The Assault Bike® is one of a handful of modern fan-resistance, full-body stationary bikes, or “air bikes.” Similar machines include the Echo Bike, Airdyne Pro, and various other models. However, much like Rollerblade®, Q-tip®, or Band-Aid®, “Assault bike” has become known universally to encompass all brands of air bikes, or simply as a phrase used interchangeably with “air bike.”

Because air bikes work muscle groups in the arms and legs simultaneously and without reprieve, they may be the most efficient machine for conditioning, shedding unwanted bodyweight, and training all major metabolic energy pathways.

If you’re lucky enough to have access to an air bike, check out the brutal workouts below. 

Best Air Bike Workouts

• For Conditioning
• For Fat Loss
• Workout Finishers

Best Air Bike Workout for Conditioning

Due to their formidable and non-adjustable resistance, air bikes are thought to be more strength-based than spin bikes. (1) On a spin bike, individuals typically pedal at 70 to 110 revolutions per minute, whereas most riders on an air bike will reach 40 to 80 revolutions per minute. (1)

Unlike a spin bike, an air bike’s resistance progressively increases the harder and faster you ride. Altogether, air bikes may represent a preferable conditioning method for athletes with strength backgrounds and biases.

Air bikes also offer a more efficient method for training anaerobic capacity, or short-term, high-intensity endurance. Push hard enough on an air bike and you will lean hard into anaerobic glycolysis — a system that provides energy when demand outpaces our ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles.

You’ll also experience the physical anguish associated with anaerobic training. Lactate is a metabolic by-product of anaerobic glycolysis. Workouts that produce uncomfortably high levels of lactate tend to be perceived as “hard workouts.” (2)

Compared to Wingate cycling — the gold standard “all-out” test of anaerobic fitness — a max effort ride of equal duration on an air bike produces higher lactate levels. Moreover, these elevated lactate levels diminish more slowly. (3)

Now, lactate is not the direct cause of muscle “burning”. Rather, lactate is produced alongside hydrogen ions, which alters the pH of your tissues, likely creating the searing burn of high-intensity exercise. (4) Have trust in the pain. This suffering pays dividends in the form of improved conditioning and fitness. 

Modified Sprint Time-Trial Interval Training

Unless you’re a special type of masochist, you’re riding the air bike for the physiological benefits — the multi-system adaptations that improve our health and our ability to do more work inside and outside the gym.

Your go-to conditioning workout should be like a Swiss Army Knife — versatile yet manageable enough for practical use. Specifically, a robust conditioning workout should train all major energy systems (phosphocreatine, anaerobic glycolysis, and aerobic metabolism). A proper routine will also promote fatigue-resistance, tap into muscle fibers with massive potential for adaptation, and enhance your overall work capacity.

This air bike workout was inspired by a protocol developed by researchers out of Denmark. The original protocol consisted of six five-minute intervals at 85% of one’s maximum heart rate followed by two five-minute intervals with five 15-second all-out sprints followed by 45 seconds of active recovery. (5)

Only elite cyclists and triathletes were included in the Danish study, and the protocol made these extremely fit individuals fitter. For average folks, following an identical protocol would be insurmountable. Therefore, the volume and frequency of the program are modified.

Build towards the full, eight-interval protocol by adding one five-minute interval every month of consistent training. Repeat this workout once or twice per week, ideally after your resistance training or separated by at least six hours to avoid potential interference. 

• How to Do it: Use your arms and legs to pedal during the high intensity intervals. You can use legs-only during the recovery periods. Warm-up thoroughly, and then perform three five-minute intervals at the fastest pace you can sustain for the duration, with two minutes rest or recovery between each interval. After the third recovery period, proceed into five shorter intervals with 15 seconds of an all-out sprint followed by 45 seconds of easy recovery pedaling. 
• Sets and Reps: Three sets of five minutes moderate with two minutes recovery, followed by five sets of 15 seconds maximum effort with 45 seconds recovery.
• Rest time: Rest two minutes between each five-minute interval. Rest 45 seconds between each 15-second interval.

Best Air Bike Workout for Fat Loss

Air bikes may be the most “recoverable” form of cardio. The training stress is distributed across both the upper and lower body rather than overworking one area for the duration of the session.

Air bikes are also a ‘concentric-only’ exercise — meaning the involved muscle groups must overcome resistance with negligible eccentric, or “braking,” action. This makes them less likely to cause post-workout soreness.

High-load and/or high-volume eccentric exercise is associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and varying degrees of damage to the muscle cell at the microscopic level. (6) Ultimately, you’re less likely to be sore in the hours and days following a hard Assault bike workout compared to an eccentric-heavy mode of cardio (like jogging or jumping rope). As a bonus, concentric contractions are more energy demanding, which may result in greater energy expenditure during your workout.

Zone 2 Fat-Burning Workout

For a low-impact, total-body workout that is unlikely to leave you sore, you can’t beat Zone 2 cardio on an air bike. Zone 2 refers to low-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise — 60 to 70% of your maximum heart-rate.

To find this range, first estimate your maximum heart rate as 220 minus your age (in years). Then, multiply that maximum heart rate by 0.6 and 0.7 to identify the upper and lower bounds of the training range.

If you’re not using a heart rate monitor, these numbers aren’t relevant and you can simply ride at the highest effort you can sustain while breathing only through your nose. If you break into open-mouth panting, you’re training too hard.

Aerobic training is driven by the breakdown of fats in the presence of oxygen. Non-endurance athletes benefit from aerobic training to improve body composition (e.g. fat loss), boost heart health, and enhance recovery between sets of resistance training.

Aerobically trained muscles develop better vascularization and greater density of mitochondria over time. These adaptations help our muscles to do more work and potentially recover more quickly.

The air bike is ideal for aerobic training, because it trains large muscle groups in the upper and lower body. Unless you enjoy the monotony of a steady-state workout, break your Zone 2 work into segments to stay motivated. This fat loss workout consists of five segments with descending calorie targets — use the readout on the bike’s display to monitor progress.

As part of a fat loss plan, repeat this workout three to five times per week, ideally after your resistance training or separated by at least six hours to avoid potential interference with recovery and performance. 

• How to Do it: Warm up, and then begin the workout pedaling with your arms and legs together. Instead of tracking time, pedal to burn 120 calories, 110 calories, 100 calories, 90 calories, and then 80 calories. The goal is to achieve “negative splits” by completing each calorie-segment slightly faster than the previous. Be sure to maintain Zone 2 intensity throughout the workout, either by using a heart rate monitor or by maintaining nose-only breathing.
• Sets and Reps: Five calorie-segments: 120 calories, 110 calories, 100 calories, 90 calories, and 80 calories.
• Rest time: Rest passively (“following” the momentum of the pedals and handles) or actively (very low-intensity pedaling) for 30 seconds after reaching each calorie target. It should be just enough time to grab a sip of water or towel off before going again.

