Understanding Interval Training Exercises

It seems like these days fitness is becoming more and more important to a lot of people. And while there are a lot of great exercise programs out there, interval training exercises sometimes go overlooked. This is unfortunate because interval training exercises provide an excellent method of getting in shape.

If you are a novice at fitness, you can learn early on to implement interval training exercises into your regular exercise program. If, on the other hand, you have been working out for a long time and do not presently utilize these type of training exercises in your fitness program, this type of a routine can help give you the boost you need. This boost could be just the secret for overcoming a plateau in your training program.

Interval training is a type of exercise program which combines low intensity and high intensity training to stimulate your body in a different way than training at a constant rate for a period of time. By switching up the intensity of your training without ever giving your body a full rest period, you effectively keep your body guessing as to what will come next. In this manner, you provide yourself with an intense workout unlike anything you have experienced.

People oftentimes ask the question of what some good interval exercises are. While interval training can be used with nearly any type of exercise, it is most commonly implemented in a cardiovascular training program. You can do interval training on a stationary machine or out on the open road. For beginners, it may be best to practice interval training on a stationary machine such as a treadmill first. Treadmills are great for interval training because you have full control over how fast you keep your pace and you can keep a close eye on how long you have been running for.

You should start your interval training program with a solid warm up session.

So begin your session with a good five minute slow jog. After warming up, get ready to begin your high intensity session. You want your high intensity session to last for about a minute at somewhere between 85 percent and 95 percent of your maximum capacity. So before beginning your session you should have an idea of what you should set the treadmill at to achieve this level of intensity. Somewhere in the ball park of 9 or 10 mph on the treadmill is generally a good setting for the high intensity. On your first attempt at this, perhaps try running for a minute at 9 mph.

After a full minute at 9 mph, switch back to a lower intensity. Generally, a good setting for the low intensity interval is 6 mph. The low intensity interval should also last one minute. After completing the low intensity interval, return the setting back to 10 mph for another high intensity interval and repeat the process. You want the entire session to last between 20 and 30 minutes, and you may have to increase or decrease the treadmill settings as you near the end of your training session.