Interval training is a ‘work and rest’ fitness routine that focuses on short bursts of high intense activity followed by periods of rest and recovery. The goal is to go as hard as you can during your periods of ‘work’ and completely rest during your periods of ‘recovery’.
Everyone’s body and level of intensity differ, therefore you push yourself as hard as you can. It’s not as much a competition against your neighbor, as it is against yourself.
Interval training has many benefits, such as increasing endurance, spiking metabolism, and getting the heart pounding, all in a short amount of time. At Innovative Results, we love to incorporate interval training routines into our classes because we understand that our clients are willing to work hard for safe, healthy, and fast results.
Interval training can be done as both an aerobic and anaerobic exercise. For example, you can create a routine of heart-pounding cardio exercises that take your body into an aerobic state, or you can blend in anaerobic exercises to challenge your strength, balance, and endurance. The foundations of interval training allow you to tailor your routine to fit your needs.
There are three types of interval training- Fartlek Training, Sprint Interval Training, and High Intensity Interval Training. Fartlek and sprint trainings are associated with aerobic cardio workouts like running, while High Intensity Interval Training, aka HIIT, focuses on short bursts of intense anaerobic exercises. All three incorporate a 1:1 ratio of work to rest. For example – one minute of work followed by one minute of rest, 30 seconds of work to 30 seconds of rest, and so on. As you continue to practice interval training, you increase the intensity, and can rest for shorter amounts of time.
WHY WE LOVE INTERVAL TRAINING
- Supercharges your fuel efficiency – taps into your fats + carb for fuel
- Boosts your power and endurance – raises your lactate threshold and improves your performance
- Saves you time – an interval training workout can range from 15-45 minutes
- Reduces your risk of injury – avoids overusing the same muscles
- It’s fast paced and fun! – time flies during interval training
At Innovative Results we make sure our workouts are fresh, fun, and effective. The interval training method allows our trainers to utilize all of our equipment, as well as our playground fitness center, to create unique routines that target a variety of muscle groups.