Best Air Bike Workout Finisher

A “finisher” refers to a short metabolic conditioning workout added to the end of your primary workout. After hitting the weights, for example, hop on the air bike to empty the tank and ensure you’ve gotten the most out of your workout.

Since you’ve already trained, your levels of muscle glycogen (a form of stored and readily accessible energy) will likely be low. “Training low,” or training with low levels of glycogen, stimulates energy system adaptations. (2) With regular high intensity interval training, your muscles will build larger stores of accessible energy and better manage the metabolic byproducts of high intensity training.

Sprint Interval Training

Consider this sprint interval training (SIT) “finisher” to rev your metabolism and leave you feeling accomplished when you leave the gym. The workout allows incomplete recovery between short, high-intensity bouts of riding.

Because “fast energy” from the phosphagen system doesn’t fully replenish between bouts, anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic pathways will contribute progressively to the energy demands of the workout. (7)

Translation: You’ll train all three major energy pathways in this workout. Perform this workout at the end of one resistance training workout each week.

• How to Do it: Because your weight training will have just ended, you should still be relatively warm. Perform just two minutes of easy pedaling and then begin the workout. Pedal with all-out effort, using arms and legs, for 20 seconds, every minute on the minute (EMOM). End with two minutes of easy pedaling. 
• Sets and Reps: Perform intervals every minute on the minute for five minutes total.
• Rest time: Using the EMOM approach, work for 20 seconds and rest for the remaining 40 seconds of each minute. The rest period can be active (low-intensity pedaling) or passive (following the moving handles and pedals).

How to Warm-Up for Air Bike Workouts

A proper warm-up primes the body for movement and peak performance. Body temperature and blood flow increase, boosting metabolism and oxygen delivery to the working muscles.

Joints begin moving more freely. You might start to sweat, which helps with temperature regulation when the real work starts. Give this warm-up a try before your next air bike workout. 

Air Bike Workout Warm-Up

• Easy ride: Spend three minutes pedaling at a low level of effort.
• Trunk rotations: Stay seated and brace your feet on the pegs. Maintain an upright posture as you rotate your trunk and reach forward with one arm. Alternate arms with each rotation. Perform 20 total repetitions, 10 per side. 
• Legs-only ride: Rest your arms at your sides and ride for one minute at an “easy” effort using just your legs. 
• Arms-only ride: Place your feet on the pegs and ride for one minute at an “easy” effort using just your arms.
• Triple ramp-up: Pedal with your arms and legs together for 10 seconds at an “easy” effort. Increase to a “moderate” effort for 10 seconds. Transition to a “hard” effort for 10 seconds. Perform the entire sequence a total of three times (90 seconds).

The Most Effective Cardio Machine?

The air bike is unrelenting and versatile. You can push as hard as you’re able during interval training or you can ease off for steady-state aerobic work. Air bike workouts are great for metabolic conditioning and fat loss. They can be stand-alone conditioning or fat loss sessions, or you can tack them onto the end of a traditional workout for a sprint interval “finisher.” Once your recovery and adaptation take their course, air bike workouts set you up for better fitness and future gains.

But you’ve been warned — they can be brutal. 

References

1. Schlegel, P., Křehký, A., Hiblbauer, J., & Faltys, V. (2022). Air biking as a new way for stress testing. Movement & Sport Sciences-Science & Motricité. Published online ahead of print. doi.org/10.1051/sm/2022001.
2. Buchheit, M., & Laursen, P. B. (2013). High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle. Sports Medicine, 43(5), 313-338.
3. Schlegel, P., & Křehký, A. (2020). Anaerobic Fitness Testing in Crossfit. Acta Facultatis Educationis Physicae Universitatis Comenianae, 60(2), 217–228. 
4. Robergs, R. A., et al. (2018). Lactate, not lactic acid, is produced by cellular cytosolic energy catabolism. Physiology, 33(1), 10-12.
5. Gejl, K. D., Andersson, E. P., Nielsen, J., Holmberg, H. C., & Ørtenblad, N. (2020). Effects of acute exercise and training on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and uptake rates in highly trained endurance athletes. Frontiers in Physiology, 11, 810.
6. Hotfiel, T., et al. (2018). Advances in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS): Part I: Pathogenesis and diagnostics. Sportverletzung· Sportschaden, 32(04), 243-250.
7. Bogdanis, G. C., Nevill, M. E., Boobis, L. H., & Lakomy, H. K. (1996). Contribution of phosphocreatine and aerobic metabolism to energy supply during repeated sprint exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 80(3), 876–884. 

Featured Image: Boonkung / Shutterstock

The post Try These 3 Air Bike Workouts for Conditioning, Fat Loss, and More appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The first is steady-state cardio training, where a single speed or intensity is maintained for the entirety of the workout without resting, The other is interval training, which alternates periods of work with periods of rest.

One unique type of interval training may actually deliver better results in less time. (1) Specifically, we’re talking about HIIT — high intensity interval training. It’s a particular training protocol that alternates periods (or “intervals”) of high effort followed by periods of recovery for the duration of the workout.

A critical element of HIIT workouts are those first two words. High. Intensity. For best results, aim to apply something close to maximum effort in each work period, not simply something that “feels hard.”

Many generic HIIT workouts you see on the internet are “intense” because of short rest periods and insufficient recovery, rather than requiring high intensity output during the work intervals. This short rest/high volume approach can have its place in a workout routine, but it’s just interval training. It’s not going to give you the same outcome as following these truly high intensity workouts.

Perform these workouts no more than three days per week. If you can perform them on consecutive days without rest, reconsider how much “high intensity” you’re really putting into each interval.

The Best HIIT Workouts

• With One Dumbbell
• With One Kettlebell
• EMOM HIIT
• With Bodyweight, Lower Body
• With Bodyweight, Upper Body

One-Dumbbell HIIT Workout

This workout is done for time using an AMRAP approach which, in this case, stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. Start a timer immediately before performing the first rep of the first exercise. Instead of performing strict “sets,” work through the series of exercises continually until the timer ends.

The full-body workout follows a specific sequence: One lower body exercise, one upper body exercise, and finally an ab exercise. This structure lets you move non-stop while also allowing the involved muscle groups to get some rest before you have to repeat an exercise. This is how you keep the overall training intensity high throughout the entire session.

