Interval training has been getting a lot of attention recently because it is supposed to be the best way to get fit as fast as possible, but what is it? Interval training is really just using timed intervals to alternate between periods of intense exercise to tire you out, and light exercise so you can recover. For example, you could warm up, then go on the treadmill for 1 minute of easy jogging at 7km/h, then crank it up to 14km/h for 1 minute, then go back to 7km/h and repeat that for as long as you want to train for.

The reason this is good is because it allows you to push yourself much harder than you usually would, normally if you warmed up and then went on the treadmill and pushed yourself really hard, then you’d be exhausted in no time at all and you’d then stop, thinking you’ve done enough. With interval training then the recovery interval you give yourself after each intense interval allows you to push on and do far more of the intense intervals than you could do if you tried to do them all in one go.

I also find that time passes really quickly for me when I do interval training, usually jogging is a chore and I am bored after 5 minutes and need to grit my teeth and stick it out, but with interval training I am always checking how long I have left and preparing for my next interval, so the time goes without me noticing.

If you think about it then interval training is actually a lot more natural for us, think about sports, they are all basically interval training, you exert yourself a lot when the play is near you, then you get a period to rest, then you get back into it. Also as we have all descended from hunters then that is how a hunter would have exerted himself too.

The treadmill was just an example though, you can actually use interval training to spice up almost any kind of exercise, you could be on the elliptical trainer, the rowing machine, or even out on a normal bike on the roads. The good news is that studies suggest your metabolism can be elevated for hours after finishing interval training, rather than returning straight back to normal after most other types of exercise, so you are burning fat for a long time even after you finish your workout!

If you really want to get fit fast then you might want to consider reading this Warp Speed Fat Loss review which looks at an intense 28 day program of exercise and dieting to help you lose weight and get fitter.