Get Abs like Brad.
There are so many men that believe they can get six pack abs by just doing crunches. Anyone that reached this goal will tell you that cardio was a lot more important. This is where interval training steps in as it is basically a way to do a cardio workout that is far more effective in burning fat. That is what you need to get ripped!
What is interval training?
Training in intervals basically means that you are performing a specific exercise with different intensity levels. It is recommended to start with a basic warm up intensity and then to maximize your effort.
As an example, let us say that you chose running as a cardio exercise. Start your routine by jogging for around 5 minutes with a warm up intensity. This is important as you want your muscles to get used with the exercise and avoid injury. When you feel that your muscles warmed up, do 40 seconds of running at a really high intensity. Just run as fast as you can. After this reduce the intensity to a regular level (not too slow but also not too fast) and continue for around 1 minute.
You can choose what type of exercise you do! Not everyone enjoys running but you can also opt for:
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Jumping rope
- Stationary Bike
- Running on a treadmill
Why interval training to lose weight?
There are a couple of reasons why you should seriously think about incorporating interval training when you want to lose weight. The first one is that it basically “forces” your body to burn fat even after the workout is done. Your metabolism remains high even when you finish the intervals. The second reason is that you gain time. One 15 to 20 minutes of interval exercises will basically burn the same number of calories as regular 1 hour session of cardio.
How often should you use interval training?
All you need is 3 interval training sessions per week. You can basically do them whenever you want. However, make sure that you do not neglect your regular workouts. Also, pay close attention to what your body tells you. Some people will overdo training. If you feel that you are tired, it is better to simply skip a session once in a while.
You need to be extremely careful in the event that you never did interval training before. Some people simply do too much in an attempt to lose as much fat as possible. Take it slow if you are just starting using interval sessions. There are many programs on the internet but they are built according to time. If you cannot do a session of 20 minutes, just do one of 5. You will eventually build up to longer intervals.
I am mentioning this because it is a problem that I had. I simply couldn’t jog or run much. Now I have absolutely no problems. Any person builds endurance and stamina in time.
To sum up, interval training helps you out a lot if you want to get ripped. I would like to recommend that you take a look at Troy’s 10 Tabata Program as it goes in depth on this subject. There are so many different things that can be said and the benefits have to be taken into account. You simply lose a lot more fat when you incorporate such cardio in your training program. The only problem is that it is hard to locate all the information that is necessary online. That is why the 10 Tabata Program is great as it incorporates all that you have to know about this subject.
A special word from Matt Stevens: Hopefully this short article brought some light on a subject that is overlooked by so many people. I regularly use interval training and it helped me out a lot to get ripped in just 3.5 months. I invite you to visit my new blog, HowToGettRippedFastt.com, where I talk more about my journey, working out and losing weight naturally and effectively. You can also find me over at ManImprover.
Want to discuss? Join the conversation CubeDwellerFitness's Facebook Page.