Goblet Squat

• How to Do it: Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest with both hands supporting one side of the weight. Pull your shoulders back and maintain an upright torso as you squat down by bending at both the hips and the knees. The goblet position keeps your torso relatively vertical and allows you to achieve a deeper squat position. Make sure your head and shoulders rise first as you stand up. Throughout the exercise, keep your elbows near your ribs and keep the weight near your chest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Sets and Reps: 12 reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Single-Arm Floor Press

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground holding the dumbbell in one arm. Extend that arm above your chest in a locked out position. Bend your legs and brace your feet flat on the floor. Lower the weight as if performing a dumbbell bench press. Keep your upper arm at an angle roughly halfway between your feet and shoulders. Use a controlled speed to avoid bouncing your arm off of the ground.
• Sets and Reps: 5 reps per arm, 10 total reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Alternating Jackknife Raise

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs extended straight and your arms by your sides. Raise one leg while reaching the opposite arm above your body until your hand and foot meet. This will require a total-body sit-up motion. Alternate sides with each repetition: left foot meeting right hand, right hand meeting left foot, etc.
• Sets and Reps: 4 reps per side, 8 total reps
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. After three minutes of continuous work, rest for one minute. Perform a total of two “sets” of three minutes.

One-Kettlebell HIIT Workout

Many exercises can be performed interchangeably with either a dumbbell or a kettlebell. However, the kettlebell’s unique shape and offset center of mass make it the preferred choice for certain exercises. This workout uses a kettlebell, specifically, to improve muscle recruitment and increase explosive output. It should be done for time using an AMRAP approach — as many rounds as possible.

Goblet Clean

• How to Do it: This dynamic movement brings the weight from the floor to the goblet position, near chin-level, in one powerful motion. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell set between them. Squat down and grab the top of the kettlebell with both hands using a palms-down grip. Maintain a neutral spine as you explosively stand up while pulling the kettlebell to chest-height. As the weight passes above your hips, quickly transition both hands to the “horns” of the kettlebell (the handle stems on either side). Stabilize your body in the upright position, with the weight held just below your chin, before reversing the process to lower the weight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Sets and Reps: 12 reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Single-Arm Push Press

• How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hold the kettlebell in one arm, with your hand near the front of your shoulder and the “ball” of the kettlebell supported along your forearm. Dip down a few inches into a short-range squat and use your body as a spring to generate force as you stand up while pressing the weight to lockout overhead. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Repeat all reps for one arm before switching sides.
• Sets and Reps: 5 reps per arm, 10 reps total
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Straight-Arm Sit-Up

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs bent and your feet flat. Extend your arms overhead with the backs of your hands touching the ground. Perform a full range of motion sit-up, bringing your chest to meet your knees. As you rise up, bring your arms from overhead to straight out in front of your chest. In the top position, your elbows should be near your knees. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 8 reps
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. After three minutes of continuous work, rest for one minute. Perform a total of two “sets” of three minutes.

EMOM HIIT Workout

EMOM training is an intense, time-based protocol which typically requires performing one set of an exercise every minute on the minute. Generally, you have 60 seconds to complete a given number of repetitions. The only rest time is the remainder of that minute, because the next “set” will begin at the start of the next minute. This intense training method incentivizes you to work harder and faster so you can get more rest.

While the most common EMOM uses one-minute periods, you can adapt the method to almost any timeframe. This allows you to perform a higher volume of work with more reps per exercise and/or more exercises per workout. The goal is still to complete each work phase as quickly and efficiently as possible so that you can get enough rest to maintain your performance in the upcoming rounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In this HIIT workout — “E4MO4M” or “every four minutes on the four minutes” — you have four minutes to complete all of the work below. You can use different weights for each exercise to keep the reps challenging, but pre-arrange the weights before starting the workout to save time.

The goal is to finish all 102 repetitions in three to three-and-a-half minutes so you can get some rest before starting the next set. Perform three to five total circuits — a 12 to 20-minute workout.

• Single-arm dumbbell row: 15 reps per arm, 30 reps total
• Single-arm clean: 12 reps per arm, 24 reps total
• Single-arm push press: 10 reps per arm, 20 reps total
• Goblet squat: 16 reps
• Alternating reverse lunge: 6 reps per leg, 12 reps total

Bodyweight HIIT Workout

Bodyweight HIIT workouts can be surprisingly effective. By removing any external load, you reduce the likelihood of raw strength being a limiting factor and you can focus on technique and straightforward effort.

Many bodyweight exercises can be programmed with speed and intensity for a HIIT workout. Here are two ways to blast your upper and lower body.

Lower Body HIIT Workout

This is a relatively advanced workout for lifters who’ve mastered basic technique and can safely perform plyometric jumps quickly, explosively, and safely. Less-experienced lifters can choose an alternative exercise like alternating lunges.

Air Squat

• How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Drop into a squat position, with your thighs roughly parallel to the floor. Keep your hands near your chest and upper body roughly vertical. Quickly return to the starting position. Keep your feet on the ground throughout the exercise.
• Sets and Reps: Perform continuous repetitions for 20 seconds, ideally reaching 18 to 22 reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Jump Squat

• • How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Squat down partially, with your thighs above parallel. Let your hands drop down to your side. Bring your arms up near chest-height as you stand up explosively and jump into the air. Soften your landing by catching yourself in a squat and smoothly transition to the next repetition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Sets and Reps: Perform continuous repetitions for 20 seconds, ideally reaching 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Squat Hold

• How to Do it: Bring your hands to chest-height and lower your body into a deep squat position. Your thighs should be at least parallel to the ground, or deeper if possible. Actively push your feet into the floor and engage your glutes and core to remain stationary. Maintain an upright torso. Don’t lean forward as you fatigue. Your muscles will be on fire as they work to hold the position. Embrace the burn.
• Sets and Reps: Hold the position for 20 seconds.
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. Complete two consecutive sets. Advanced lifters can rest one minute before performing a third set. Extremely advanced lifters should aim for three consecutive sets.

Upper Body HIIT Workout — 55’s

This workout uses the countdown method for an extremely efficient HIIT workout — lots of work, minimal rest. It is often used in a circuit of two or three exercises, to give each muscle group slight recovery for optimal performance.

To perform the countdown method: Complete 10 repetitions of the first exercise, then immediately complete 10 repetitions of the second. Immediately do nine reps of the first exercise, then nine reps of the second, followed by eight reps of the first, and eight of the second, etc. Continue all the way down to one rep of each to complete a total of 55 reps of each exercise.

