Interval training. Effective interval training is the secret to a slim body Unusual circuit strength training

Interval training is a young type of physical activity, which, however, occupies a leading position not only among amateurs, but also among professional athletes. Beginning sports enthusiasts use the interval method as an active fat-burning program that helps get rid of extra pounds and emphasize definition. Professional athletes use interval training immediately before sports competitions, which allows them to prepare their body for further high-intensity loads in the shortest possible time.

Basic principles of interval training

Interval training, used to lose weight, give the body definition or improve endurance, is the most effective and optimal type of physical activity that does not require much time or money.

Anyone who wants to lose extra pounds is usually recommended to do cardio training.

Interval training has a number of principles:

• the meaning of interval training is cycles that consist of high and low intensity intervals;
• number of cycles in one workout from 5 to 15;
• before the start of the training, a warm-up is required to prepare the body for the stress;
• at the end of the training there is a cool-down that helps restore the cardiovascular system, muscles and the whole body after intense exercise;
• the duration of the cycle depends on the physical fitness of the athlete, the purpose of the training and lasts from 6 seconds to 2 minutes;
• The duration of the high-intensity interval is equal to the duration of the low-intensity interval. For beginner athletes, the duration of a low-intensity interval can be 2-3 times longer than a high-intensity interval. As you train, the difference should decrease;
• the total duration of one interval workout (excluding warm-up and cool-down) ranges from 2 to 30 minutes;
• the number of workouts per week is no more than three. The remaining days, depending on the goals and fitness of the athlete, can be used for rest, strength training or cardio training.

Before starting an interval training program, it is recommended to consult with a specialist and undergo the necessary cardiovascular studies. This will eliminate the risks associated with high load.

This method allows you to start the process of burning excess fat to the maximum; it is several times more effective than cardio exercise.

Advantages

Interval training takes a leading position among other types of physical activity due to a number of advantages, namely:

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1. Active fat burning. More intense fat burning compared to regular cardio exercise, associated with the effective activation of metabolic processes, which do not end with the end of the workout, but continue further.
2. Strengthening the cardiovascular system. Regular interval training helps improve the heart's adaptation to physical activity. Research from 2017 confirms the ability of the interval method to slow down aging due to an increase in the number of mitochondria in skeletal muscles.
3. Interval training does not require special equipment or a gym membership; you can do it both at home and on the street (at a stadium or in a park).
4. The interval method is a great option for those who do not have a lot of free time. The duration of the workout usually does not exceed 30 minutes.

Interval training will help significantly improve endurance, get rid of extra pounds, and help emphasize the relief and beauty of muscles without spending a lot of time and money.

Interval training is one of the best types of training for burning fat.

Principles for choosing exercises and intervals

High-intensity interval training is one of the most effective types of training, which allows you to achieve the desired result in the shortest possible time, be it losing weight, giving your body definition or increasing endurance.

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To ensure maximum safety and effectiveness when performing an interval training program, it is important to keep several rules in mind:

• Selection of exercises. For aerobic (low-intensity) training, you should give preference to running, cycling, swimming, and jumping rope. For anaerobic (high-intensity) training, push-ups, exercises for the abdominal muscles, squats, exercises with weights, and a medicine ball are perfect. When choosing exercises, it is important to give preference to those that involve more muscle groups; and ignoring isolated exercises (working out biceps with dumbbells or quadriceps in a machine). When working with weights, it is important to determine the optimal weight, since using the maximum value can cause injury.
• Definition of intervals. Before determining the intervals, it is necessary to find out such a parameter as the maximum heart rate. To do this, you need to subtract your age from 220. The load phase should correspond to 60–80% of the maximum heart rate, and the rest phase – 40–50%. Depending on these indicators, the most suitable intervals are determined, the load phase being equal to the rest phase (from a few seconds for beginners to several minutes for more trained athletes).

Interval training has a delayed effect - it starts the fat burning process, which continues after the end of the workout.

• Rest and recovery. The optimal number of interval training sessions per week is 2-3 times. The rest of the time must be used to restore the body or to perform a less energy-intensive workout (depending on the fitness level of a particular person).

Properly designed interval strength or cardio training will allow you to achieve the desired effect in a short time and without harming your body.

