Tuesday, October 9, 2007

INTERVALS: The TRUE Fat Burning Cardio

Burn More Calories and Fat, Fast!

Intervals are the perfect solution for Busy Moms.

Intervals are a type of “cardio” workout where you alternate brief, high intensity periods of exercise (where you work out as intensely as you can), with active recovery periods, where you slow down just long enough to catch your breath.

The shorter, more-intense your session, the more calories you burn and you preserve lean muscle, which will make you look tight and lean as you reach your goals. In addition, the shorter, more intense sessions will have a more profound effect on the calories you continue to burn 24 hours after completing your interval session.

How to “Do” Intervals:
EX: Walking on the Treadmill: Basic Program

Start with your normal three to five minute warm-up. About 5 minutes into your session, you will do your first interval, 30 seconds of brisk walking (or jogging). At the end of 30 seconds, you should be winded and ready to slow down. This will be your active recovery period, slowing your walking down for the next 2 minutes. Then repeat by increasing the intensity of your speed for 30 seconds.

3-5 minute warm up
30 sec. "high"
2 minutes "low"
Repeat this pattern for 3 to 8 complete Intervals and finish with a cool down.

If you are new to this style of cardio, you will find that a mere 8 minutes feels quite long and intense. That’s when you know you’ll never have to go back to long, tedious, time-wasting cardio again.

Intervals for Fat Loss:
The shorter and more intense the visit, the better.

Plus, they burn calories and fat after the training session, and that’s something you won’t get from slower, longer sessions of cardio.


NOTE: You should not do intervals every day. You also will want to gradually add intervals to your workout routine, doing too much too soon may cause injury.


Next Up....The BEST Fat Burner

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gotta love intervals! Fast and effective!

Anonymous said...

After many years of doing longer, tedious cardio sessions, I now know that it was having an adverse effect. I haven't been doing them long but love intervals and they are much easier to fit into my day. Thanks Holly x