“Women can work at a higher percentage of their maximum heart rate than the men and a higher percentage of their maximum oxygen consumption.” This information has been published in “Sex-specific Responses to Interval Training” a study conducted by Drs. Matt Laurent and Matt Kutz, Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies at Bowling Green State University; Lauren Vervaecke, Division of Applied Physiology, University of South Carolina; and Dr. Matt Green, Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of North Alabama. The study will be published in an upcoming Journal of Strength and Conditioning. Participants hit the treadmill for six, four-minute intervals performed at the highest intensity they felt they could maintain. Recovery between intervals consisted of one minute, two minutes or four minutes.
High-Intensity Interval training (HIIT) is scientifically proven to burn nine times more ugly, unwanted body fat than ordinary exercise. Interval workouts are typically only 10-20 minutes in length and can be easily completed in the comfort of your own home or on the road when you’re traveling using bodyweight-based exercises or portable equipment like resistance bands, the TRX suspension training system, kettlebells, etc
Features of 50-10 Workout
- Fat loss, endurance, and conditioning emphasis
- Moderate-Intensity Exercise Selection: Lighter loads and less advanced exercise variations
- Goal of 15-20+ reps/set
- Better suited for exercises requiring minimal set-up and transition time (e.g. bodyweight-based exercises).
- Better suited for stability/balance exercises and combination movements requiring more time-under-tension.
Features of 30-30 Workout
- Strength, power, and hypertrophy emphasis
- High-Intensity Exercise Selection: Heavier loads and more advanced exercise variations
- Goal of 6-15 reps/set
- Better suited for exercises requiring more elaborate set-up and transition time (e.g. TRX and Kettlebell exercises)
- Better suited for elasticity/plyometric exercises requiring less time-under-tension
You can check each type of interval protocol in action, using the classic 5-exercise format:
1.) 50-10’s at a special lunch workout put together for some 2009 PB Summit attendees in Chicago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
2.) 30-30’s at Kettlebell and Band Workout at the 2009 Bootcamp Bootcamp in Kentucky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy3FPmLc6q8
If you combine this 5-exercise circuit format with systematically providing customize exercise selection for all fitness levels and switching up the exercise selection every 3-4 weeks, the last thing your workouts will ever be accused of being is boring!