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Interval Training. What is it? How does it work? etc. The phrase interval training has been used or uttered in one way or another quite a bit in recent years and there has been a lot of buzz and excitement about it. And rightly so because it is one of the most efficient methods of burning fat and getting lean as well as other benefits. I am going to discuss interval training and its merits in this article.Interval training is, at the heart of it, exercise that involves carrying out activities at a high intensity for a period of time and followed straight after by a period of rest or lower intensity exercise and repeating these sets. The form of interval training we have come to know now originated somewhat from what is known as “fartlek” training or in its English translation: speed play, and mostly was casual, unstructured training . Fartlek training was developed in Sweden by the coach of the national team to help his athletes become better at competing in cross country meets.
How Does Interval training Work?
Interval training is very efficient in that it helps develop both the aerobic and anaerobic systems of the body. During the high intensity part of the intervals, the body cannot keep up with the demands being placed upon it. Therefore, it has to “call upon” the anaerobic energy system, which in turn uses glycogen from the muscles, to aid in meeting the demands.After the intense effort is done, your body has to repay that “borrowed energy” i.e. it owes oxygen to get those muscles back to their normal state. Its sort of like a “physiological banking system” in that the more energy your body borrowed during an intense effort the more oxygen it owes. This is referred to as an “oxygen debt” and the best way to conceive an oxygen debt is to ensure the effort is so intense that your body has to borrow oxygen. The best activities for doing this are usually sprinting and resistance training among others, but these are the most common. When the body uses the anaerobic system it creates a by product, lactic acid.
( Video intermission: I’m not the biggest fan of Britney Spears but this video was an obvious choice LOL….plus judging by her body she looks like she’s been using intervals in this video anyway)Right, back to business. Lactic acid is a result of very intense work and is related to the burning feeling you get in your muscles when doing high effort activities. Lactic acid used to be frowned upon by coaches but it has been found that using lactic acid as a carbohydrate middleman helps you metabolize carbohydrates from your diet, without increasing insulin or stimulating fat synthesis. In other words, lactic acid aids your weight loss plight because it burns carbohydrates and sequentially, more calories.During the rest period or recovery phase, the aerobic system resumes control again and the heart and lungs work alongside to break down the lactic acid and pay back the oxygen debt. But we now know that to burn fat and calories we need to increase oxygen debt and lactic acid, so go straight back into the high intensity effort before your body has a chance to recover. Do this and your body will increase all the lactic acid and your body will burn like crazy—–even after the workout.
Last Push
That is basically interval training in a nutshell: training hard for a period of time so the body can enter oxygen debt and build lactic acid, allowing the body to recuperate for a little bit and before it can fully recover just get right back into it to ensure you increase oxygen debt and lactic acid.Aside from its fat burning superpowers, interval training helps the body to build new capillaries, and is better able to take in and deliver oxygen to the working muscles as well as help reduce injuries associated with repetitive endurance activities.
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