Examples of Interval Training

The time has come to pick an exercise type from these examples of Interval Training. There are lots to pick from, some ways are more effective than others.

The very best for results is sprinting. Its so effective because your whole body is engaged in the exercise so all major muscle groups are contributing. I'm sure from experience that by sprinting you can reach your anaerobic zone very quickly. Sprintings down side is that the massive force it puts on your body can cause injuries and your chances of pulling muscles is higher. If you are injury prone or just getting back into exercise it may be better to start with something a little lower down the list.

Second best is cycling on a stationery bike. It works well because its engaging large muscle groups in a controlled enviroment. You can control the amount of resistance you have as well as the speed you are going. It also has a lot less chance of getting injured and your knees are protected. If you do choose this you can't cheat, you need to turn the resistance right up for your sprint intervals.

After this come a host of variations to choose from. Running up stairs is a great option if you want to progress onto sprinting later, the same goes for running up hills. Other options in the gym consist of doing circuit training. Just make sure that you are engaging your large muscle groups. HIIT on the treadmill is another option but a treadmill does have limitations. You can't really go fast or hard enough. It is still a viable option.

One example of interval training to avoid is the elliptical machine, this is a favourite for many. It seems great, its gets up a sweat quickly, your heart rate goes up when you use it and you feel like you are working. The problem with it is that is doesn't provide enough resistance to get you into your anaerobic zone, so you are not going to get the results you are looking for.

Preview: Next weeks guide will give you tools to start evaluating the exercise you have chosen to see if you can make it more effective for yourself