Be sure to time how long it takes to do the workout. The progression goal is to complete the same workout faster each time you repeat it. This also creates a competitive environment and personal challenge to keep your intensity high.

Push-Up

• How to Do it: Support your body on your toes and hands, with your hands set slightly outside shoulder-width. While keeping a straight line from your neck to your ankles during each rep, bend your elbows to lower your entire body, and press to full lockout. To reduce shoulder joint strain, aim your elbows more towards your feet than your shoulders.
• Sets and Reps: Countdown method, 10 to one reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Chin-Up

• How to Do it: Grab an overhead chin-up bar using a palms-up grip with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. Pull your body up until your chin or neck is in-line with your hands. Lower yourself under control until your arms are almost fully extended. Don’t allow your shoulders to shrug up in the bottom (stretched) position. Maintain a tight core to prevent any leg swinging.
• Sets and Reps: Countdown method, 10 to one reps.
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise.

HIIT for Fat Loss, Conditioning, or Both?

HIIT Workouts are often used as part of a fat loss plan. Fat loss occurs when you create a calorie deficit by consistently burning more energy than you consume. Various types of exercise can contribute to increasing energy expenditure, but it’s much less than you think. Over-focusing on exercise has been shown to be less effective for fat loss than using a more well-rounded approach that combines goal-focused nutrition and training. (2)

The main benefit of fat loss workouts is the maintenance of muscle mass, so that when you do lose weight, the majority of that loss comes from body fat. In order to stimulate muscle preservation, you need to work your muscles close to failure, and HIIT workouts are an effective and efficient way to do that in a short period of time.

HIIT Workouts can also be used to improve conditioning or endurance, as well as general cardiovascular health. HIIT workouts have consistently been shown to be as effective as other cardio training methods when it comes to improving general conditioning and multiple cardiovascular health markers.(3)(4)

Time to HIIT It

HIIT training can be an extremely effective and (relatively) enjoyable part of any training plan. When paired with appropriate nutrition and combined with structured strength training and some low-to-moderate intensity aerobic (steady-state) training, you end up with a comprehensive training program and should be able to see improvements in performance and body composition. The key to HIIT training is to always remember what it stands for. You can’t avoid putting the high intensity into your high intensity interval training.

References

1. Ito S. High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases – The key to an efficient exercise protocol. World J Cardiol. 2019 Jul 26;11(7):171-188. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v11.i7.171. PMID: 31565193; PMCID: PMC6763680.
2. Johns, D. J., Hartmann-Boyce, J., Jebb, S. A., Aveyard, P., & Behavioural Weight Management Review Group (2014). Diet or exercise interventions vs combined behavioral weight management programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparisons. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(10), 1557–1568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.005
3. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ (2013) VO2max Trainability and High Intensity Interval Training in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE 8(9): e73182. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073182
4. Batacan RB, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJ, et alEffects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studiesBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2017;51:494-503.

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NYU has taught me a lot and one of those things were, sports needn’t be concussion-inducing, ego inflating, and have a retirement age of 45 to be considered legit. Sometimes we overlook things such as fighting hard mano y mano, mental toughness and strategy, graceful technique, and longevity.

Fencing originated in the 14th century by both the Italians and the Germans. Marxburder of Frankfurt being the first guild opened in 1478. It was introduced to the Olympics in 1896. Since then the Olympics fell in love with the speed, grace, and display of power these athletes brought to the stage. To an observer unfamiliar it may look like nothing but stickfighting occurs but it’s a constant challenge of wit, focus, and adaptation. With three weapon types to choose from why not join the fray?

Fencing is for both the old and the young. I’ve fenced against those in their seventies at Brooklyn Bridge Fencing club and the Fencers Club in Manhattan and fought bravely against those as young as eight years of age (chuckles).

Like weightlifting, the incidence of injury for fencing is very low, such that some begin either sport from the age of 6. This sport has taught me patience, quick thinking, and how to practice like Mozart.

Fencing, like bodybuilding, requires thousands of hours of practice—whether it’s attacking a target, doing drills, time spent in the gym going over sport specific exercises such as jump squats, split deadlifts, multi-directional lunges, cable pull aparts, one arm cable rows, and explosive HIIT based cardio.

Fencing, the New and Improved HIIT

Most people do not have time to spend two hours a day on a treadmill or Stairmaster. Some find the treadmill absolutely horrid and the Stairmaster daunting or reserved for Instagram models.

Fencing provides the greatest HIIT cardio that I’ve ever experienced. Bouts are either 3 minutes or 15 minutes long, and after about two 15 minute bouts most are ready to call it quits. Whether you’re looking to break the sound barrier or take great leaps and bounds: foil, saber, or épée, you’re bound to break a sweat but look like a knight in shining armor while doing it.

Olympic Silver Medalist, Jason Rogers, says this about fencing and fitness, “Fencing is an excellent sport to improve lower body strength and speed, as well as hand-eye coordination. Fencing also develops agility and flexibility and is probably most similar to many of the martial arts in terms of the collection of skills it requires.”

Fencing and Coaching

I was taught under the guidance of Lauren Wunderlich and Kornel Udvarheyli of NYU Fencing and Fencers Club. My sports trainer in the rx room was Nikki Webb. Ever since being teased as the “fencing teams trainer” during a competition, I never thought that coaching such a sport was as difficult for the athlete as it was for the coach.

Learning to become a coach myself with my clients my respect for Conscious Coaching by Brett Bartholomew and my teachers goes beyond the realm of sport and has taught me to shape my mind to be physically active for the remainder of my life—and for that, I’m ever grateful.

As I began bodybuilding the same teachings of pre-hab, rehab, strengthening, and technique came back over and over during every session or every competition. Funny enough, my posing coach IFBB Pro Marie Allegro fenced for St. John’s University and it’s what inspired me to write this article. I hope this has piqued your interest in one of the greatest sports to grace the world stage.

It’s Your Move, Allez!

As the Olympics draws near in 2020 Tokyo, take a gander at the fencing bouts. There may be fencing clinics and instruction open to all ages in your area.

Unlike spending hours in the gym, talking and wasting time, talking to your opponent after a bout in order to improve things such as technique, tempo, targeting, and footwork make a difference for the better. Show me your fancy footwork as you light it up this summer!

