Interval Training For Beginners

Interval training has become quite popular for beginner and expert fitness enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re doing cardio or strength training, exercising in intervals boost your results. If you’re looking to lose weight or get in shape, consider adding interval training to your current workout.

Interval Training (Photo credit: Atlantic Cadets Atlantique)

What Is Interval Training?

Interval training is the process of increasing intensity for a short period of time. For example, if you’re running you might run at a ten minute mile pace for five minutes. You would then increase your running pace to an eight minute mile for one minute. Then you’d return to your normal pace.

You can add intervals to your strength training routine. Instead of running faster, you might add more repetitions to a set. Or you might add weight to a few repetitions.

What Are the Benefits of Interval Training?

Interval training offers a number of benefits. The first and perhaps most apparent is that you’ll push yourself just a little bit harder which burns fat and builds muscle. Intervals can help you get past the mindset that you just can’t work out any harder. Your perceived maximum effort changes.

Intervals also help you get stronger. In the case of running, you’ll actually increase your ability to run faster and farther when you add intervals to your workout. When you’re strength training or toning your muscles, interval training helps you achieve results faster.

And interval training has been proven to burn more calories during a workout. That means you’ll see results faster. If you’re working out to lose weight or get in great shape, fast results help you stay motivated.

It's also easier on your heart and body - the human body was not designed for endurance exercise, but naturally gravitates towards higher and lower intervals of exertion. Exercising in intervals means helping your body perform in the way it was meant to, and strengthening all of your systems in a natural and healthy way.

Plus it's just fun! Varying your exercises, and exercise level, gives you a great workout and keeps you from getting bored, so you enjoy your exercise time more. And that's really the best motivator of all.

Jillian Michaels for Beginners If you want fast results with your home work out, consider trying the Jillian Michaels for Beginners series. Jillian Michaels is known as the toughest trainer in the world. She’s reached popularity through the show, The Biggest Loser. A no-nonsense trainer, she pushes you hard, and helps you achieve your goals. She’s now helping people around the globe with her iFit workouts, her books and her highly reviewed DVDs.

One of her most popular DVDs is the “For Beginners” series. There are two DVDs in the series, Frontside and Backside. As you might guess, each DVD focuses on interval training for a specific area – your abdominals and your rear end. She combines cardio and strength training to offer six workouts per DVD. It’s more than enough to get you through a week of workouts. The interval training session are designed for beginners however, regardless of your fitness level you’ll see results. You don’t need any special equipment and the DVDs retail for less than the cost of lunch on Amazon.com. If you want to get in shape fast, try interval training with Jillian Michaels. You’ll be beach ready in no time!

Jillian Michaels For Beginners Series: