Giving Traditional Cardio a Rest
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Recently I have been including interval training into my workouts. My cardio workouts consist of what is considered “traditional cardio.” I run and use the cardio machines at the gym (treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bike) but since I’ve been learning more about the benefits of interval training, I figured I’d try a sample routine and all I can say is wow! Yesterday my workout included squats, push-ups, lunges, jumping jacks, and mountain climbers. All done one right after the other with little rest in between for 3 sets.
If you are stuck in a rut with traditional cardio, there are some excellent reasons why you may want to consider interval training.
Reasons to Incorporate Intervals
- The Mighty Fat Burner - Fat burning is one of the biggest benefits of interval training. Your body burns fat long after the workout is over.
- Metabolism Booster - By building lean muscle using intervals, your metabolism gets a major boost because your muscles continue to burn calories even while you are at rest.
- Time Saver - Intervals don’t require a lot of your time. A good interval training session only requires 30 to 45 minutes or so of your time. You can perform them every day or at least 3 times per week.
- Build Strength - Many interval exercises require nothing more than your own body weight. As you become better, you are also becoming stronger. Imagine finally being able to do push-ups or pull-ups or increasing the amount you can already do.
- Kiss Boredom Goodbye - Interval training means never becoming bored with the typical exercises you usually do. There are so many great interval routines available, you will find exercising fun and challenging.
I plan on cutting back my running to 3 days per week and increasing my interval workouts. It will be interesting to see the changes it will bring.
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Comments
Interval exercise is the ultimate weight loss cardio workout. To burn fat and maximize metabolism this is the way to go as time is something most of us don’t have.
I agree, intervals are great—especially when you are pressed for time. It sounds like you had a great combination of FUN exercises!!
I love doing intervals as a fun way to break up the monotony of workouts - and the benefits are tremendous. Thanks for reminding us about this.