Physical benefits of fencing:

• Coordination
• Agility
• Balance
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Cardiovascular Endurance

Mental benefits of fencing:

• Focus
• Hand-Eye Coordination
• Problem Solving

The post Fencing: The Sport You Should Be Doing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Your feelings don’t matter! That is, your subjective feeling of the effectiveness of a workout is not important as what science tells us is important to building an impressive base of endurance and changing your body composition. A common training method is high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

This type of training leaves people on the floor in a pool of sweat feeling as if they have accomplished a great workout. In this article, I propose a smarter way of training, which should have a greater effect on endurance and long-term body composition effects. This high-intensity repeat training (HIRT) may not ‘feel’ as good, but your feelings don’t matter.

History of HIIT

Interval training with high intensities has been around for years. The tipping point of HIIT seems to have come with the research of Dr. Izumi Tabata. In the early 1990s, he collaborated with Irisawa Koichi, the Japanese speed skating team coach who had developed a protocol of short maximum bursts of sprints followed by short periods of rest. These short maximum burst improved and maintained peak performance in elite speed skating athletes. Tabata wanted to test the protocol with athletes at different levels.

The initial Tabata paper from 1996 examined two groups of amateur athletic males in their mid-twenties:

1. The first group pedaled on an ergometer for sixty minutes at moderate intensity (70% of VO2 max). Similar to a long jogging session or what has been termed long slow distance (LSD) work.
2. The second group pedaled for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for 4 minutes (completing 7 to 8 sets total) at maximal effort. The key phrase is maximal effort, as each interval was expected to be a sprint. If athletes could not keep up the speed requirements, they were stopped at 7 sets.

Both groups trained for 5 days a week for a grand total of 5 hours a week or 20 minutes. The protocol lasted for 6 weeks.

In the above figure, the graph on the right shows anaerobic progress. As expected, the Tabata-style sprinting group improved their performance while the long-duration group did not. These results make sense given that the sprints use a lot more anaerobic processes.

The graph on the left shows the results of oxygen uptake, which is a measure of how efficient people are at aerobic activities (the more oxygen we can take in, the more efficient our aerobic processes will be). Both groups improved on this measure in similar fashions (the red line shows the Tabata-style maximal-effort group).

This result was expected for the long-duration group as they were specifically training for this goal. The result for the group doing sprints was surprising in that they improved in a similar fashion. Thus, it seems that a four-minute maximal intensity Tabata workout had the same aerobic benefits as doing a sixty-minute moderate intensity workout. This news was pretty shocking in that you could get two-in-one benefits from only a four-minute workout. The HIIT revolution had begun.

Potential Issues with HIIT

Maximal-effort sprint-like activities are a key component for Tabata workouts. Many people have difficulties maintaining maximum effort for 20 seconds over seven series. Thus, very few people actually do a Tabata style workout. There are many “Tabata-inspired” workouts that last from 20 minutes to 60 minutes. These bastardizations of Tabata protocols often lead to decreased effort on each interval.

Tabata style protocols have been shown to be beneficial in the short-term. The high stress on the body can cause it to adapt by getting rid of poorly functioning mitochondria (mitophagy) and replacing them. Issues arise when people attempt it for long periods of time. The high stress from these workouts can have detrimental effects in the long-term with degradation of mitochondria. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing (Ramos-Filho 2015).

Burgomaster and Gibala Intervals

Kirsten Burgomaster and Martin Gibala have modified Tabata’s maximal effort protocols. The big difference in their protocols from Tabata is that they allow for longer rest (4 minutes), but also longer work intervals (30 seconds of maximum effort).

Similar to Tabata’s original research, Burgomaster and Gibala have found benefits to aerobic and anaerobic systems. Others have found benefits in fat loss (here is a good review article). Four minutes of rest allows for more time for our ATP and creatine phosphate system to recover and may provide better performance on the maximal effort attempts.

A major benefit of Burgomaster and Gibala intervals is that it activates the AMPK pathway that is responsible for mitochondrial enhancement. In a nutshell, when we quickly deplete our ATP stores, we create ADP and AMP (each iteration having one less phosphate molecule; from triphosphate to diphosphate, to monophosphate). Our body uses the ATP/AMP ratio to signal AMPK, which then leads to more mitochondria to process the extreme energy demands⁵.

ATP -> ADP + energy -> AMP + energy

A single 30-second sprint increases the AMP/ATP ratio by as much as 21 times. However, we are walking a fine line between mitochondrial growth and ripping out the framework of our energy system. Once we get down to AMP, we can rip off the last phosphate and the whole structure breaks apart. We no longer have a structure to add phosphates.

Some of the biggest damage from a heart attack comes after oxygen returns to the heart⁴. The heart has used up all of the phosphate and the mitochondria start making free radicals as there are not enough adenosine ribose frames to accept phosphate molecules. With too long of intense training, we actually start making ammonia as the AMP molecule is broken down.

Timing is important. The longer rest of Gibala and Brugomaster’s protocols is nice, but for some athletes, we might be causing too much damage to the adenosine molecules going for 30-second intervals. We might improve upon these protocols by shortening the work intervals, which allows us to recover quicker and to not bring about as much lactic acid.

High-Intensity Repeat Training (HIRT)

Interval training is differentiated from repeats by when the recovery occurs. In interval training, the recovery is incomplete, so the next interval starts when the person is already fatigued. This incomplete recovery leads to a decline in performance after each interval. Repeats maintain the same high level of performance over time.

HIRT reduces long-term stress on the body that comes from HIIT training. The key component of HIRT is to maintain effort and power on each and every repeat. Charlie Francis, coach to many Olympic world-record holding sprinters, was known to maximize rest intervals so each sprint could be better or at least the same as the sprint before. Rest was vital so that people could ‘repeat’ their performance, not watch it degrade.

Pavel Tsatsouline, who popularized kettlebell usage in the West. He is known for strength training, but his recent work on endurance has had some interesting findings. Pavel’s recent work on Strong Endurance modifies rest intervals and work durations to maximize the effects of high-intensity work.

Participants can maintain power over the duration of the session in his protocols. In most of his protocols, he keeps work to around 10 seconds or less, so that recovery can occur much quicker. An example would be doing ten kettlebell swings every minute on the minute for about 10 minutes. The key is to have maximum power for each and every set. A potential way to make sure one is maximizing power is to use an accelerometer.

These new Strong Endurance protocols are an advanced version of our StrongFirst for CrossFit protocols. Our research participants have seen increases in power, body composition, and aerobic conditioning (from long distance bicycling to snatch tests and everywhere in between).

There have also been many “what the heck effects” where performance in other areas not trained were found. For example, pull-ups went up on PT tests when they were not even training. More nuances about these training protocols can be learned in the Strong Endurance and All-Terrain Conditioning events.

