How To Do Interval Training

Interval training consists of a basic principle, with a few refinements added as you go on. The basic principle is that you exercise quite hard for a short time - perhaps a minute; then continue exercising but gently for about two minutes; then you resume exercising much harder for a minute or so; then go gently for two minutes. This is repeated for around 10-20 minutes. That's it! Repeat 3-4 times a week - or daily if you like, changing the muscle groups you are working.

You can apply the principle to virtually any aerobic exercise you might have been doing - swimming, jogging, walking. You can also apply it to gym work - abdominal crunches, biceps curls, push ups. You can even apply it to calisthenics. This is a great exercise combination - calisthenics and interval training, which Al Sears talks about at length in his book.

Begin Interval Training Now

Here is a guide to developing your own beginner's routine to get you into interval training.

1. A beginner's interval training routine

You should aim for this to be - you always start off gently and build up slowly.

Begin with a warm up for 2-3 minutes, doing whatever exercise you have chosen for 1-2 minutes. Then start the first "set".

A "set" is a period of exertion followed by a period of recovery.

Start with 1 minute exertion and 1 minute recovery. During your first "exertion" push yourself fairly hard. After one minute you enter "recovery" phase for 1-2 minutes. This means you do the same exercise slowly - so, jog slowly, row slowly, swim slowly - until your breathing has returned to normal. Then you do your next minutes of "exertion".

If your exercise does not lend itself to doing slowly - eg push ups - then just jog for 1-2 minutes while your breathing and heart rate return to normal.

If you need longer to recover, then take as long as you need.

Now you have a "set" of three minutes - a minute of exertion and 2 minutes (or so) or recovery. On the first day, repeat this set three times (if you can). In addition to the warm up, that's probably just ten minutes it has taken you today.

Leave a day in between for your muscles to recover.

The day after that - two days after your first day, repeat. After a few days, increase the intensity of the exertion phase. You are aiming to be sweating by the end of your session.

2. Increase the pressure

In the third week increase the exertion so you are working harder. If you are an exercise bike, turn up the resistance setting; if swimming, swim harder. If walking - walk faster. Don't increase too much though - you will be increasing again in two weeks.

Add an extra set if you like - so repeat 3 or 4 times.

Now, here's another important factor with interval training. As you increase your exertion every two weeks, you also reduce the time spent. So, for weeks 3 and 4, exert yourself for just 50 seconds, with a one minute recovery.
 
Don't forget to warm up every time for a minute or two.

3. Weeks five and six

At week five, reduce the exertion phase to 40 seconds and continue with one minute (longer if required) recovery.

4. Weeks seven and eight

Now for weeks seven and eight. Step up the pressure once again and do the exertion phase as fast as you can for 30 seconds. After this time you will really be puffing and panting. Recover for as long as it takes you. Repeat for 4-5 sets.

That's the end of the beginner's routine.

You can apply this method to many types of exercise, as mentioned. To get the most benefit it is vital to vary the exercises you use. So perhaps change your exercise for the second 6 week period. This is to stop your body getting used to what you are doing, which is less beneficial.

This is sometimes called "confusion exercise".

5. The Next Step

This starting routine encapsulates the basic principals of interval training. There is more to it, though and you should develop it.

As you move on, you build on the starting routine to:

• Make it more comprehensive - for upper, middle and lower body
• Make it progressively tougher - which is good for health.
• Make it more flexible. For example, you can develop a programme for you to take away with you - that you can do in a hotel room or friend's house without any equipment at all.

6. Instruction in Interval Training

You really need to follow a programme of interval training to get the most from it.

Certainly with Al Sears' book, you get in depth training on how to make sure you are not overdoing it - by working out your target heartbeat rate and breathing rate at various points in the exercise cycle. This is important information.

Not 100% Healthy?

If you are ill or very overweight or taking prescription drugs, check with your doctor before starting, and begin very, very gently.

Also, definitely get Al Sears' book, which strongly recommends you consider interval training nevertheless, and has good instructions. Al Sears has successfully got many heart patients onto his interval training methods (he calls it the PACE method) with great success.