
of 15 minutes training time - basically keep alternating
these work and rest intervals until you've done 15
minutes.
|
25 seconds of fast pace
then 5 seconds slow pace activity
Do this for a total
of 20 minutes training time - basically keep alternating
these work and rest intervals until you've done 20
minutes.
|
- Fast pace here means
a pace you could only normally keep for about 1
minute or so.
|
- Fast pace here means
a pace you could only normally keep for about 1
minute or so.
|
- Fast pace here means
a pace you could only normally keep for about 1
minute or so.
|
Now
take at least a week off cardio
training completely!