ARTICLE: Cardio Training - Part 2

Cardio Training
Part Two: Interval Training

Fed up of trudging on the treadmill? Alex Gold will give you some ideas of how to not only make your cardio training more interesting, but more effective too!

Last month I covered the ‘building a base’ part of getting into shape. I do not necessarily agree that that type of cardio training is needed, however if someone is seriously deconditioned they may need to increase their aerobic capacity with steady state work first. Once that is achieved, I recommend almost everyone do some sort of interval training.

What Is Interval Training?

Interval training is, simply put, working at different intensities (as opposed to steady state cardio, which is done at a constant pace). There are many ways to perform interval training, but the most effective is known as high intensity interval training (HIIT). To perform HIIT, you work at maximal or near-maximal intensity for a short period, and then go onto a period of recovery. Obviously there are many ways to adjust intensity, but a basic guideline is that you should be barely able to finish the ‘work’ interval. If you are not praying to the last few seconds to pass more quickly, you’re probably not working hard enough!

Many studies have shown the benefits of this type of training. HIIT has been shown to increase VO2 max, increase anaerobic threshold, increase lactic acid threshold, increase fat loss and even build muscle! With all these benefits, many of which are not offered by traditional cardio, it is easy to see why HIIT is superior in almost every situation. As a quick side note, the reason such a relatively short workout can have such a profound effect is due to the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect, which basically is a period of time that your body needs to use higher amounts of oxygen than normal for recovery after exercise. Due to the stress of this type of workout, your body consumes more oxygen after exercise than during rest. The harder the workout, the higher the EPOC. A 2002 study using this type of interval training showed an elevation of metabolism for 38 hours post workout – making fat loss easier if that is the goal, or simply allowing you to eat more if trying to maintain.

How To Do Interval Training

As mentioned above, there are many different ways to structure an interval session, and there are some specific examples later in this article. As a general guideline, no matter what type of workout you are doing, you should work as hard as possible during the ‘work’ periods. I recommend starting very easy on the ‘rest’ periods – you can even go as far as total rest if needed. Now, you have a multitude of variables to play with to make the workout harder or easier. These are; length of work/rest period, number of work periods, intensity of work/rest period and type of exercise used. I also like to group work periods into ‘sets’, with each work period being one ‘rep’, which adds another variable – rest period between ‘sets’.

Example Interval Training Progressions

1. Sprint intervals

This is a very easy one to do, with no equipment needed

Mark a distance out, preferably on a running track or grass/soft surface. Sprint the distance. Walk or jog back. Rest if needed, then repeat.

Example:
Sprint 50m
Walk back
Rest 30 seconds
Repeat x 5 (= 1 ‘set’)
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat all x 3

In the above example, you can see you are doing 3 sets of 5 reps of sprint intervals. Every variable above can be adjusted to make the workout easier or harder.

2. Kettlebell/Dumbbell swings

An excellent workout to do in limited space, all that is needed is one of the above types of weight.

Example:
Swing kettlebell/dumbbell for 30 seconds
Rest 30 seconds
Repeat x 10

Again, each variable can be manipulated to change the workout. You can also group these into sets and reps if you prefer.

3. Dumbbell ‘Thrusters’

A full body explosive exercise, thrusters are a true killer! To perform a thruster, hold the dumbbells on the shoulders and drop into a full squat. From here, drive up explosively with the legs, whilst simultaneously pressing the dumbbells to an overhead position.

Example:
Thrusters for 20 seconds
Rest for 10 seconds
Repeat x 8

This specific ratio/time is known as the Tabata protocol. It involves working for 20 seconds as fast as possible and resting for just 10 seconds, and repeating for 4 minutes. This protocol was shown to produce superior results to 60 minutes of steady state exercise in a study done using exercise cycles! Be prepared though, this is an advanced workout and not for the faint hearted!

4. Bodyweight Circuit

Bodyweight is something we all have at our disposal at all times – behold the ‘no excuses’ circuit!

Example:
Squat Thrusts for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Push-ups for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Crunches for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Burpees for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Jumping Jacks for 30 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Rest 2 minutes and repeat x 3-5

5. Skipping

Skipping is a great exercise for fighters and athletes in general for many reasons I will go into more detail on later. For now, remember that you are doing high intensity for these workouts – the rope should be travelling as fast as you can possibly go with good technique.

Example:
Double leg skip
8 sets of 50 ground contacts
60 seconds between sets
Reduce rest by 10-15 seconds each time until you reach 30 seconds


Summary

The suggestions in this article will take your fitness to the next level, increasing the intensity you can work at and the length of time you are able to sustain that intensity for. As usual, always strive to make progress every workout if possible. In next month’s article, I will give some suggestions on how to take it to yet another level and make your cardio training more specific for MMA!