A question of intervals...

lemur_lady

I have recently started strength training (this week!) and have so far read a little of the NROL4W.

One part mentioned about taking intervals in a workout which will cause your body to release triglycerides and when you resume your workout your body will burn the fat. Did I get that right?

Anyway, how long is the optimum interval? Is it something like 1 minute, 10 minutes? Other than the fat burning thing are there other benefits to an interval except the obvious breather you will get?

I really want to get this right and so appreciate any help offered

DouMc

bump, im curious to hear some of the responses to this.

cwolfman13

I have recently started strength training (this week!) and have so far read a little of the NROL4W.

One part mentioned about taking intervals in a workout which will cause your body to release triglycerides and when you resume your workout your body will burn the fat. Did I get that right?

Anyway, how long is the optimum interval? Is it something like 1 minute, 10 minutes? Other than the fat burning thing are there other benefits to an interval except the obvious breather you will get?

I really want to get this right and so appreciate any help offered

Interval is variable...I don't know that there's an optimal interval. I can give you some examples of things that I do...I regularly do 90 second sprints (not a full sprint, but as fast as I can go for 90 seconds until I'm about to fall flat on my face) then walk 2 minutes...rinse and repeat for 30 minutes. I will switch this up between 90 seconds and 2 minutes or 60 seconds and 1.5 minutes or 90 seconds spring with 3 minutes jogging and then walk for 2 minutes, etc. It largely depends on what I'm trying to accomplish.

I also do Tabata a couple time per week. One round of Tabata is 4 minutes...but it's an intense 4 minutes where you perform exercise A for 20 seconds...rest 10 seconds...exercise B 20 seconds...rest 10 seconds and so on and so fourth. I generally do 3-4 sets for a 15-20 high intensity workout...1 minute rest between Tabatas.

There's a whole lot of different interval stuff you can do...just google it.

Benefits:

- Efficient and effective workout. You can fit in a fat busting, high intensity workout in 15-20 minutes.

- That intensity destroys more muscle fibers in your body than steady state cardio, thus kicking your body's repair cycle into hyperdrive...thus burning more calories and fat in a 24 hour period after the HIIT than if you were just to run steady state for a few miles.

- Extreme training results in extreme results for your heart health.

- you don't need any equipment and you can do it anywhere and everywhere

- steady state cardio tends to encourage loss of muscle...lifting and HIIT have shown to preserve that muscle, thus keeping your metabolic fire burning.

- HIIT stimulates production of HGH during the 24 hours following your workout causing increased calorie burn and fat burn.

- You aren't going to be reading a magazine or watching t.v. while you're doing this...you'll actually be getting your fitness on. You will hurt...you will feel like puking sometimes...you will feel like your heart is going to jump out of your chest...you're going to feel like a champion.

lemur_lady

Just a few more questions that bumped into my head while I was working out just now.

-How many intervals can you take? For example it only took about 10 mins of lifting before it felt like I was going to drop so I took a break until I felt ready to go again. I did this about 3 times.

-When I am entering my workout into MFP do I count the intervals or not? I have just logged in my exercise but only counted the actual time I was moving for and didn't count the breaks, is this right?

-Is it good to have a protein snack after a workout? I remember hearing somewhere that it helps rebuild/repair the muscle or something to that effect.

-Just so I don't overeat the calories back how accurate is the MFP estimates of calories burned?

lemur_lady

I have recently started strength training (this week!) and have so far read a little of the NROL4W.

One part mentioned about taking intervals in a workout which will cause your body to release triglycerides and when you resume your workout your body will burn the fat. Did I get that right?

Anyway, how long is the optimum interval? Is it something like 1 minute, 10 minutes? Other than the fat burning thing are there other benefits to an interval except the obvious breather you will get?

I really want to get this right and so appreciate any help offered

Interval is variable...I don't know that there's an optimal interval. I can give you some examples of things that I do...I regularly do 90 second sprints (not a full sprint, but as fast as I can go for 90 seconds until I'm about to fall flat on my face) then walk 2 minutes...rinse and repeat for 30 minutes. I will switch this up between 90 seconds and 2 minutes or 60 seconds and 1.5 minutes or 90 seconds spring with 3 minutes jogging and then walk for 2 minutes, etc. It largely depends on what I'm trying to accomplish.

I also do Tabata a couple time per week. One round of Tabata is 4 minutes...but it's an intense 4 minutes where you perform exercise A for 20 seconds...rest 10 seconds...exercise B 20 seconds...rest 10 seconds and so on and so fourth. I generally do 3-4 sets for a 15-20 high intensity workout...1 minute rest between Tabatas.