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Basic techniques

Today, there are the following interval training methods:

• Waldemar Gerschler's method. The essence of the method is to run a distance 3 seconds longer than your personal best until your heart rate returns to normal within 2 minutes after the race. Training duration is up to 30 minutes.
• Fartlek. The essence of the method is to race two or more people. After a good warm-up (jogging, intense running, fast walking), athletes compete in speed in a straight line and uphill, and the training ends with slow walking.
• Tabata method. The duration of the training is 4 minutes, during which you need to complete 8 sets (20 seconds – the fastest, most intense exercise, 10 seconds – rest). Any exercise can be used. Research confirms that 4 minutes is equivalent to 45 minutes of full-on cardio training.

Exercising at a relaxed pace will also help you effectively get rid of extra pounds.

• Interval running training. The interval (distance) is selected depending on the preparedness and goals pursued: short distances to develop strength and power, long distances to improve endurance. Taking a four-hundred-meter lap as the standard, you need to run 100 meters at 80% of the maximum, and the next 100 meters on foot. When you achieve the ability to complete up to 6 laps, it is recommended to increase the interval (distance) to 200 meters and eventually be able to run the entire lap (400 meters). Then you can return to more convenient intervals.
• Rope training. A unique example of cardio training, during which the legs are practically not involved. Strength indicators are actively developing, the muscles of the arms, back, abs, and chest are strengthened. Initially, rope training was used for MMA fighters and American football players.
• Pulling weight (sleigh, wheels). This exercise targets the muscles of the torso, buttocks and thighs. The correct technique prevents bending of the back and stooping. Developing “explosive” strength, the exercise is widely used in the training of football players and track and field athletes.
• Sprint. According to research, to improve metabolism, the minimum required duration of physical activity should be 3 ten-minute workouts per week.
• Kettlebell (dumbbell) swings. For the exercise, it is important to choose such a weight that the technique remains correct when performing a series of swings. Swinging kettlebells or dumbbells is an exercise that allows you to use the muscles of the back, abs, buttocks and thighs (back group).

People trying to lose weight are looking for ways to quickly and effectively burn fat deposits. At the same time, it is important to take a comprehensive approach to solving the problem, including a review of nutrition. Are there any physical activities that allow you to achieve maximum results in a short time? The answer is clear - yes, and such training is called interval training.

Description of fitness practice Interval

The Interval practice came from professional sports - it was used to train track and field athletes. The main advantage is low time investment.

Nowadays, interval training is actively used by fitness trainers to quickly lose weight.

Short breaks between exercises are the main difference of this direction, which reduces the duration of the session without reducing effectiveness. With such training, a sufficient heart rate is maintained for active fat burning.

Here it absolutely does not matter which exercise is chosen, the main thing is alternating the active part with short breaks (10-30 seconds/5-15 seconds, respectively). In terms of time, the training will take up to half an hour maximum, which is very important in our time due to the high employment of modern people with the lack of sufficient time for full-fledged exercise in the gym.

Here are some areas of interval fitness practice:

1. A combination of aerobics with martial arts movements - Tai Bo.
2. An aerobic complex and strength exercises are performed on the step platform, which is called Total body workout.
3. And Circuit training, which is the author’s, which uses all kinds of sports equipment.

There is another type of interval program that is popular among show business stars called HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It was specially developed to speed up the process of body correction and individual problem areas, including exercises for various muscle groups. This workout can last up to 2 hours with intervals of strength training up to 10 minutes and cardio - 1 minute. But it is only suitable for people who already have good physical fitness.

To conduct such classes, you need some experience in order to correctly calculate the optimal period of alternating load. For example, intense exercise in the form of running, squats, jumping and push-ups alternates with short rest. The load change is repeated up to 10 times. An important point: the heart rate in the rest phase should not be less than 50% of the maximum, and in the intensive phase it is brought up to 80%.

You can do similar workouts for a couple of weeks, and then move on to your usual workouts, changing the aerobic complex every 2 months, and the strength one every 3 months.

Interval training techniques

There are several interval training techniques that are often used to lose excess weight in a short time:

• A team of researchers led by Dr. Izumi Tabata invented a method called Tabata - high-intensity exercise alternates with rest, allowing you to use any exercise. It is performed for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds and so on for 8 cycles (4 minutes). Then the next one according to the same pattern, and so on;
• the Fitmix complex was created by instructor Leonid Zaitsev, where different movements of martial arts alternate - with dodging blows, bending to the sides with support on a pole, kicks, punches, and so on. The time to receive the load reaches half an hour;
• workouts that involve running and alternating segments of varying intensity are called Fartlek. Here, not only time is regulated, but also steps: for example, you need to quickly walk 10 steps, then the same number of jogging steps, 20 again quickly, the same number of jogging steps, 30 fast steps, and so on according to the same principle. The increase in steps can reach 100 or more, after which there is a similar decrease. The entire workout takes 20 minutes.

