What's the most efficient way to exercise? Is it the long slow burn of hour long workouts? Moderate intensity for 30-45 minutes? Or super-intense intervals? More and more research is proving the short intense workouts are best.
And we're talking SHORT! Something along the lines of 1-2 minute all-out intervals of incredibly high intense exercise.
As a matter of fact, high intensity intervals helped me to revolutionize my cycling and SIGNIFICANTLY improved my VO2max, taken right from Chris Carmichael's Time Crunched Cyclist Book. I went from near the end of the pack on group rides to the group leader in a little over 4 months, and brought home some hardware at the local mountain bike race series. To be honest, the intervals completely suck: 95-100% of my age-adjusted maximum heart rate for 2-3 minutes at a whack, repeated 9 times. THAT IS PAINFUL but it WORKS.
Additionally, Crossfit Endurance has exploded in popularity recently, and it focuses on powerlifting moves but also extreme high intensity cardiovascular exercise, and its prophets swear by it! Even Tim Ferriss in The 4 Hour Body discusses that intense exercise regimen, and I definitely think there's something to it!
When only discussing weightlifting, an old bodybuilder named Mike Mentzer was a proponent of high intensity exercise only once every three weeks! His weight lifting regimens call for a level of intensity that is itself pretty hard to attain, but the results speak for themselves, as he was a champion bodybuilder back in the late 1970's and early 1980's. More and more research is coming out proving that the short intensity exercise, as uncomfortable as it is, really does provide the most benefit.
As someone who values efficiency, I'm all about finding the most intense way to exercise, as it minimizes any wasted time in the gym. So, I'd strongly recommend looking into adding this form of exercise to your routine, as it DEFINITELY fits into our "maximum efficiency" plans.
Obviously ensure you get a full physical from your physician (NOT your own self-exam for all of the physicians out there!) before you start.
One other tidbit: If you use Google Android apps, there's a pretty good new app out there to time your intervals, and its FREE! It has color-coded intervals--the screen changes color automatically when you should be sprinting and then changes back again when you should slow down. Search for "intensity app" and you'll be able to find it.
For more information visit http://www.fourhourphysician.com
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