These days we here a lot about interval training. Interval training is basically a burst of effort, followed by a rest period, then repeated until the desired goal is achieved. Interval training can be an effective tool to condition both aerobic and anerobic energy systems, but not all intervals are the same. The goal of this article is to expose you to a few new types of interval training and to teach you the basics of why to use each.
Before we dive into the specifics, you must have a basic understanding of the 3 energy systems that our body uses for energy. The energy systems we use include the aerobic, lactic (anerobic) and alactic (anerobic) systems. Check out the picture below to understand each systems function.
Basically, our aerobic is used for low intensity and long durations, while the two anerobic systems are used for more intense, shorter periods of time. The key is to learn how to develop each system efficiently. Doing this correctly will increase your performance, speed results and keep you from overtraining.
8 variations of interval training
1. Aerobic Cruise – Just as the name describes, aerobic intervals help build an aerobic foundation. This is vital for all athletes. Think of the aerobic system as the base or foundation that the anerobic systems can stand on.
You can use any type of cardio activity, such as running, sprinting, Versaclimber, Schwinn aerodyne bike, swimming, sport specific drills, etc. You will be performing each drill for 60-120sec ON and will be taking 2-5minutes OFF. This may seem like a long recovery for some, but remember, the goal is to develop the aerobic system, not to simply run yourself into the ground. You should aim to complete 5-10 intervals total. If you have never tried this type of training, please start slowly and add volume over time. For example, the first week, maybe try doing 5 intervals, then add 1 additional rep each week and see how your body reacts.
2. Heavy Mo’ s -These have been foundational for some of the baddest NFL players for decades. Walter Payton and Jerry Rice tortured many a teammate with this style of interval.
Utilizing a sled, tire drag, uphill sprints or heavy ropes can add a new twist to traditional cardio intervals. The goal here is to use heavy resistance and to explode as fast as possible for 10-12 seconds, then to rest for 1-3 minutes between each repetition. Repeat 15-20 times.
3. Aerobic Plyo’s – Choose a moderate intensity plyometric drill, such as lateral bounding. You will perform the chosen drill for 8-10 seconds, rest for 10-30seconds, then repeat for 5-10 minutes. You can perform 1-3 of these series per workout, using different drills. Please remember, that any plyometric drill requires a high level of strength, coordination and joint stability. Start slowly and use a proper progression of plyometric exercise.
4. Lactic Peak – Lactic power intervals can be done with any cardio exercise or sport specific drill. You will basically perform the workout as follows: 20-40seconds ON, 1-3minutes OFF, 3 reps per exercise and doing 2-4 series per workout.
5. Lactic Expander – The difference between power and capacity intervals is how much recovery you give yourself. To properly develop power, you should be almost fully recovered before you repeat the exercise. With capacity intervals, you are not completely recovered before repeating. This style of training will expand your gas tank during this type of exercise, allowing you perform longer at the same intensity. So, for this style of interval, the workout will look like this: 90-120seconds ON, 1-2minutes OFF, 3 reps per exercise, 2-4 exercises per workout.
6. Lactic Explosion – For this style of interval you will need to use an explosive movement, such as jump squats, split squat jumps, KB swings, explosive push up, med ball throws or similar. Again, please make sure you have a good base of strength before doing explosive movements. Here are the specifics for this workout: 12-15 seconds ON, 30seconds OFF, 6-10 sets per exercise, 1-3 exercises per workout. Now ideally, you can increase the work time each week, while reducing the rest period for each cycle. It would look something like this:
- Week 1 12-15 sec ON – 30 sec OFF
- Week 2 15-20 sec ON – 20 sec OFF
- Week 3 20-30sec ON – 15 sec OFF
- Week 4 30-40sec ON – 10 sec OFF
7. Alactic Peak – This style of intervals involves cardio type exercises or sport specific drills, just like the aerobic and lactic power intervals. The difference between the 3 is the work vs rest ratio. For this style of interval, your workout will look like this: 7-10 sec ON, 2-5 minutes OFF, 5-6 reps per exercise, 2-3 exercises for the day. Remember, the the alactic system is used during explosive, short bursts of effort, so as your work time decreases, the speed and power of your movements should increase. No slackin! 😉
8. Alactic Expander – Just like the lactic series of intervals, the main difference between alactic power and capacity intervals is the amount of rest. With this style of interval, you will still be doing short, intense bursts of effort, but you will have an incomplete rest period between repetitions, so the workouts will look like this: 10-15 seconds ON, 20-90seconds OFF, 10-12reps per exercise, 2-3 exercises per workout.
**please keep in mind that several of these training techniques are only for advanced athletes and gym goers. Please choose activities and types of training that are within your ability level. Progressing too quickly can lead to overtraining and/or potential injury. Start slow and progress slowly over the next few months.
In order to get the most out of this style of training, I would highly recommend using a good heart rate monitor. This allows you to measure your recovery between repetitions and to judge progress over time. For example, it may have taken 1 minute for your heart rate to return to 120 beats per minute, but after 4 weeks of training, it may only take 30-40 seconds to recover. This shows you that you are getting in better shape and able to handle more challenging workouts.
Interval training is a great tool, when used correctly and as part of a larger strength and conditioning plan. Hopefully you found this article helpful and it opened your eyes to some new ways of mixing up your workouts. If you have questions, comments or other ideas that we didn’t cover, leave us a message. We are always looking to grow and improve our training.
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Madison murphy says
Super informative. It makes sense why we do the workouts that we do:)