To get rid of excess fat deposits, there are a huge number of exercises from different types of fitness, any of which can be used for interval training. And depending on the chosen program, certain muscle groups will be involved: the upper shoulder girdle, abs, back, buttocks and legs.

Even a beginner can use the Interval fitness practice, but starting with a low load from 6 to 30 seconds of interval, gradually increasing it, monitoring your well-being.

There are no age restrictions for such activities - they are used both in sports practice and in health for better functioning of the cardiovascular system, including weight loss.

Necessary equipment and shoes

For such training, you can use various equipment:

1. Step platform.
2. Treadmill.
3. Exercise bike.
4. Jump rope.
5. Any strength machine, including dumbbells, a barbell or barbell, and so on.

The main thing is regularity and focus on results.

Shoes

You choose shoes based on the planned load: they are different for each workout. For example, if the complex consists of running exercises, then you will need sneakers with shock absorbers that reduce the load on the spine and joints when the foot comes into contact with the surface. Externally, they look like this - a massive heel part and a sloping front part. The material of such shoes should be airtight and lightweight, allowing you to feel weightless while moving. These shoes are also suitable for strength training.

Dance lovers can be advised to purchase Jazz shoes, which are comfortable, light and soft, allowing you to freely pull the toe and bend the foot.

You can only do stretching, yoga and Pilates barefoot, since during such activities there is no shock load on the feet and spine. And at the same time, bare feet also receive a massage of the nerve endings, which will restore strength, give flexibility and tone to the body.

Tip: When choosing shoes for training, choose the right size. Otherwise, you will feel discomfort and increase the risk of injury and ailments of the musculoskeletal system.

Interval training at home

Interval training is also available at home, but with one condition - you must have sufficient experience in fitness. This is explained by the high load of such activities. It is also very important to perform all the exercises correctly, which is impossible without practice.

Therefore, to begin with, you should go to the gym for at least 3-4 months and, under the guidance of a fitness instructor, master basic movements: squats, push-ups, lunges, abdominal exercises and others.

About the rules, principles of interval fitness and some recommendations

1. Before starting the main set of exercises, a warm-up is required, which will prepare your body for intense exercise. Jumping rope, jogging in place, an exercise bike and other types of cardio exercise are suitable for this - it will take about 5 minutes.
2. For orientation in the phases of work, use a heart rate monitor - in aerobic mode, the heart rate is not allowed to increase above 85% of the maximum values. This is calculated as follows - 205.8 - (0.685* age).
3. The duration of the workout depends on the level of physical fitness - from 2 minutes to 30. The load increases gradually, starting small, based on how you feel.
4. With half-hour training, it is enough to devote to the interval program 3 times a week. The mistake of many beginners is more frequent exercise, which leads to a state of overtraining and ultimately giving up such loads altogether.

If the following symptoms are present, you need to reconsider the schedule:

• persistent feeling of fatigue;
• constant muscle pain;
• increased heart rate even on days when there are no workouts.

Another tip - to increase efficiency, you can start taking nutritional supplements that contain green tea and caffeine extract. Enough 400 mg of the first and 250 mg of the second, taken 45 minutes before exercise, and fat will be burned much faster.

About contraindications

Interval training, of course, is much more effective than other methods for losing excess weight, but it is not indicated for everyone:

1. People suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system.
2. Such loads cannot be used for various chronic diseases.

Therefore, before you start practicing this method, be sure to visit a specialist to obtain approval and recommendations on permissible loads.

This also applies to beginners in fitness, which will protect you from negative consequences and maintain your health.

You can master interval training in the courses offered by the Protrip team.

Have fun, improve your health and make your body slim and fit!

2 15967 2 years ago

Interval training (IT) is an opportunity to lose weight in the shortest possible time. This is an opportunity to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. This is a training aimed at improving physical performance without unnecessary time expenditure. If you have been trying for a long time and unsuccessfully to get in shape, this type of training will finally allow you to get a decent result.

What is interval training?

