Interval training--a week's exercise in less than an hour?

[LauraMax]

No way! Gawd I hate interval training. Interesting article, but I think I'm gonna pretend its author is off her bloody rocker.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35581793/ns/health-fitness/

LONDON - People who complain they have no time to exercise may soon need another excuse.
Some experts say intense exercise sessions could help people squeeze an entire week's workout into less than an hour. Intense exercise regimens, or interval training, was originally developed for Olympic athletes and thought to be too strenuous for normal people.
But in recent years, studies in older people and those with health problems suggest many more people might be able to handle it. If true, that could revolutionize how officials advise people to exercise — and save millions of people hours in the gym every week. It is also a smarter way to exercise, experts say.

 

[pinkquinn]

I am doing truly intense interval training with trx and the gauntlet. It almost killed me. I couldn't even PRETEND to be cool. I had to quit in the middle of my second session and lie down on the gym floor for oh...20 minutes....looking oh so lame.

I am no sucker either. I workout consistently and have completed the likes of sts and insanity. I am training with a figure athelete and former Miss Fitness America. I asked her to train me hard, and train me hard she did. Now I am going to ask her train me kind of hard.

So yes, I believe that to the average person this workout would be enough to shock their hiney for a week.

 

[Govtgirl]

I hate to tell ya.....I've noticed that I maintain my weight better with high intensity. I think it works better, more results in less time. I'm looking at that other thread, people working out for 75-90-120 minutes, 5-6 days a week??? Not me, ever ever ever.

 

[Aquajock]

What surprises me - although I suppose it shouldn't - is that MSNBC has only now discovered interval training, and considers it "news". How long have fitness enthusiasts, including the Cathe Nation, been doing just that? 12 years? 15 years? The mind, as they say, boggles.

Popular journalism truly sucks when it comes to fitness coverage.

A-Jock

 

[spyrosmom]

You should be a little out of breath, but you shouldn't have the obvious feeling of exhaustion," Helgerud said.

Helgerud recommends people try four sessions lasting four minutes each, with three minutes of recovery time in between. Unless you're an elite athlete, it shouldn't be an all-out effort.

Um, HiiT MEANS going like a bat out of hell. "a little out of breath" is steady state. Steady state, stop, steady state, stop. Is NOT Hiit. Nor is 4 mins/3 mins. If you can keep it up for 4 mins, its not Hiit.

I agree, intervals are good for you, but I don't see what he's talking about as true interval training.

Nan

 

[kariev]

I hate to tell ya.....I've noticed that I maintain my weight better with high intensity. I think it works better, more results in less time. I'm looking at that other thread, people working out for 75-90-120 minutes, 5-6 days a week??? Not me, ever ever ever.

i agree with this. i could never workout this long. i wouldn't want to nor do i have the time to. i'm actually seeing better results doing higher intensity for 30 minutes only. i give all of those ladies credit for working out this long and i think we are all different in that sense. some like longer workouts, others short. I don't think there is one right way to do cardio. Its just important to do what you love. If you dread intervals and never do them, your better off doing steady state.

 

[LauraMax]

Nah, the author's talking about interval training, not high intensity interval training. Personally I don't like either. I just don't enjoy it much. I LOVE steady state & really have fun with it. I'm at the point in my life where stuff I don't enjoy is off my radar.

And I've found my weight is much more about what I eat than how I exercise. Which IMO is even suckier than interval training.

Aquajock, I don't think MSNBC is just discovering interval training. I think they're publishing an article about a recent study, is all. Plus, most new outlets are geared toward the average people, most of whom think an interval is the break betw. parts 1 & 2 of Gone With the Wind. We aren't the average people.