There’s no better exercise. Sprint interval training is by far the most effective way to transform your body in the least time.
It doesn’t just strip away body fat. Interval workouts build muscle, give you nice legs and abs, and fix your metabolism.
First, you must understand what sprint interval training is: All it requires is that you do intense but short bursts of exercise interspersed with rest.
You can do interval bursts by running, cycling, swimming, weight training, body weight exercise, running stairs, walking, or any other mode in which you work hard and then recover.
Second, interval training can work for everyone, but you must adapt it to your needs:
• If you are completely out of shape, start with something as simple as run-walk intervals or moderate cycling intervals since even those will “feel” like a sprint.
• Fit trainees who want to get a bit more shredded can benefit from both moderate and all-out intervals with varied rest depending on the interval length you pick and your conditioning level.
• The average high school athlete will benefit the most from all-out short intervals with very little rest.
• If you are elderly, overweight, or have conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or arthritis, you might start by walking briskly for 3 minutes interspersed with 2 to 3 minutes of slower, more casual walking.
Here are 12 benefits you can get out of interval training.
#1: Better Abs
A lot of people want leaner, cutter abs, but they waste their time training sit-ups and other core exercises that are completely useless.
Here’s the deal: Chances are, if you want better abs, you need to lose the fat that is covering them up.
#2: Leaner Legs
Intervals don’t just make you leaner around the waist. They burn fat all over the body making them your best choice for fat loss.
#3: Lean & Sustainable Body Composition
It’s been said that the true power of exercise for producing fat loss is in its ability to build muscle because this increases your total net calorie burn over the course of a day, everyday.
#5: Fix A Bad Metabolism & Prevent Diabetes
Studies show intervals improve insulin health in the young, old, overweight, diabetic, and folks with metabolic syndrome.
#6: Lower Blood Pressure & Improve Heart Health
It’s a shame that endurance exercise got dubbed “cardio” somewhere along the way because it’s not the most effective way to improve heart health.
#7: Less Risk of Tripping and Falling
Intervals improve power and coordination by priming the nervous system so that you react faster and have a quicker first step.
#8: Higher Testosterone & Growth Hormone
Interval training has repeatedly been shown to increase hormones that support body composition like testosterone.
#9: Get Smarter
We’ve known for a while that exercise can protect the brain as you age, but more recent research shows that it actually improves learning.
#10: Get More Powerful
Power is the ability to express strength quickly. Being strong is not enough. To truly reach your power potential, you need to also train the body to utilize the stretch-shortening cycle, which is the elastic component of the muscle.
#11: Better Endurance & Work Capacity
What most endurance trainees don’t know is that interval training is more effective than steady-state endurance training for improving speed, endurance capacity, and how long you can go before you quit.
#12: Improve Mental Toughness & Motivation
Interval training is not a walk in the park. These workouts hurt. Some days are harder than others.