Why Interval Training Is Essential for Fat Burning

Interval training is a simple technique novice and experienced exercisers can use to get the most out of their workouts.

It's a well-known fact that all fat burning workouts are not the same. Some exercises can be better than others. However, if you want to efficiently train your body to burn fat and boost your metabolism, make sure to include interval training in the exercise program that you are undertaking.

What is Interval Training

Interval training is highly intensified exercise that involves working at an extremely fast pace for a short period of time and followed with a low intensity exercise like walking or completely resting. Get it started with any exercise of your choice. Simply start at a normal pace and periodically perform short bursts of activity at a higher intensity. Every time the intensity increases, the calories burned also increases. Repeat this cycle throughout the duration of your exercise program. The length of time for each cycle depends mainly on your fitness level. Generally, it only takes a few minutes.

How Interval Training Works

Interval training is considered by many fitness enthusiasts as one of the best fat burning exercises today. Researches show that it is the best fat burning workout as it can be performed by anyone at any fitness level. For those who are out of shape, they may, initially, only be able to do the training for a few seconds. However, when their fitness level improves, they can increase the frequency and the duration of the intensified intervals in their workout. This makes the workout very challenging at all times.

Here is an example of an interval training workout:

  •  Warm-up exercise for five minutes.

  •  Start your workout at 80% intensity level for 60 seconds.

  • Adjust the intensity level every day until you reach the 100% intensity level.

  • Your heart rate should reach its maximum point by the end of the workout.

  • Follow up with an active rest at 30% intensity level for 60 seconds. This may  be pedalling or walking at a very slow pace

  •  Repeat the intervals for six times.

  •  Finish the workout with a 5-minutes cool down exercise at 30% intensity level.

The Aim of the Workout

The interval training program is designed not to have the body burn fats during the workout. Instead, it is aimed to train the body to efficiently keep burning fat throughout the day after the workout, increasing the body’s metabolism. If you want to burn fats and lose weight, bear in mind that it is not the amount of energy that you burned that is essential, but instead, the rate at which the energy was burned.

The reason why some people do not tend to lose weight even though they are burning energy while doing low intensity workout, such as walking on treadmills, is that they are not boosting their body’s metabolism to burn calories and fats all day long.

Burning Fat

Interval training teaches the body to continue burning fats and calories even after the workout training session. This is something most people won’t get from a slow and long sessions of cardio workout. Among many other workout programs, interval training has proven to be the most effective program for fat burning.

Hence, start your interval training 3 times a week and get rid of the marathon mentality with regard to fat burning and losing weight. Focus on shorter, fewer, and more intense exercises to burn fat. Remember, you can’t spot reduce (this is a long believed myth), your body loses fat all over, you just need to keep up the sustained work and you’ll notice that tummy fading away.

If you’re keen to shift that tummy bulge after a festive overindulge, consider interval training as part of your overall fitness regime.

By Ian Duncan

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