photo credit: Amber Karnes
I am a huge fan of interval training. So much so that I've pretty much abandoned the long cardio sessions I was accustomed to doing. However, I began to wonder how much interval training should be done during the week as well as how long the sessions should be. Fortunately, I found the answers from Craig Ballantyne's blog, the creator of Turbulence Training.
What are Intervals?
Interval workouts are short bursts of intense exercise followed by short intervals of easy exercises. For example:
- Run fast paced for 30 seconds
- Jog lightly for 90 seconds
- Repeat for 6 rounds
How Often Should You Do Intervals
I like the way Craig sums it up on his blog:
Well, the truth is that you shouldn't be able to do interval training every day. If you can do interval training six times a week then you’re not busting your butt hard enough in the interval training in the first place.
It's all about quality. If you're putting in full effort into each interval workout, you will need recovery time. Interval workouts should also be short. Twenty minutes is usually enough if you're going all out. Three times a week should also be sufficient.
If you're going to do interval training, focus on quality. More than likely, you will be wiped out by the time you reach 20 minutes. The great thing about interval training is that you can change up your workouts because there are tons of exercises you can do. You'll also spend less time working out. Now that it's officially spring, you can even enjoy performing intervals outdoors.
Summing it Up
- Give it full effort for each workout.
- 20 minutes is probably average for most interval workouts.
- Three times a week is sufficient.
- Give yourself recovery time.
For more information, learn from the expert on interval training, Craig Ballantyne.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
People who can’t afford good time on exercises and because of the “less time factor involved”, interval workouts are better and are helpful for your fitness.
I’ve been following Craig Ballantyne’s teachings for years. I haven’t done steady-state cardio in over 4 years thanks to his methods. Heck his method gave me an upper-hand when I started Insanity, lol.
Interval training works. No doubt.
I think interval training workouts are amazing – as a female, it’s hard to lose weight, and I’ve gotten the best weight loss and toning results through interval and circuit training (I also do Yoga several times a week, which has helped a lot too. And I run once pr twice a week). I did it with Kaia F.I.T., which is just for women, but I would still recommend for anyone…
I agree with the fact that you can’ t do interval training every day. Or you will be drained really quick and get injured.
I have had a good deal of success with interval training in the past – it keeps me more interested (or less bored!) with my workout and has made me a faster runner. I recently began the Adonis Effect workout, which incorporates some interval training for fat loss, and it is working wonders – I wrote about it on my site at http://www.scienceofsimplicity.com/the-adonis-effect-workout-the-simple-and-scientific-way-to-build-muscle/
Thanks for the great content and keep up the good work!
i totally agree with this, interval training is great for my health and staying in better shape. Im always so tired that I often dont look forward to the same old workout but with interval the constant change keeps me focused and interested .
i totally agree with this, interval training is great for my health and staying in better shape. Im always so tired that I often dont look forward to the same old workout but with interval the constant change keeps me focused and interested .
I agree that interval training cannot be performed everyday, as due to its nature it is quite intense and you will find that you will become low on energy after around 3-4 successive sessions. I am a big believer of interval training and incorporate it into my workout routine. But it is vitally important to mix things up giving certain parts of your body a little more time to recover.
Interval training is one of the best training tools to use no matter what your training goal. Its great for fat loss, strength building, muscle growth and even for endurance training in which studies have shown that high intensity exercise can increase aerobic endurance as well as anaerobic endurance. As a personal trainer I use interval type training for my clients who have 30min sessions and to quote one of my clients, ” Damn you were right. I didnt think you could squeeze 2 hours worth of training into 30 minutes but you did it.” Interval training is a great tool that everyone should try once they are prepared for the rigorous activity.
For get loose of your weight first you must get real and keep up for a good training. Second if you want to have some shapes on you you must double or triple your efforts. and in every move you do you must do corectly because fakenning the exercise, you fake yourself. That’s what i think every time when i got my foots in the gym.
This is the third one from Eartha. This is really a great job giving health buff some good to kn ow stuff to lose weight or achieving our fitness goals. This one really is my favorite. Is this interval workout also known as the circuit training? im not really sure about that because I had done circuit training before. The wrong thing about it is the everyday thing that i was doing. I didn’t let my muscles relax for a coupe of days.
Right now im doing sprint running and brisk walks everyday but I think I need to develop my muscles as well. Thanks for the info, Eartha.
I have been doing intervals with my running and really like it. I’d like to learn more about interval training but all I can find are these spammy infomercial type websites. Can anyone recommend a good source for interval training tips?
I think interval training is a fabulous way to not only increase your strength but also increase your cardio! I love it because I hate running and it gives me a challenge!
Its the way to go.
I do interval training on the treadmill and find that it keeps me more interested in my workouts. At least I get the combination of aerobic and anaerobic activity.