High-intensity interval training is a training that combines sessions of physical activity with low and high intensity. A classic example is alternating between jogging and sprinting. During such training, the body approaches the aerobic threshold for a short time. We are talking about the intensity phase, during which the transition to anaerobic mode occurs. At this stage, the body draws energy not from fats, but from carbohydrates.

After reaching the threshold, a return to the normal level of loads occurs. In most cases, the heart rate at the aerobic threshold stage is 85% of the maximum.

IT is not tied to specific types of training. In this mode you can run, swim, ride a bike, and do cardio exercises. In terms of the nature of physical activity, IT is a transition from low-intensity aerobic to high-intensity anaerobic activity, and vice versa. The degree of load is alternated by changing distance, speed, heart rate (HR).

Benefits and contraindications for IT

IT is more difficult than low-intensity training, but the results are worth it. Among the advantages of IT:

• saving time;
• increased strength, endurance and speed;
• faster calorie burning;
• improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• long-term preservation of the metabolic effect;
• improvement of appetite.

Unlike regular training, interval training does not require a lot of time. To achieve results, 15-30 minutes 3 times a week are enough. In gyms you can often see visitors leisurely doing exercises designed to lose weight and get in shape. The problem is that the result comes in the same way, slowly. IT makes you sweat a lot, but the progress towards the goal becomes noticeable.

The benefits of interval training

Interval training strengthens muscles. The muscles become toned and stronger. With conventional aerobic training (jogging and other low-intensity activities), fat burning occurs slowly and for a long time. For this reason, the body needs additional sources of energy. He takes the latter from the muscles - the muscles become smaller and weaker.

Both habitual aerobics and IT are classified as cardio exercises. But regular high-intensity training leads to a much faster adaptation of the heart to serious stress. In interval training adherents, the heart returns to its normal rhythm faster.

There is an opinion that aerobics burns fat best. At first glance, it does have an advantage over IT in this regard. Let us remember that during low-intensity training the body takes energy from fats. IT, on the contrary, almost does not use fats as an energy source.

Logic doesn’t work for one simple reason – IT stimulates post-workout metabolism. The miracle of weight loss happens between workouts. When an aerobic activity is completed, fat burning stops as the body no longer needs additional energy. After IT, metabolic processes accelerate, and the body needs energy for several hours. This period can stretch up to two days - all this time there is a loss of unnecessary supplies.

For the same reason, appetite improves - this is how the body requires new energy portions. And along with an increase in muscle tone and loss of “ballast”, you get an improvement in well-being.

Contraindications to IT

There are benefits, but interval training also has contraindications. Of course, such training improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system. And sometimes it can even help those who suffer from heart disease. But problems with the main muscle of the body are the first reason to consult a doctor. Only with the permission of a cardiologist can you begin relatively gentle intense training.

In most cases, chronic heart disease and interval training are incompatible - too much stress on the “engine”. But healthy people also need to train carefully. Excessive intensity can lead to failures even in a normally functioning heart.

Another problem is related to insufficiently developed exercise technique. This mainly applies to strength interval training. Before you begin heavy loads, you definitely need to master the technical aspects. If with a light load you can get by without proper technique with little loss, then high intensity does not forgive incorrect execution.

It is not recommended to use interval training even for completely “green” athletes. No matter how gentle this method of training may be, the body receives a significant shake-up. It is more rational to first prepare the body by training at a calm pace with a light load.

Basic principles of training

The essence of high-intensity interval training is the cyclical phases of light and heavy load. One lesson in IT format includes 5-15 cycles. Depending on the degree of training of a person, the range can expand - by reducing or increasing the number of intervals.

Before training, a warm-up is carried out, which prepares the body for stress loads. After classes, do a cool-down that smoothly brings you out of the stressful phase. The duration of one interval is from 5 seconds to 2 minutes. The duration depends on the level of physical fitness and the goals of the athlete. The total duration of the workout, not including warm-up and cool-down, is 2-30 minutes.

The high intensity cycle never lasts longer than the low intensity interval. For beginners, the recommended duration of the heavy phase is 10-15 seconds. An easy beginner cycle lasts 3-5 times longer. As physical fitness improves, the temporal difference between the phases becomes increasingly blurred, and the duration of the intervals increases.

