Interval Training vs. Moderate Exercise

Short interval training workouts are beneficial for fitness and heart health and halve the time it takes to lose weight and build muscle. Interval training workouts sustains muscle tissue rather than fat burning moderate exercise. To increase the fitness it is important to push the body harder than usual. If you want to stay healthy, lose weight, and maintain fitness you may prefer to carry out exercise for longer periods. This will burn off fat, yes, but it may also dip into essential lean muscle tissue after 30-45 minutes. This is catastrophic to those who want to lose weight because the loss of lean muscle tissue will reduce the basal metabolic rate, which is the rate at which the body burns calories at rest.

Interval training burns just as many calories as longer workouts but does not dip into lean muscle tissue. Weight training maintains muscle tissue so it is important to try to work the muscles before engaging in any cardiovascular exercise. The body burns off fat after the glycogen stores in the muscles empty. Weight training burns glycogen but does not burn muscle so perform aerobic exercise immediately after if you have time.

Positives of interval training:

When the heart rate is constantly elevated, it has no option but to burn calories.
It works both the anaerobic and aerobic systems, therefore sustaining muscle tissue and works the heart.
Interval training builds a healthier system and transfers oxygen around the body much more efficiently.
Muscles are able to build up a high tolerance to the build up of lactate.
Fitness improves dramatically because the body is being pushed to its physical and mental limits. The faster the pulse rate returns to normal the fitter a person.
Prevents injuries that are associated with, endurance workouts.
Research has shown that interval workouts burn more calories over a shorter period. Calorie burn will continue after the workout is completed.
Works on training both the fast and slow twitch muscle fibers so you are able to perform other exercises with additional power and speed.
Elevates the mood quickly and sustains it for hours afterward.

Negatives of interval training:

Requires a good level of fitness as interval training stresses out the body to a certain degree.
May cause injuries in those individuals who are not prepared for the mental and physical demands this kind of exercise brings.
It is physically impossible to perform interval training for hours; this may cause injury because the focus and delivery is not as effective as the first twenty minutes into the workout. Listen to the body always.

Types of interval training: slow and fast running, fast skipping, jumping jacks, burpees etc.

Positives of moderate exercise

Studies have shown it to be preventative against heart disease and diabetes against more rigorous training.
Overall preventative benefits last longer than those benefits that are gained through intensive training
Both the length and intensity of training has been shown to boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Lowers triglycerides in the body and therefore gives a lower risk of obtaining heart disease and diabetes.
Builds strength in the connective tissue, joints, and muscles so that higher impact training can be performed.
It helps to reduce both hormonal and physiological stress.
Improves the mood for hours afterward
Burns fat.

Negatives of moderate exercise

It is important to carry out some kind of weight training before moderate exercise is performed so that the muscles tissue is not the primary energy supply.
Try not to perform the exercise for more than forty-five minutes as it may burn essential metabolically active muscle tissue. Glycogen is burnt off firstly and then muscle, if no weight training has been performed to sustain muscle tissue.

Types of moderate exercise: walking, jogging at a slow pace, and biking without resistance etc.

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Posted by GenXXL Staff on Dec 15th, 2009 and filed under Workout. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site

1 Response for “Interval Training vs. Moderate Exercise”

Tom @ Walking Equipment says:

January 8, 2010 at 6:05 am

Great article,

Eventually we all get old and a bit frail. Moderate exercise has an advantage since it is something we can do until the bitter end.