More Bang for Your Buck: Interval Training
by Austin Robinson

Not everyone has time to mosey along on cardio equipment at the local gym for an hour everyday. Aside from that, recent research has shown that up to 4.5 hours a week of moderate exercise may not be enough to produce significant weight loss! (1,2) For those of us who want results and want them fast, intervals may be the way to go.

Interval training has been around for decades (3). However it has become extremely popular in the fitness world only recently. Interval training is often referred to as High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. HIIT is now commonly recommended in the fat loss and conditioning industry. However, beginners may want to start with moderate intensity interval training. Jumping right into HIIT maybe too demanding for some folks. So what exactly is it?

Interval training is actually pretty self-explanatory. The exerciser works in brief to moderate bouts at a high intensity interspersed with either active recovery or just plain gasping for air. Active recovery would include a relatively low intensity movement such as jumping jacks or a slow jog. Two methods are commonly used to perform interval training, work-to-rest ratios or the heart rate method.