When exercising, you need to monitor your heart rate. The guideline for calculating the optimal heart rate is the maximum frequency, which is calculated using the formula:

maximum heart rate = 220 – athlete’s age (in years)

Symptoms of Overtraining

You definitely need to monitor your condition. As soon as symptoms of overtraining appear, it is necessary to reduce the training pace or temporarily stop training altogether. These symptoms include:

• persistent fatigue;
• constant muscle pain;
• increased heart rate on days off from classes.

Nutrition is another important factor that requires attention. IT is associated with a large consumption of glycogen. This means that the athlete's diet should include a large amount of carbohydrates. A low-carbohydrate diet is one of the options for relatively quick weight loss, but with such a menu it is impossible to fully recover between workouts.

• start slowly and smoothly;
• make sure that any training changes occur smoothly, without unnecessary stress on the body;
• When making classes more difficult, do this either by increasing the duration or by increasing the intensity; but do not increase the parameters at the same time;
• Maintain a constant pace throughout the cycle;
• It is best to do IT using traditional cardio exercises;
• no need to train more than 3 times a week; This is not a case where the more often the better; going beyond the recommended regimen almost always leads to overtraining;
• The recommended duration of training in interval mode is a month; after this, you need to abandon this format for 5-8 weeks - during this time you can study as usual.

Types of interval training

You can train in interval mode in almost any conditions. If only there was an opportunity to alternate the load. But here we will look at the main types of interval training.

Interval running

This is the most popular IT format. Distances, rather than time periods, are usually used as intervals. The distance is chosen based on the tasks:

• to develop endurance, they work with long segments - up to several kilometers;
• to increase power and strength, they work at short distances - from 100 to 400 m.

The recommended start for beginners is running along a 400-meter track in this mode: straight sections of the track are run at about 80% of the maximum speed, and rounded sections are walked. As training increases, distance and speed increase.

As soon as the athlete becomes able to run 5-6 laps, the interval is increased to half the track - 200 m. At the same time, the speed in the high-intensity cycle is increased to submaximal. The goal of interval running, in terms of loads, is to be able to run the entire track at top speed. After this, the intervals are shortened.

Track running can be replaced by running on a treadmill. In this case, the intensity is adjusted by the angle of elevation and the speed of the track.

IT at home

Interval training at home is an opportunity to quickly lose weight and tone muscles even for a very busy person. Lack of space is absolutely no reason to abandon IT. Even in limited conditions there is a large selection of suitable exercises.

Home workout example:

• Lunge jumps. Starting position – take a wide lunge back. Keep your back straight. Do not extend the knee of the right supporting leg beyond the toe. The knee of the other leg points to the floor. Take a step to the side with your right foot. Then, without leaving the lunge position, use your left leg to jump and change the position of your legs and return to the starting position.
• Side jumps from a plank position. Get into a plank position. Palms under the shoulder joints, back straight, abs tense. Without leaving the plank, make 3 jumps with your feet to the sides and return to the starting position with one jump. Try not to push your buttocks up and keep your body parallel to the floor.
• Alternately touching the floor with your hand in a squat. Starting position – feet shoulder-width apart. Jump into a sumo squat position. Touch the floor with your right hand, push through your heels and jump back to the starting position. Repeat the jump, touching the floor with your left hand.
• Single leg plank. Starting position – standing on your supporting right leg, bend your left knee. Place your palms on the floor shoulder-width apart. Get into a plank position by jumping on your right foot. Straighten your left leg and touch your foot to the floor. Return to the starting position and jump on your supporting leg.

In a high-intensity cycle, repeat each exercise for 20 seconds - at a maximum pace. Stretch the light interval so as not to experience discomfort.

This is just one of thousands of possible complexes. At home you can do push-ups, jump, run in place, do pull-ups, do exercises, exercise with dumbbells or weights.

Tabata Protocol

If there is absolutely no time, you can use the technique developed by the Japanese specialist Izumi Tabata. According to the method, the workout lasts only 4 minutes! But in such a short period of time, you can burn as many calories as you burn in 45 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio training. The principle of the technique lies in the effective use of every second.

4 minutes contains 8 such approaches. One exercise is performed during one training session. The latter can be anything - push-ups, squats, etc. By the time of the 8-set workout, time for warm-up and cool-down is added.

Fartlek

Swedish program for preparing athletes for competitions. Translated, “fartlek” means “speed game.” The essence of the method is that athletes compete in speed running in interval mode:

• cycle 1 – jogging, 10 min;
• cycle 2 – intense running, 10 min;
• cycle 3 – fast walking (recovery phase), 5 min;
• cycle 4 – 100-meter straight race;
• Cycle 5 – 100m uphill run;
• cycle 6 – slow walking (recovery phase), 5 min.

