Interval Training For Fat Loss
One of the best programming methodologies you can use to drop that unwanted body fat is internal training. Hard, short bursts movement, that saves you time in the gym, and allows for a lot of variation so you don’t get bored.
Why are they effective?
They utilise your anaerobic energy system when done correctly. This, in turn, improves your conditioning so you can tackle all aspects of life, helps develop your central nervous system, improves your metabolism AND build muscle!
Add all these amazing training effects together and it makes it a go-to for fat loss…
And the workouts available limitless…
You can run some sand dunes, do track sprints, EMOM’s, circuits, sandbag cleans and even tyre flips…
You name it you can use it and implement when you understand the programming correctly…
And this is where it can all go wrong…
It is also by far the most butchered training methodology I see implemented to date by trainers and Instagram fitspo’s…
Hence why I have put forth this blog post…
It used to be “ Don’t believe everything you read on the internet kids’
It should now be “ Don’t believe everything you see on Instagram”
In fact, just because someone’s lean, fit and has a lot of followers doesn’t mean they are a coach or an expert in their field…
So to save you time having to sift through all the rubbish you may find online, I have decided to give you my top tips for implementing interval training in your weekly routine :
- Keep workouts short, sharp and effective. 10 – 30 minutes depending on the intensity is more than enough. Honestly, if you still feel like you can do more, you weren’t working hard enough!
- Your intervals you be anywhere between 10 to 45 seconds. The shorter the time, the higher the intensity should be. If you are new to intervals start with longer ones, lower intensity blocks and build up over time.
- Your rest periods will generally depend on your training history and current level of fitness. If you are new to intervals try starting with a relatively equal work to rest ratio, starting with the slightly less intense time blocks of 30-45 seconds. If you feel like you are ready to tackle those all-out efforts start with 1:4 work to rest slowly decreasing over the week 1:3, 1:2… and so on. So if week one you are a doing a 30-second effort on the rower you will rest for 2 minutes, eventually decreasing to 90s, 60s and then 30 seconds.
- Intervals are meant to be hard. Remind yourself of them before you start and when you are hurting. You should be pushing an 8-9 out of 10 RPE (Rated Perceived Exertion) with each effort. This way it’s extremely important to start building up to the higher intensity 10-second range. Take your time and gradually build there.
- Listen to your body. It is not ideal to do these style of workouts if you have had a poor nights sleep, are highly stressed/rundown or getting sick.
If you have any more questions please feel free to reach out.
Best Regards
D.B