Get Increased Fat Loss AND Take Your Cardio Fitness To A Whole New Level
This step-by-step progression guides you through the most
effective types of intervals to maximize your results.
Interval training is one of THE most effective ways to burn fat while preserving muscle. When using cardio training for fat loss, I recommend it almost exclusively in my programs! This nice thing is, interval training is also one of THE most effective ways to improve your overall cardiovascular capacity as well.
There is a LOT of good information available on what intervals are and how to perform them. But what often seems to be missing is a detailed plan that helps you progress from Point A (just starting out with interval training) to Point B (performing the more challenging interval training techniques).
The trick is knowing where to start and how to progress from there. You can't just jump in and start sprinting up hills without knowing what you're doing and building yourself up to it. That's a good way to not only hurt yourself but exhaust yourself as well!
So in response to this, I've designed an interval training progression plan that gets you started with the more introductory-level types of interval training then gradually moves you into the more intense and challenging interval training techniques.
I'll lay out how many intervals to do, which style of interval training to do and how long to do it for. This progression plan will also give you good variety in your cardio training, which I'm sure you know can get VERY dull if you keep doing it the same way over and over.
You see, just like with weight training, you need to constantly challenge and even shock your body in order to continue making progress. Otherwise, your body simply has no reason to adapt and get better. This plan will do it for you!
The overall goals with this cardio program are fat loss and improving cardiovascular capacity. This type of training is NOT a plan I would recommend if you're trying to build muscle. When training to build muscle, you want to keep cardio training down to a lower maintenance level (once or twice a week at most) and this is not a program that does that.
The program is based on doing cardio training 3 times per week and can be applied to basically any method or apparatus of cardio training, be it running, cycling, elliptical machine, stair machine, etc. Any cardio based sports activity will work as well (e.g. swimming, rollerblading).
Choose whatever cardio activity works best for you, that you enjoy the most or that you'd most like to improve your performance in, e.g. if you're a runner, using running as the activity for your interval training.
You can certainly utilize different cardio activities as you go through the program, e.g. use treadmill running one day then the elliptical machine the next. The real key lies in the intensity with which you do the activities!
Before you start in on the program, I would encourage you to read through the following two articles. They'll help you understand what interval training is all about and introduce you to the different types of interval training.
Now it's time to have a look at the program!
The following link will take you to a page from the Trial Membership area of my site "Powerful Training Secrets."
You DO NOT have to sign up for anything to get the interval progression program, but if you haven't yet signed up for your trial membership, I'd definitely encourage you to do so!
When you get to the page, scroll down towards the bottom. That's where you'll find the full, step-by-step program for getting yourself from interval training beginner to interval training pro in only 8 weeks!
The program starts with a technique known as Aerobic Interval Training - basically, a way to begin learning how to increase training intensity without burning yourself out. Over the next two weeks, your intensity will gradually be increased within the context of Aerobic Intervals.
As you continue through the program, you'll notice how the intervals are continually getting just a bit more challenging - rest times are changing as are work times.
By the time you get to the final few weeks of the program, you'll be in great shape and ready for anything!
If, at any time in the program you feel you need to take a bit more time to adapt to it, feel free to perform another week of the same type of interval training you just did. This program isn't written in stone and you DO need to listen to your body.
So check out the program and if you have any questions about it as you're reading or as you're doing it, please feel free to drop me an email at betteru@fitstep.com!
Here's the link to the interval training program page once again:
---INTERVAL EQUIPMENT NOTE:
If you need a good timer for your intervals, check out the GymBoss timer. I've been using one recently and it really works like a charm. Unlike a lot of other timers, it actually has a vibrate feature that means you don't have to experience loud beeping to know when your time is up (great if you train with headphones on!).
You can set the timer to time different work and rest intervals (e.g. 2 minutes work, 1 minute rest can be programmed in), which is very nice. It's also not too expensive (about 20 US dollars). The timer clips on and is a neat little piece of equipment - very useful for intervals and also for timing your rest periods when weight training.
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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.
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