Cardio Benefits: Interval vs Circuit Training

[Soosan]

What are the differences between interval and circuit training from a cardiovascular perspective? Would you consider both types to be interchangable? How about from a fat loss perspective?

 

[Calico]

I will take a stab at this one. Circuit training workouts are a combination of cardio followed by weights going back and forth, thus maximizing your workout time. While what I understand about Intervals, they are a burst of high intensity cardio usually thrown into a cardio workout for an anaeorbic blast to help increase the heart rate and thus burn more fat. I do not think they are interchangeable. Imax's have intervals of high intensity stepping to boost your metabolism and fat burning while workouts like Circuit Max don't have intervals. I know probably as clear as mud, right?!:+ :-(

If so maybe someone else can clear up the mud for you.

Hope I helped some!!

 

[Soosan]

Thanks for the reply, Annette! I feel that the intense cardio segments in Bootcamp, for example, are pretty interval-ish and my heartrate seems to be up there (perceived exertion, not a HR moniter) during the weight/core segments. This morning I did the Core Only Premix followed by the Everything but the Core Premix and the workout felt even more interval-ish.

Thoughts from anyone else?

 

[kathryn]

Circuit training can also be weights only (going from one exercise to another with no break in betwee) or cardi only (going from activity to activity.

 

[Aquajock]

Annette and Kathryn's distinctions between circuit-style routines and interval routines are largely correct, especially Kathryn's comment that a circuit workout can be strictly resistance training as well. I wish more ostensibly trained instructors understood what Annette and Kathryn understand.

Interval training is for cardiovascular conditioning. If your heart rate and breathing rates are exceptionally elevated during circuit-style resistance cycles, especially those cycles that are not leg-targeted, the elevated heart rate can be the result of other overloads on the body (the pressor response) that does not have much to do with the cardiovascular / cardiorespiratory system. Certainly you will be working intensely through the resistance cycles, but cardio benefit is not their main purpose, nor should cardio / respiratory overload be an overriding result of that particular cycle.

A-Jock

 

[Calico]

Oooohh I get a good (I know what I am talking about) plug from the other "Annette" who in my opinion is much more knowledgeable than I am in these matters.LOL!!! Thanks Annette for giving me confidence that after being on these boards for over a year that I can now contribute my own gained knowledge to others instead of being the one to ask all the questions. I guess in essence I have come full circle from being the one to ask the questions to the one who can now answer a few herself.

Have a great day!!!

 

[Soosan]

Since there are only 8 minutes of pure cardio in BC (albeit intense minutes), has it helped to improve my cardio capacity or am I just imagining it? What are the specific benefits of this (and other Cathe circuit) workouts? (I'm sure there are many, but if you could pinpoint them, I'd appreciate it!)

BTW, Rocky wants to know if you've seen Fiona lately, NOT that he's interested in another fling...

 

[Aquajock]

Hello, Sooooooooooooosan . . .

Fiona knows you ratted her out to me re Rocky's paternity fraud action, so she's avoiding me. However, I did see that she was charged with disorderly conduct recently at a squirrel convention here in Minneapolis (I review these police reports daily). Rocky dodged a bullet this time -

A-Jock