Summary

There are some key components to HIRT:

• The first component is built right into high-intensity repeat training name. The person must be able to repeat the high-intensity performance. If it can’t be repeated, then the training session should end or more rest is needed.
• Intensity is key. The goal is to practice the exercises with maximal intensity for a short duration of time. Don’t worry about your feelings of guilt for not training longer. Doing more than the specified sets will not help you in the long run.
• Work duration should be between 5 to 15 seconds. Longer time intervals will lead to decreased performance and the need for longer rest (Gibala needs 4 minutes of rest for 30 seconds of work). Keeping the work time short allows for maximum effort and quicker repeat performance.
• Luxurious rest intervals are needed. For 10 seconds of work, there should be about 45 seconds of rest. Training in every minute on the minute fashion works well for 10 seconds of intense work.
• Pick exercises with less risk of injury and the ability to maintain maximum power. Sprinting form is a difficulty for many people. Furthermore, the power in a sprint can only be maximized for the first few seconds of the sprint (then the maintenance or stopping of deceleration is what is important). Sled pushes or pedaling an exercise bike are better and probably safer for a sedentary athlete. Rowers or swimming are also good alternatives. For advanced athletes with the ability to swing or snatch a kettlebell explosively, the snatch and swing work well. The key is the ability to do it with maximum power.
• Volume varies depending on goals. If your goal is maximal strength, then doing HIRT workout one to two times a week might be beneficial. If your goal is to build greater endurance, then four to five days a week will be most beneficial.

• Separate strength from conditioning. Do not think HIRT as a way to build strength. You must be strong first.

A Sample Protocol

Combining the above components we can create an example protocol. Load a sled so that you can move fast (hill sprints would work too). Sprint for 8 seconds as far as possible. Measure the distance after each push and maintain it. Do one set every minute for 4 to 10 sets (vary the volume each session by doing low medium and high volume days). If you can’t maintain the distance, the training session is complete and you need to add more rest to your next training session.

References:

1. Boutcher, S. H. (2010). “High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss.” Journal of Obesity, 2011, e868305. doi:10.1155/2011/868305

2. Burgomaster, K. A., Heigenhauser, G. J., & Gibala, M. J. (2006). “Effect of short-term sprint interval training on human skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism during exercise and time-trial performance.” Journal of Applied Physiology, 100 (6), 2041–2047.

3. Burgomaster, K. A., Howarth, K. R., Phillips, S. M., Rakobowchuk, M., MacDonald, M. J., McGee, S. L., & Gibala, M. J. (2008). “Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans.” The Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 151–160.

4. Emerling, B. M., Weinberg, F., Snyder, C., Burgess, Z., Mutlu, G. M., Viollet, B., … Chandel, N. S. (2009). Hypoxic activation of AMPK is dependent on mitochondrial ROS but independent of an increase in AMP/ATP ratio. Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 46(10), 1386–1391.

5. Hardie, D. G. (2003). Minireview: The AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Cascade: The Key Sensor of Cellular Energy Status. Endocrinology, 144(12), 5179–5183.

6. Hardie, D. G., Ross, F. A., & Hawley, S. A. (2012). AMPK: a nutrient and energy sensor that maintains energy homeostasis. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 13(4), 251–262.

7. Gibala, M. J., Little, J. P., Van Essen, M., Wilkin, G. P., Burgomaster, K. A., Safdar, A., … Tarnopolsky, M. A. (2006). “Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance.” The Journal of Physiology, 575(3), 901–911.

8. Kahn, B. B., Alquier, T., Carling, D., & Hardie, D. G. (2005). AMP-activated protein kinase: Ancient energy gauge provides clues to modern understanding of metabolism. Cell Metabolism, 1(1), 15–25.

9. Medbo, J. I., & Tabata, I. (1989). “Relative importance of aerobic and anaerobic energy release during short-lasting exhausting bicycle exercise.” Journal of Applied Physiology, 67(5), 1881–1886.

10. Ramos-Filho, D., Chicaybam, G., de-Souza-Ferreira, E., Martinez, C. G., Kurtenbach, E., Casimiro-Lopes, G., & Galina, A. (2015). High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Induces Specific Changes in Respiration and Electron Leakage in the Mitochondria of Different Rat Skeletal Muscles. PLOS ONE, 10(6), e0131766.

11. Tabata, I., Irisawa, K., Kouzaki, M., Nishimura, K., Ogita, F., & Miyachi, M. (1997). “Metabolic profile of high intensity intermittent exercises.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29(3), 390–395.

12. Tabata, I., Nishimura, K., Kouzaki, M., Hirai, Y., Ogita, F., Miyachi, M., & Yamamoto, K. (1996). “Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 28(10), 1327–1330.

The post HIIT versus HIRT appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Limited research has examined exactly how inactive people perceive high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Matthew Stork, a PhD candidate in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC’s Okanagan campus, recently completed a study comparing inactive people’s feelings and enjoyment of HIIT to traditional long-duration aerobic exercise.

“The number one cited barrier to physical activity is a perceived lack of time, and research has shown that as little as 10 minutes of HIIT, three times per week can elicit meaningful health benefits,” says Stork. “The concern is that short bursts of intense exercise may be perceived as unpleasant, especially for those who aren’t physically active to begin with.”

Stork wanted to know how people felt about their high-intensity exercise experience both during and after their sessions. He also hoped to determine whether feelings, ranging from pleasure to displeasure, during a HIIT session could predict the likelihood of completing the same exercise outside of the lab.

“We wanted to learn more about people’s perceptions towards HIIT and ultimately determine if even inactive people are willing to do these types of exercises on their own free time,” says Stork. “There’s research evidence showing that negative feelings experienced during traditional forms of exercise, like going for a long run, can lower your likelihood of completing that exercise again in the future. We anticipated the same would be true for HIIT, but as it turns out, it’s not so simple.”

To test his idea, Stork and his team recruited 30 inactive men and women who had never tried HIIT before. Each participant completed high intensity and traditional moderate intensity exercise on a stationary bike in the lab. They measured how the participants felt on a multi-point pleasure-displeasure scale throughout the activity. Each participant was also asked to log any exercise they completed on their own during the following four weeks.

“We found that participants reported equal levels of enjoyment and preferences for HIIT in comparison to traditional exercise, despite experiencing feelings of displeasure during the higher intensity exercise,” says Stork. “Importantly, 79 percent of participants reported completing HIIT on their own, outside of the lab.”

Stork says his study should give hope to those who struggle to fit exercise into their busy lives. He found that inactive people who tried the high-intensity exercise for the first time found it just as enjoyable as traditional exercise. “Many people want to give up on exercise because they don’t feel that they have enough time. However, HIIT may be a viable, time-efficient exercise option, even for inactive people who have never tried it before.”