There's a whole lot of different interval stuff you can do...just google it.

Benefits:

- Efficient and effective workout. You can fit in a fat busting, high intensity workout in 15-20 minutes.

- That intensity destroys more muscle fibers in your body than steady state cardio, thus kicking your body's repair cycle into hyperdrive...thus burning more calories and fat in a 24 hour period after the HIIT than if you were just to run steady state for a few miles.

- Extreme training results in extreme results for your heart health.

- you don't need any equipment and you can do it anywhere and everywhere

- steady state cardio tends to encourage loss of muscle...lifting and HIIT have shown to preserve that muscle, thus keeping your metabolic fire burning.

- HIIT stimulates production of HGH during the 24 hours following your workout causing increased calorie burn and fat burn.

- You aren't going to be reading a magazine or watching t.v. while you're doing this...you'll actually be getting your fitness on. You will hurt...you will feel like puking sometimes...you will feel like your heart is going to jump out of your chest...you're going to feel like a champion.

Thanks! That's fab!

crisbabe81

I do a protein shake and a banana after doing weights.

As far as logging, Were you moving that whole 10 min before the rest? If so then I would count it as circuit training. Otherwise a HRM will give you the most accurate burn. MFP over estimates the burn so only eat back a portion of them. Best of luck.

lemur_lady

I do a protein shake and a banana after doing weights.

As far as logging, Were you moving that whole 10 min before the rest? If so then I would count it as circuit training. Otherwise a HRM will give you the most accurate burn. MFP over estimates the burn so only eat back a portion of them. Best of luck.

Yes. Tonight I did 3 10 minute sets of what I thought was lifting. What would be the difference between circuit training then and proper lifting? I am a complete novice at this :embarassed:

jenifr818

I do a protein shake and a banana after doing weights.

As far as logging, Were you moving that whole 10 min before the rest? If so then I would count it as circuit training. Otherwise a HRM will give you the most accurate burn. MFP over estimates the burn so only eat back a portion of them. Best of luck.

Yes. Tonight I did 3 10 minute sets of what I thought was lifting. What would be the difference between circuit training then and proper lifting? I am a complete novice at this :embarassed:

Here's an example of circuit training:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

With circuits, you're not JUST lifting. you're also doing other various things like pushups, jumping jacks, etc.

With "proper" lifting, you're just lifting, from what I understand. I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong

Hope that helps!

lemur_lady

I do a protein shake and a banana after doing weights.

As far as logging, Were you moving that whole 10 min before the rest? If so then I would count it as circuit training. Otherwise a HRM will give you the most accurate burn. MFP over estimates the burn so only eat back a portion of them. Best of luck.

Yes. Tonight I did 3 10 minute sets of what I thought was lifting. What would be the difference between circuit training then and proper lifting? I am a complete novice at this :embarassed:

Here's an example of circuit training:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

With circuits, you're not JUST lifting. you're also doing other various things like pushups, jumping jacks, etc.

With "proper" lifting, you're just lifting, from what I understand. I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong

Hope that helps!

Thanks. That was an interesting read. Im still a little confused about how I should be logging it though.

crisbabe81

With true lifting you are doing multiple reps with time between sets. Circuit you keep moving, be that jumping jacks or a new muscle group. The difference is in circuit you are keeping your heart rate up. At least this is how I understand it, I could be wrong.

So if you just did set after set with no breaks I would log the 3 10 minute sessions as 30 minutes of circuit training.

Just remember that MFP (in my opinion) over estimate the calories burned so only eat back a portion of them. I'd start at 75% and see how you do and adjust if need be.

lemur_lady

With true lifting you are doing multiple reps with time between sets. Circuit you keep moving, be that jumping jacks or a new muscle group. The difference is in circuit you are keeping your heart rate up. At least this is how I understand it, I could be wrong.

So if you just did set after set with no breaks I would log the 3 10 minute sessions as 30 minutes of circuit training.

Just remember that MFP (in my opinion) over estimate the calories burned so only eat back a portion of them. I'd start at 75% and see how you do and adjust if need be.

Thanks

What I was doing was using cans from the cupboard to add weight to my arm exercises (not sure the proper names of the exercises though) and when my arms grew too tired I would switch to doing leg raises and squats then back to arms etc for about 10 minutes. Then I had a break for about 5 minutes then started again.