V. Gershler's method

V. Gershler – coach of short-distance runners. According to his interval method, athletes' training consists of:

• the 100-meter dash, which is run 3 seconds slower than the record time;
• a two-minute rest, during which the heart rate is reduced to 120 beats/min;
• repeating cycles.

IT lasts until it is possible to reduce the heart rate to the specified level during the rest phases. As soon as the heart rate cannot be reduced, the training is stopped. The average duration of IT according to the Gershler method is 20-30 minutes.

Circuit interval training is a type of training that involves performing a series of exercises in a circle. IT may consist of just one exercise - in this case, the training is, of course, not circular, despite its circularity.

IT is not limited to these types. There are many more of them - the number of IT variations tends to infinity. Next, let's look at an approximate training program that can be performed in the gym.

Interval training program in the gym

The table describes aspects of an approximate gym interval training session. You can choose any one as an exercise. For example, working on a stepper.

This interval training program is suitable for beginners with basic physical training. You can start with such a workout, gradually increasing either the duration of the cycles or the intensity of the “working” intervals. The program can be easily modified. For example, add load while reducing the time it takes to complete the exercise.

Anyone who wants to lose extra pounds is usually recommended to do cardio training.

If you work on them at an average pace, the source of energy for the muscles is fat, which is burned in significant quantities during exercise.

Moreover, the results become more significant if you combine training with diet.

However, for those who want to lose extra pounds quickly, it would be better to turn to interval training.

This method allows you to start the process of burning excess fat to the maximum; its effectiveness is several times higher than cardio exercise.

Interval training involves alternating phases of maximum and minimum load during the training process: for example, when running, you need to alternate between sprinting and jogging.

In this case, during the intense phase, the body switches to an anaerobic mode of operation, and in the low phase, it returns to the aerobic mode.

• In aerobic mode, fats serve as a source of energy. In this case, the process of their oxidation with oxygen occurs (“aerobic” literally means “with oxygen”). It is in this mode that all cardio training takes place.
• Anaerobic mode involves the use of carbohydrates as energy for muscle work. Oxygen in this case does not participate in the oxidation reaction. In anaerobic mode, training is carried out with free weights and on machines in bodybuilding and powerlifting.

Advantages

Interval training is one of the best types of workouts for burning fat. They are significantly more effective than cardio exercise.

Interval training has a delayed effect - it starts the fat burning process, which continues after the end of the workout.

In addition, with prolonged exercise, cardio training leads to the burning of muscle tissue. Interval training does not have this drawback - it only helps strengthen muscles, but not destroy them.

Contraindications

The disadvantages of interval training include, first of all, the fact that they have contraindications. These are diseases of the cardiovascular system: heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis and others.

If you have one of these conditions, you should definitely consult your doctor before starting interval training.

In addition, this type of exercise is not suitable for all beginners: if you are just starting to exercise, such a load may be too heavy for an unprepared body.

If there are contraindications to interval training, you should give preference to working on cardio equipment.

Exercising at a relaxed pace will also allow you to effectively get rid of extra pounds. Losing weight with cardio will take longer, but there will be less stress on the body.

Interval training results

Regular exercise allows you to start a quick fat burning process. In addition, interval training helps strengthen ligaments and muscles, increase endurance and strength.

Do not forget that the most important condition for successful weight loss is the transition to proper nutrition.

If you have long-standing problems with excess weight, without changing your diet, any exercise will not bring a good effect.

To work with intervals, you can simply use standard types of cardio training, alternating intervals. It can be:

• exercise on an exercise bike;
• exercises on an ellipsoid, etc.

There are also training methods developed specifically for interval training.

Tabata

This technique was named after Dr. Izumi Tabata, who developed it with his team of researchers in the late nineties.

It involves alternating high-intensity loads with rest and takes a minimum of time. In this case, you can use almost any type of load - swings with dumbbells, work with expanders, work on cardio equipment, and so on.

An example is the following: you squat for 20 seconds, then 10 seconds. rest and start a new approach. And this must be repeated for 4 minutes (i.e. 8 cycles).

Then change the type of exercise and do it according to the same scheme.

