Why You Should do Interval Training

By Jonas Forsberg October 31, 2008: (0)

Hey guys,

Today I got a very important message for those of you who spend hours doing cardio training and aren’t satisfied with the results you achieve.

First off, let me give you a little explanation to what Interval Training is:

  • A training method where you alternate hard work with easy work. An example may be that you run at 80% of your maximum effort for 15 sec, and then you jog for about 30 sec. That’s one interval. You repeat that motion for the desired number of times.

So what are the benefits of doing interval training?

Research has shown that interval based training may burn up to 9 times as much fat as steady state cardio. I say “up to”, because the scientific proof says somewhere between 4-9 times as much. But hey, 4 times as much as steady state cardio ain’t too bad, right?

It certainly works for me!

Any other benefits of doing Interval Training? Sure, take a look at this list:

  • Time-efficient
    When doing Interval Training, you will see great results from a workout that only lasts 10 min. So with a proper warm-up and cool-down session, you can without a doubt be done in 15-20 min.
  • Increase Muscle Mass
    Interval Training and Sprint based training have been shown to even increase muscle mass. This has to do with the high intensity of work you are doing, which by translating it, means that your muscles are working harder and are under a higher workload than when doing slow cardio.
  • Burn calories hours later
    Steady state cardio burn calories during your actual workout, but not after your workout is done. What Interval Training does is that it’s burning calories, according to research, up to 24 hours after completed workout.

So let me ask you a question: why aren’t you performing Interval Training instead of regular cardio?

The answer to that differs from person to person, but one common reason often is that Interval Training is tougher to do than regular cardio. Interval Training forces you to get out of your comfort zone.

My solution is that if you are a healthy individual without any medical conditions, then give it a try at least. It is tougher than regular cardio, but it has SO MANY benefits that you’d be stupid not to include it into your workout schedule!

Stop staying in the comfort zone all the time. Go ahead, put on your sneakers and make a sweat!

Until next time,
Jonas

PS. My new workout program Burn Fat at Home is filled with smart and time-efficient workouts (such as Interval Training) that will shred your belly fat and make you more attractive. Take a look at it at: Burn Fat at Home

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