High-work, moderate-duration workouts are effective for burning those extra calories. These workouts tend to last between 45 to 90 minutes. The emphasis is a set of intervals in which the work intervals are finished at anaerobic intensity and the rest intervals are done at an easy intensity. Below is a general structure for interval training sessions.
The purpose of the warm-up is to prepare the body for the higher-intensity work completed in the real workout. The activity starts at a low intensity and increases progressively to allow physiological groundwork for the workout. Increased blood flow to the working muscles will happen as the heart rate increases. The increased blood flow will permit the muscle temperature to increase, which sequentially will improve the metabolic utility of the muscle.
Sprint Set (Optional)
Sprint sets are characteristically used to improve neuromuscular function, and largely consist of very short intervals done at a tremendously high intensity
Main Sets (Endurance)Usually speaking, for running and cycling, the main sets should entail 20 to 40 minutes of work intervals completed at anaerobic intensity and parted by rest intervals. For swimming, 914 to 1829 metres is a respectable distance for the main sets. While cycling to a hill, for instance, the individual builds in intensity from laid-back to aerobic as a warm-up (roughly 15 minutes). At the hill, the individual executes a set of 10 x 3 minutes, biking at anaerobic intensity up the hill, using a pace of 55 to 70 rpm. The rest interval is the ride down the hill. After concluding the workout, the individual cools down by biking home, decreasing in intensity from aerobic to laid-back (roughly 15 minutes).
The purpose of a cool-down is the opposite of a warm-up. A cool-down strives to cut blood flow to the working muscles, slow metabolic developments, and permit the body to steadily return to a resting state. Low-intensity activity is generally used to assist with the reorganisation of blood and the confiscation of metabolites from the muscles. This activity lets the individual recuperate from the training session.
- Kilgore, Lon, and Michael Hartman. Fit. Iowa Park, Tex.: Killustrated Books, 2011.
- Reuter, Ben. Developing endurance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2012.