Fitmix

Fitmix is ​​a training complex developed by instructor Leonid Zaitsev. It involves alternating different movements: imitation of dodging an opponent’s blows in the fighting ring, bending to the sides while leaning on a pole, kicking, and so on.

Lesson time is up to half an hour.

Fartlek

Fartlek is a training program that involves running in alternating intervals of varying intensity. Intervals can be measured not only by time, but also by steps. An example of such a workout:

• 10 steps at a fast pace;
• 10 jogging steps;
• 20 pace steps;
• 20 jogging steps;
• 30 steps at a fast pace and so on.

In this way, you can increase the number of steps in one interval to 100 or more, and after that, in the same way, reduce them to 10. Count only the steps of the right or left foot.

The duration of one lesson is up to 20 minutes.

Rules and principles of training

Before training, be sure to warm up. This could be jumping rope, running, working on an exercise bike, etc. Five minutes is enough. At the end of interval training, you need to cool down in the same way.

In order to navigate the phases of work, you need to use a heart rate monitor at the beginning of training: the body works in aerobic mode when the heart rate does not exceed 85% of the maximum heart rate.

This frequency is individual for each person, it depends on age. It can be calculated using a simple formula: 205.8 - (0.685 x AGE). If you have some experience, you can navigate by sensations, moving from one phase to another.

When doing interval training, it is necessary to correctly select the duration of the maximum and minimum load phases.

At the initial stage, the first should last 3-5 times less than the second. In this case, the duration of the phases should be short - for a high-intensity phase, 10 seconds will be enough, a low-intensity phase, accordingly, should last from 30 to 50 seconds.

Interval training methods appeared relatively recently and have already taken a strong position among the most effective training systems for both amateur and professional athletes. It’s not without reason that interval training has become so popular among amateurs and professionals:

• Firstly, the intensity of such programs exceeds the usual monotonous training, this applies to both strength and aerobic exercises.
• Secondly, interval training allows you to heavily load the body in a short period of time.
• Thirdly, with interval cardio training, the loss of muscle mass is minimal, unlike monotonous training, while fat is burned intensively and endurance indicators improve.

According to scientific research, periodic use of interval training significantly accelerates the growth of athletic performance.

The essence of interval training can be briefly described as follows: fast and explosive performance of any exercise is combined with rest periods during which you perform either another exercise, or the same one, but in a calm, measured rhythm. For example, you run steadily on a treadmill or stadium for 5 minutes, then accelerate to the limit for 1-2 minutes. If you use strength exercises, then the principle is approximately the same: interval of measured repetitions, interval of as fast as possible.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. For the effectiveness and safety of interval training, several rules must be followed:

1. Selection of exercises

The selection of exercises for this type of training should be based on the following principles:

– load on a large number of muscle groups, that is, complete disregard for isolated exercises;

– if you use exercises with weights, then the weight on the equipment should not be large, otherwise you will not be able to complete the planned program and there is a risk of injury.

Aerobic exercises you can choose from include running, swimming, cycling, jumping rope, etc.

Among the anaerobic ones, the following are suitable: push-ups, squats with a barbell, various swings with a kettlebell, abdominal exercises, throwing a medicine ball against a wall, and so on.

1. Defining Intervals

The total time of the interval complex should not exceed 15 minutes. Intervals can be determined either by time or by heart rate. That is, you need to work in the acceleration phase with a heart rate in the range of 80-90% of the maximum value, and in the rest phase 50-60%.

If you don't have a heart rate monitor, you can count intervals over time. The time of the load phase should not exceed the time of the recovery (rest) phase. For beginners, it is better to start working in a ratio of the acceleration phase to the rest phase as 1/3 - 1/5. This will allow you to gradually progress without risk to your health.

1. Recovery and rest

If you are a beginner athlete, then on the day of performing the interval complex you do not need to do any additional exercises other than warm-up and cool-down. If you have more experience, then you can add a few exercises, but much less than on ordinary days. Don't forget, interval training is very resource-intensive for the body.

There are several developed methods of short interval programs: “Tabata Protocol”, Fartlek and others. For example, training using the Tabata Protocol method, which was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata, looks like this:

– select one exercise, for example, squats

– total time (without warm-up and cool-down) – 8 minutes.

– acceleration phase – 20 seconds

– rest phase – 10 seconds.

During the rest phase, you must continue to do the selected exercise, but at a calm pace.

Here is an example of interval training, after which I personally would probably kick off my skates, and the girl shows her class.