Best Type of Interval Training for Fat Loss
February 15, 2010 4:29 am SportsIf your running goal is to lose fat, then limit your work intervals to a maximum of 15 seconds. Studies show that shorter intervals don’t feel as physically demanding as long intervals which means that you can get better results without feeling like you’re working harder. The longer the work interval, the more myoglobin gets used up, and the longer it takes to “reload”. Therefore, you’d need more time to recover.
One study used rest intervals that were 1.5 times greater than the work intervals (6 seconds work: 9 seconds rest).
Based on these findings, a 15-second work interval would require a minimum of 22 seconds rest.
However, if you’re new to interval training I would recommend starting with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:3. This means that if you work hard for 15 seconds, give yourself 45 seconds to recover. As you become fitter, then you can reduce the amount of recovery.