The post HIIT Reductio is Better Than Nothing, Much Better appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

When it comes to well, anything these days, people are always looking to get the biggest and quickest “bang for their buck.” Workout-shopping is no exception. The more calories in a shorter amount of time, the better. Luckily, thanks to all of that “science stuff” we now know how to really zone in on the most effective workout in a relatively short amount of time.

How can we do this? Two words: Lift – HIIT. By lifting heavier dumbbell weights first, we target muscle growth, then smoking the calories with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to finish. It’s fast, effective and you’ll be burning more calories long after your workout.

Full Body Xpress Workout

Lift – 10 reps each exercise, repeat each set twice with 30 seconds rest in between.

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

HIIT

The best thing about doing a workout like this is it’s up to you how challenging you want to make it. Heavier dumbbells will make it more challenging and you will continue to increase in strength as well!

If you’re looking to enjoy a full workout plan with this type of short and effective design, then check out my full training plan Liift4.

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Nope. This is a case of research being taken out of context and misrepresented to provide an argument for one type of exercise over another. This happens way too often in the fitness industry. Let’s dispel this myth right now so you can make an informed decision about your cardio training.

What is EPOC?

EPOC stands for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. It’s an increase in oxygen uptake above resting levels that occurs after exercise. Increased oxygen consumption requires energy, so EPOC means that you burn calories even after an exercise bout. The purpose of EPOC is to restore the body to its resting state and create physiological adaptations which will help the body handle the same amount of exercise-related stress more easily in the future.

EPOC is the greatest immediately after exercise. Some studies have found that EPOC lasts up to 24 hours, while others have found it to be much shorter, less than an hour in some cases.¹ The large range of EPOC durations across studies has been attributed to differences in exercise intensity and duration, as well as differences in study methodologies.

Despite sensational claims from some in the fitness industry, research suggests that the EPOC effect is fairly small, and probably makes only a minor contribution to weight loss compared to the energy cost during the actual exercise. The amount of extra energy burned during EPOC is only about 6-15% as much as is used during the exercise itself.² For example, 20 rounds of 1-minute running intervals performed at 105% of VO2max, separated by 2 minutes of rest, burned an average of 537 calories during exercise, and an extra 64 calories in the 9 hours after the session.³

Research has also demonstrated large individual differences in EPOC responses.¹ That means that two people who do the exact same workout would likely burn different amounts of calories both during and after the session, based on differences in their gender, age, physiology, training status, and lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, and stress. Keep that in mind next time you hear that a certain workout or exercise will burn X number of calories, or when you look at the calorie counter on your treadmill or exercise app. Chances are, it’s not accurate for you.

The Root of the EPOC and Intervals Myth

The magnitude of EPOC increases exponentially with increased exercise intensity for the same distance or time.¹ In other words, if you run five miles in 25 minutes, you are going to get a larger EPOC effect than if it takes you 50 minutes to run those same five miles. If that’s the case, it would make sense that intervals, which are performed at a much higher intensity than continuous cardio (also known as steady-state cardio), would have a much greater EPOC effect.

That idea has been suggested as one reason for the similar weight or fat loss observed between interval training and continuous cardio, despite the much lower exercise volume needed for intervals to achieve those results. As interval research became more well-known, the idea of a greater EPOC effect became more widely publicized.

Although this explanation makes logical sense, studies that have directly investigated EPOC between interval training and continuous cardio don’t exactly back up the theory, especially when you consider the research in terms of its real-world application.

What Does the Research Say?

Studies have shown that when energy expenditure is measured for several hours after a training session, intervals and continuous cardio burn about the same amount of post-exercise calories.

Three studies found that participants burned a similar number of calories in the hours after they did either interval training or steady state cardio, but the interval session only required 20 total minutes (only about 2-10 minutes of high intensity exercise) while the steady state cardio session lasted for 30, 50, or 60 minutes.^4,5,6

Another study matched the exercise bouts by duration, so participants did about 45 minutes of interval training, 45 minutes of resistance training, and 45 minutes of continuous cardio. EPOC was higher after interval and resistance training than continuous cardio, with participants burning about 12 calories per hour more after intervals compared with continuous cardio.⁷ Of course, one of the major benefits of interval training is the ability to get similar fitness improvements and weight loss results with a much shorter exercise time than steady state cardio, so matching the duration of the interval session with continuous cardio sort of defeats the purpose in terms of the way people actually exercise in real life.

Based on those studies, it does appear that interval training has a greater capacity to induce EPOC than continuous cardio. It only takes a relatively short time for intervals to create the same amount of EPOC as continuous cardio, although the exercise needs to be done at a much higher intensity to get that effect.

Where Research Meets the Real World

But now let’s think about this in terms of its practical implications. I’ll use the data from the Skelly study⁵ as an example. In that study, participants breathed through a mouthpiece, and their exhaled air was analyzed to measure oxygen consumption and calculate their energy expenditure. Expired air was collected every few hours over a 24-hour period, including for one full hour during which participants rested or exercised. During that hour, they either rested for the entire hour, rested for 10 minutes and then cycled for 50 minutes continuously at a moderate intensity, or rested for 40 minutes and then did 10 x 60-second high intensity cycling intervals with 60 seconds’ rest in between. During those one-hour periods, here’s the average number of calories they burned:

• Rest: 125 calories
• 50min cycling: 547 calories
• 20min intervals: 352 calories

Over the full 24 hours (including the exercise period), here’s approximately how many calories they burned:

• Rest: 3005 calories
• 50min cycling: 3464 calories
• 20min intervals: 3368 calories

These participants burned more calories during 50 minutes of continuous cycling than they did during the 20-minute interval session, and they burned more total calories over 24 hours when they did continuous cycling. The difference between continuous cardio and interval training in this case is only about 100 calories over 24 hours. More importantly, as you would expect, both continuous cardio and interval training burned more calories than not exercising at all (about 350-450 extra calories over 24 hours).

So you’re probably going to burn a similar amount of calories if you do a short but very intense interval session, or a long, moderate intensity cardio session. If you do a long interval session, you should get a bigger EPOC effect than if you did the same duration of moderate intensity cardio, but remember that intervals need to be performed at a very high intensity to get the benefits. I wouldn’t recommend stretching an interval session past about 20-25 minutes, because most people won’t be able to maintain the necessary intensity over that amount of time.

