Sprinters and jogger have completely different bodies. If you are aware that muscle is crucial to ones health and longevity, then you'll probably know something about high intensity workouts. More and more people are switching from long workouts to short. The reason for this is because when they turn up the intensity, less time is needed to gain the results. High intensity workouts are actually the most beneficial when it comes to fat burning, increasing muscle mass while improving strength and endurance.
You are right, high intensity training in short bursts is much more effective than traditional continuous cardio exercise, both in terms of the health benefits and body composition. I do high intensity training 2 or 3 x per week in the form of sprints, both running and sprints on my bike. It's intense but it's fun too.
Generally, the intensity is more important for me now. I find that my 20 minute workouts now are more effective now than the hour long workouts I did when I was younger. Less rest time and more intensity leads to better results. At least for me.
Not really, i think that is for professional athletes. What i do i just tell my self today or this week i am spending 45 minutes per session on the cardio section and change my routine almost every week. It also depends on your mission as to why you go to the gym to exercise. Some people like me are just there for keeping healthy and maintaining good health, thus the high and low intensity factors do not really play a role. Others for weight loss and slimming of which i think those really need to have a specific routine with a certain intensity just like athletes. Generally i would say if you are not a professional athlete there is no need for straining yourself. Just go with what your body allows.
I think intensity's a bit more important than duration. I have a friend who's a personal trainer, and she always tells me don't worry about how fast or how long you do an exercise. You just have to really make every rep count, or else you're basically just flopping your arms and legs around and not really gaining anything. I started working on intensity and it's really made me healthier over time.
I generally try not to keep score or record as i think that is a demotivating factor. I try to do as much as i can and then put a number of breaks and then try to keep it going until i feel my body cant take it anymore.
Intense is the way to go. Even if you walk for an entire day you won't have the same kind of results of running at high capacity in short bursts, keeping you body in a rhythm.
Professional athletes? No these intense workouts are for everyone. I mean how many people do the same thing every day yet they have a body that doesn't prove otherwise? Intense workouts are for everyone and of course they should start at their own level and pace. It can be extremely useful for someone who doesn't have time (usually everyone) and who wants to lose weight and gain muscle mass in the shortest period of time.
Yes, people are slowly catching on that they don't need to balance on balls or jump around to get results. The point is using your muscles and how effective is what you're doing if they're doing them in quick little spurts rather than slow, controlled movements. I see more jiggly runners and cardio buffs than I do those who use high intensity correctly.
I recently watched a PBS series on the benefits of high intensity training. Here's the link :Log In In a nutshell - some body types respond better to very short, high intensity training. Personally, I think you should do whatever you enjoy the most. If you prefer a long walk or run over an HIT session, than to that - just make sure you get some exercise.
I agree you should do what you enjoy the most, but again you should keep in mind why you are doing the things you are enjoying the most. Is it for health or is it just so you can get it done?
I think the high intensity workouts are why Crossfit has experienced so much success recently. I don't personally do Crossfit, as I play sports and prefer to train myself, but I have many friends who love it. I encourage you to look into the program in your area and see if it works for you! The whole concept is to provide dynamic and competitive workouts to encourage strength and fitness.
I usually just workout to what my body allows. Some days I am off of it and some I can do anything. It really depends how your diet is and what it consist of. The better your diet the more you are able to do. Usually I will so a mix of both weights and cardio.
Right now, I'm all about gaining size, so I do neither---I don't need the extra calorie burn (I'm a hard gainer), but when I start cutting next week I'm going to switch to HIIT to melt it off and keep the size through increased protein intake. Working with your body isn't hard once you realize that you body responds to diet and exercise in specific ways, and you can reliably get your body to do what you want when you give it what it wants.
I don't do an awful lot of cardio, but when I do I usually do it in quick bursts. I mostly do weightlifting exercises. I don't put a time on myself but I count the reps and sets so I know how far I am to finishing the workout. You should always count your reps and sets when weightlifting.
I do measure my workout, my walking regimen is based on bursts of speed inter spaced with a slower speed. Its a far more efficient way of walking than just going at the same pace. The music on my iPod is set up so that I don't even have to look at my watch to know when its time to speed up.
I do high intensity 20 minutes daily and rest on sundays only. This keeps me healthy and strong. I do some weights and body weight training during the 20 minutes.
I guess people work out for their own certain amount of time, depending on what their goal is. For example, if their goal is to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, then they'll work out pretty hard with that goal in their mind. If there isn't much of a result, then they'll work out harder. It really depends on what you want to achieve when you work out and how long it takes to achieve it. That determines how long or how hard you workout.
