We understand the effectiveness of the most fashionable trend in fitness.
We are sure that fitness trackers are known to everyone: thanks to a small wrist bracelet or an application in the phone, you can track the number of steps taken. There is an opinion that only 10 thousand steps a day will benefit not only our health, but also allow us to get the body in shape better than working out in the gym. And if the doctors have long figured out the first statement and proved that this is just a myth and does not have a positive effect, as well as a negative one, then about the second, that is, giving the muscles tone, many coaches are ready to argue, because 10 thousand steps never cannot replace a set of exercises, and sometimes a 5-minute interval training will be several times more effective.
Together with the trainer, we figure out what interval training is and what is its benefit.
Elite trainer, supervisor of the World Class Metropolis gym.
What it is?
From the point of view of methodology, interval training is a time-regulated alternation of work and rest intervals. That is, in fact, a large number of workouts fall under the present definition. At the same time, speaking of “interval”, most often they mean such training in which periods of high intensity alternate, when the pulse reaches 90–95% of the maximum value, and low intensity, corresponding to the pulse of 60–65% of the maximum. The last interval is called recovery, which, as a rule, is very limited in time (usually a minute and a half), which determines the overall intensity of the session as quite high. Therefore, this workout is most often referred to as high-intensity interval training.
Benefit
There are three main advantages. First, such activities are usually shorter in duration. This saves time, especially for those who live in the frantic rhythm of a metropolis. Sometimes a 30-minute workout is enough to get an effect similar to a full hour or an hour and a half lesson. Hence the second advantage is efficiency, that is, the ratio of the result obtained and the resources expended (including time). Finally, interval training isn’t boring. Everything goes very dynamically, quickly, plus, using even a minimal set of exercises, you can build a rather interesting lesson, which also allows you to build a generally varied training process.
How to help you lose weight
Of course, weight loss cannot be possible without an appropriate diet. But there is no need to sit on strict diets. It is important to maintain a negative energy balance, that is, the number of calories consumed with food should be less than the number of calories consumed by the body. And from this point of view, interval training will bring a significant plus towards the energy consumption of the body. Moreover. Consider this case: if you do not exercise at all, while your weight is stable, then with the addition of physical activity and maintaining the diet, the body will begin to get rid of extra pounds. However, it is worth remembering that the main role of training is to develop the physical qualities of the body, and not to reduce weight.
To suit
Another important nuance that is worth mentioning when talking about interval training: for whom such training is suitable. Since there are periods of high intensity in these classes, this type of training is suitable for people with a high level of training. Also, such exercises are not recommended for those who have any diseases of the cardiorespiratory system. Therefore, for beginners and people with excessive excess excess weight, less intense activities are suitable to start – despite the great temptation to win in terms of efficiency, start with lighter and longer, more uniform loads. After all, health is a key aspect of fitness. Smoothly rebuild your habits, get involved in the exercise process, and then the time will come to taste the high-intensity interval training.