To be clear, I’m not trying to discourage anyone from interval training. Intervals have been shown to be a very time-efficient way to increase fitness and promote weight and fat loss. The mechanism for that just doesn’t seem to be extra EPOC, as has been commonly suggested. Other suggested mechanisms for the benefits of interval training are hormonal and/or appetite changes that promote fat burning and decreased calorie intake, and/or an increase in the body’s ability to preferentially use fat as a fuel.⁶ Any of those could result in weight loss over time.

Why Does It Matter How They Work?

The reality is that many people struggle to lose weight, and misleading messages from the fitness community (especially when they appear to be backed by research) only exacerbate that struggle. In my experience, too many people get bogged down with calorie counting or performing the “right” type of exercise, and end up sabotaging their own weight loss efforts.

For example, I once had a client who had been trying to lose weight for a long time before she came to me. She thought she was doing the right things: counting her calories using an app, and going several times a week to a fitness class that advertised “high intensity intervals for maximum fat burning”. The instructor told her that she was burning 800 calories during the 30-minute class, and that she would keep burning even more calories for the next 24 hours. Of course, that instructor had no way of knowing how many calories she had actually burned during the class, and I would bet that it really wasn’t anywhere near 800. In any case, it sounded great to her, and she would go home and enter into her app that she had burned 900 calories that day from exercise (adding 100 calories to the 800 from the class to take into account that afterburn effect, of course). According to the app, she could now eat more and still maintain a calorie deficit. You can probably guess whether or not she lost weight that way.

That kind of transaction mindset, where you earn food based on calories you’ve burned with exercise, is a recipe for failure.

I also had a client refuse to do continuous cardio because he was afraid it would cause him to lose muscle and make him look like a marathon runner. That’s ridiculous, and it’s another example of how the fitness industry confuses and overwhelms people until they don’t know what to do. To be clear, I never suggested to that client that he should be running marathons, only that he should work up to being able to run continuously for 30 minutes.

Don’t Overthink Your Cardio

One exercise isn’t “better” or “worse” than another. People claiming that interval training is flat-out better than steady state cardio (or that steady state cardio is bad for you), and using EPOC to back up that claim, are mistaken, and it’s a problem. Pitting one form of exercise against another just makes it more difficult for people to do the right thing, which is to find a type of exercise that you enjoy, that’s appropriate for you and your individual goals, and that you can maintain over time.

Interval training can be great for you. So can continuous cardio. Any type of physical activity that you can perform safely is great for you. Do one or the other, or do both. Just do something and don’t worry about what’s going to burn more calories, or if this exercise is better than that exercise. Don’t overthink it. Find what works for you, and get moving!

References:

1. Elisabet Børsheim and Roald Bahr. “Effect of exercise intensity, duration and mode on post-exercise oxygen consumption.” Sports Medicine 33, no. 14(2003): 1037-1060.

2. Joseph Laforgia, Robert T. Withers, N. J. Shipp, and Christopher J. Gore. “Comparison of energy expenditure elevations after submaximal and supramaximal running.” Journal of Applied Physiology 82, no. 2(1997): 661-666.

3. Joseph Laforgia, Robert T. Withers, and Christopher J. Gore. “Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.” Journal of Sports Sciences 24, no. 12(2006): 1247-1264.

4. Tom J. Hazell, T. Dylan Olver, Craig D. Hamilton, and Peter W.R. Lemon. “Two minutes of sprint-interval exercise elicits 24-hr oxygen consumption similar to that of 30 min of continuous endurance exercise.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 22, no. 4 (2012): 276-283.

5. Lauren E. Skelly, Patricia C. Andrews, Jenna B. Gillen, Brian J. Martin, Michael E. Percival, and Martin J. Gibala. “High-intensity interval exercise induces 24-h energy expenditure similar to traditional endurance exercise despite reduced time commitment.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 39, no. 7(2014): 1-4.

6. Cameron B. Williams, Jason G.E. Zelt, Laura N. Castellani, Jonathan P. Little, Mary E. Jung, David C. Wright, Michael E. Tschakovsky, and Brendon J. Gurd. “Changes in mechanisms proposed to mediate fat loss following an acute bout of high-intensity interval and endurance exercise.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism 38, no. 12(2013): 1–9.

7. Beau Kjerulf Greer, Prawee Sirithienthad, Robert J. Moffatt, Richard T. Marcello, and Lynn B. Panton. “EPOC Comparison Between Isocaloric Bouts of Steady-State Aerobic, Intermittent Aerobic, and Resistance Training.” Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 86, no. 2(2015): 190–195.

The post The Myth of Interval Training and EPOC appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The HIIT program was of the longer variety, not like, say, a Tabata workout. The sessions consisted of five rounds of four minutes at 87%-97% of maximum heart rate, which is a grueling pace for that amount of time. The researchers did not designate the length of the rest periods between the rounds. HIIT rest intervals tend to be short, but with such an intense pace they may have been several minutes long.

Both groups maintained their VO2 max with HIIT. Not only that, but surprisingly, there was no difference between groups who performed HIIT training only once every other week and those who did it once per week, at least over the course of a six-week break from soccer training. That’s pretty good, especially for people looking to maintain VO2 max while saving time for work on sport-specific skills.

By contrast, both groups reduced performance in the twenty-meter shuttle run. The researchers speculated that this is because shuttle runs are more specific to soccer than HIIT training. As a result, ceasing intense soccer practice caused a decline in the shuttle run performance. This probably means that spending time doing shuttle runs instead of HIIT when not in season might be prudent for soccer players, but perhaps doing both is the safer bet.

One oddity of this study design was that the soccer players did other workouts during the six-week period. It’s certainly not odd for this to be the case in life, especially since these players were semi-pro and probably would have been unable to participate in a study if normal training couldn’t be followed. The study did take place during a low training period. Specifically, the group that did HIIT every two weeks averaged 2.2 hours of training weekly, and the other group averaged five hours. Strength training accounted for most of the difference between the two, but both groups had a substantial amount of running included outside of the study.

In research like this, a control group is a must. This would be a group who didn’t do HIIT at all, but still had statistically similar workouts elsewhere. It’s possible that such a control group would have also experienced no decline in VO2 max. With only eighteen participants, this group might have been too small to have a control, but it’s a glaring hole in the study design.

What we do know is that performing five intense intervals once every other week, along with two to five hours per week of additional training is sufficient for maintaining your VO2 max. However, it’s important to note that this might not be enough to maintain more skill-specific endurance, speed, and strength. If you have an off-season in your sport, keep practicing.

References:

1. Gunnar Slettaløkken, et. al., “High intensity interval training every second week maintains VO2max in soccer players during off-season,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000356

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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