Weight Loss Central

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

If you don’t have variety in your program, you are more than likely to
end up at a fat loss plateau soon rather than later. Variety is one of
the keys to keeping that fat loss coming.

So
not only should you have variety within your training week (i.e.
alternate between two different interval training workouts, rather than
just doing the same interval workout each time), but you should also
change these workouts every 4 weeks.

So you need to change your training program every 4 weeks. To modify your interval training workouts, you can…

1. switch exercise methods (and even use bodyweight exercises for intervals)
2. increase or decrease the length of the interval (while decreasing or increasing the intensity, respectively)
3. increase or decrease the number of intervals per workout
4. increase or decrease the rest time between intervals

First,
let’s take a look at the interval methods. Here is my list of preferred
ways to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on
my experiences…

1. Sprinting outdoors (and hills might be the absolute best)
2. Strongman movements (Farmer’s walks, tire flips, car pushing)
3. Bodyweight interval circuits
4. Treadmill running
5. Stationary cycle (upright preferred)
6. Stairclimber
7. Rower
8. Swimming (only works for competent swimmers)
9. Elliptical & Crosstrainer machines

Okay, so how long should you do intervals and how the heck do you do bodyweight exercises as interval training?

First,
I stand by what I said in Part 1. There does not seem to be a “best”
interval training program. But that is good because it allows us to use
variety in our approach. (So perhaps the best interval training method
is simply the one that changes every 4 weeks.)

Interval
recommendations have ranged from 15 seconds (from Muscle Media waaaay
back in the late 90’s), to 5 minutes (these are known as aerobic
intervals). So let’s take a look at each interval recommendation and
all those in between.

15 seconds
The
great thing about 15 second intervals is that you’ll be able to work at
a very high rate (almost near your maximum power output), as long as
you get adequate recovery between work intervals. The downside is that
it is very difficult to do 15 second intervals on machines, because it
takes a long time to “build up” and “bring down” the machine settings
to the correct speed.

If
you decide to use these short, high-intensity intervals, you should do
so only if you already have an above average level of fitness. Your
rest interval should be at least 15 seconds long, and can be as long as
60 seconds. The longer you rest, the harder you will be able to
exercise in each interval.

20 seconds on, 10 seconds off
This method is known as the Tabata protocol, after the Japanese
scientist that published a study on this routine. It is very demanding
(obviously), and while some trainers have suggested this is the best
method for interval training, I don’t think there is any proof that you
will get better results.

Clearly,
the pro’s with this method (as well as the 15 second intervals) is that
you’ll get your workout done faster (provided you do the same number of
intervals as any other workout). Again, it would be very difficult to
perform this type of interval training on a machine, due to the time
lag as you increase or decrease the settings. And finally, these too
should only be performed by above average fitness levels.

30 seconds
The Turbulence Training workouts tend to use a lot of 30 second
intervals. Beginners will rest up to 90 seconds between intervals,
while advanced fitness levels will rest 30-60 seconds. The longer
(relative) rest allows you to work harder in each successive interval
(i.e. you’ll almost be able to match your performance in the first
interval with each following interval). Short rest intervals (as in the
Tabata protocol) will lead to a dramatic drop-off in performance with
each interval. You can easily do the 3-second intervals on any machine.

45 seconds
These intervals are proven for fat loss, in addition to being effective
for many team sports (such as hockey, soccer, basketball, and rugby). I
have used 45 second intervals extensively in both areas of training.
Not only will these tax your muscles, they will also tax your will to
complete each interval (if done at the right intensity). Use 45-90
seconds of recovery between intervals. Do 3-6 intervals per workout.
Your fitness and fat loss will skyrocket.

60 second intervals
Similar to the 45 second intervals in benefits and toughness. Use
60-120 seconds of recovery between each.

120 second intervals
These are now officially aerobic intervals, and can be used for both
fat loss and improving aerobic capacity for sports and running. A great
way to achieve two fitness goals at once. Exercise for 2 minutes and
then recover for 2 minutes. Repeat 6 times. These workouts take longer
(obviously), but can have a role in changing your body and improving
your performance.

5 minute intervals
Same strategy as with the two minute intervals. This really increases
your workout time, so these are only used with serious endurance
athletes.

Beginner vs. Advanced
If you are thinking that these intervals all sound “too intense” for
you, please don’t worry. Interval training is all relative. You don’t
have to sprint for your life in each type of interval. Instead, just
work at a slightly harder than normal pace. By the end of the interval,
you should be getting tired, but you shouldn’t be gasping for air.
Start conservatively and you will get the hang of it.

For
example, if you regularly use level 5 on the stationary bike for 30
minutes continuously, you might try doing a 1 minute interval at level
7. Try that for an interval workout and let me know how it goes.

My
favorite intervals for fat loss are between 30-60 seconds. These have
been the staple intervals in my Turbulence Training workouts since the
first workout was designed back in 2001. But again, I think you will
get your best fat loss results if you vary your interval training
workouts - just like you must vary your strength training workouts.

Intervals are the secret to success,

CB

P.S. Do you need to lose a post-vacation belly?

“Craig,
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been using your Turbulence
Training System to whip myself back into shape after a vacation and too
much time in front of the computer getting a couple of projects
completed and I’ve dropped 10.2 lbs. of bodyfat in the last 28 days. As
a fellow fitness professional I can safely say that it’s the best and
most efficient approach to improving body composition that I’ve come
across.”
Pat Rigsby
President
The Fitness Consulting Group

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and
Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training
fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness
and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and
women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than
45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence
Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio
sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com