Interval Training Unlocks the Key to Fitness

2011-01-24T20:39:26-06:00

It's no secret that I am obsessed with Interval Training. I have been teaching this technique for many years and consider it the ultimate workout for busy people because you can truly get in amazing shape without spending hours in the gym.

Interval Training is defined as short, repeated bouts of intense exercise intermixed with minimal rest. I call it "mixing it up" in my classes and online workouts and you will find that you truly can burn major calories and get an all-over workout in less than 30 minutes!

Not only are there a lot of hard bodies in my classes to back this up, there is also a lot of new research that points to Interval Training as a key component of optimal fitness.

Recently Canadian researchers found that Interval Training increased muscle oxidative capacity by 50%, muscle glycogen by 50% and endurance capacity by 100%. The subjects in the study made these phenomenal improvements by exercising a mere 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week in 2 total weeks.

Interval training not only is a great cardiovascular exercise tool, but it also will help you build lean muscles that will give you toned shape you may be looking for. When you see people who are "cut", chances are they are partaking in Interval Training and getting the results.

So how can you do interval training at home? The first rule to remember is that rest is minimal. I often use a timer in my Boot Camps and online workouts to keep people on track, and our "breaks" are never more than 10 seconds. Try doing a cardio exercise (i.e. Jumping Jacks, Jump Rope) for 50 seconds, followed by a 10 second rest. Quickly move on to 50 seconds of pushups, followed by another 10 second rest. Repeat this for 10 minutes and you will quickly get a real-life demonstration of Interval Training and it's effectiveness.

For more Interval Training workouts, please feel free to stop by www.corecamper.com and see what you're missing!