What you should know about interval training

HIIT, Tabata, CrossFit, spinning… Interval training, what is it, is it for everyone and how to use it safely?

You've probably heard of CrossFit, spinning, Tabata or even HIIT. All of these training methods have one thing in common: they are interval training. Interval training involves alternating between periods of high intensity and periods of low to moderate intensity. In this article, you will learn about the different forms of interval training, the advantages and disadvantages of interval training, and then tips will be offered on how to incorporate intervals into your workouts. 

High Intensity: You are very short of breath and cannot say more than a few words at a time. It is possible to maintain this intensity for more than 10 minutes without taking a break.

Moderate intensity: you are too short of breath to maintain a conversation, but it is possible for you to say a sentence. You could maintain this intensity for about XNUMX minutes. 

Low Intensity: You can talk at the same time as you do your workout. You could maintain this intensity for an hour or more.

Interval training methods

CrossFit

CrossFit is a brand that promotes a training method generally practiced in relatively small rooms called "boxes" or "boxes" in English. The practice of CrossFit involves several activities: running, rowing, jumping, weight lifting, weight training and moving objects such as a mass or giant tires. The training is generally structured in WOD, an acronym which means "training session of the day" in French.

Spinning 

Group training, by bike, led by a trainer and during which the participants alternate between periods of intense effort and periods of recovery.

Tabata

This training method is named after the researcher who studied this protocol, which consists of alternating training periods of extremely intense 20 seconds (170% of the VO2max), followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 4 minutes. This type of training is now mostly associated with very intense and very short interval training.

HIIT

This acronym stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This theme is quite broad and can include the aforementioned methods.

Advantages ofinterval training

Interval training improves our cardio-respiratory capacity faster than constant intensity training.

People's aerobic capacity is often measured by something called VO2max. VO2max represents the maximum volume of oxygen that can be used by a person for a given time. Usually, this measurement is expressed in milliliters of oxygen used by the body per kilogram of body weight per minute. For example, a VO2max of 50 ml O2 / kg / min means that the person can use 50 ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. 

It is estimated that at equal training time, interval training provides approximately 20% more improvement in VO2max than continuous training. It is also noted that interval training would produce greater improvements in those with lower VO2max. (1)

Interval training is more efficient

A review of the literature (2) compared the effect of continuous training to that of interval training. She concluded that the two protocols had a similar impact on participants' body composition, but interval training required 40% less time. 

Disadvantages of interval training

Increased risk of injury in some sports

In aerobic sports that involve impacts, such as running, it should be taken into consideration that interval training will increase the stress on the muscles, bones and joints of the participants. It is therefore not recommended to quickly increase the amount of interval training that a person performs in this type of sport. 

Since the risk of wear injury is lower in sports where the impacts are less great, such as cycling, one can afford to integrate interval training more quickly into sessions and increase the quantity more quickly.

One study looked at the risk of injury in high-intensity interval training like CrossFit. A correlation has been noted between the popularity of high intensity interval training and an increase in the number of recorded injuries. (3)

Is it for everyone? 

How to use interval training?

Want to use interval training, but don't know where to start? You will need to adjust your training based on your level of experience and the activity you choose. 

Depending on your level of experience: 

If you already do interval training on a regular basis, great, keep going!

If you work out regularly, but never at intervals, slowly incorporate this new training method into your program. For example, on your first interval training, you might aim for a total of 3 minutes at high intensity, which could translate to 3 times 1 minute of high intensity, followed by XNUMX minute of low intensity.

If you are currently sedentary and want to start interval training, do so in a sport that doesn't involve a lot of impact and take it gradually. If you are very sore after a workout, you have overdone it. A good way to start would be to do a bike workout and incorporate 5-6 repetitions of 30 seconds at a higher intensity, followed by a minute of rest. 

Depending on the activity you choose: 

Interval training in running

If you already run regularly and would like to incorporate interval training to improve your performance, start slow. On your first interval training, you might aim for around 3 minutes of high intensity time. For example, if you usually run 5 km in 30 minutes, your next workout might do a 15-minute warm-up while running at moderate speed, then alternate between 1 minute at higher intensity and one minute at lower intensity. . Subsequently, you would complete with ten minutes of moderate intensity running and voila! Due to the greater load on the body, it is recommended that you do not perform more than 2 or 3 interval workouts per week.

CrossFit style workout

As many CrossFit movements are quite complex, we strongly suggest that you be accompanied by a professional trainer to start. Indeed, it will be able to guide you through your progress, which will help you to avoid injuries.

Cycling training

A 2010 study (4) performed on a bicycle employed the following protocol: warm up for 5 to 10 minutes, then attempt to do the following sequence 8 to 10 times: 60 seconds of high intensity pedaling, followed by 75 seconds of intensity low. During the study, students who completed this 20-30 minute workout 4 times a week had significant improvements in performance. If you don't have a lot of time for training and enjoy riding a bike or stationary bike, this might be a good training method.

Conclusion

All in all, interval training provides health and performance benefits that are equivalent to continuous training, but in less time. So it can be a good way to fit physical activity into a busy schedule. However, it is necessary to keep in mind the risks for the joints if you integrate too much intensity too quickly. Ask a kinesiologist or trainer for more personalized advice!

Projects

1. Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) and Continuous Endurance Training for VO2max Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials. Milanović Z1, Sporis G2, Weston M3.
2. The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Wewege M1, van den Berg R1, Ward RE1, Keech A1.
3. Injuries sustained during high intensity interval training: are modern fitness trends contributing to increased injury rates? Article in The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness 59 (7) February 2019
4. A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms Jonathan P Little, 1 Adeel Safdar, 1,2 Geoffrey P Wilkin, Mark A Tarnopolsky, 2 and Martin J Gibala1

Daniel Riou General director

Managing Director of Challenge Group, Founder of Corporate Challenge and co-founder ofAltterre. I love anything related to physical activity and overall health. Holder of a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from'Laval University Various trainings by The Runner's Clinic Emergence ProgramBeauce School of Entrepreneurship National Coaching Certification Program Level 2 in Badminton National Coaching Certification Program Level 1 in Weightlifting

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