Burst Training is better.
Maybe we have Jane Fonda to blame, but aerobic training is a lot more popular than it should be. It doesn’t have all the great health benefits that we have heard doctors and trainers tell us. Jogging for an hour a day is a good health practice, but eventually our results will plateau.
Burst training is what gives us the results we want to see.
Here are some of its benefits:
- It only need to be done 15-30 minutes a day. This means LESS exercise.
- It increases our fat burning and fitness levels.
- It increases our growth hormone which helps us heal better and have more energy.
- It increases our testosterone. Now ladies, don’t be afraid of this one. It just means that we get better muscle tone and more energy.
- It decreases inflammation which can reduce our pain and risk of chronic disease.
- It has less impact on our adrenal glands which gives us better sleep and again better energy levels.
So how is burst training performed?
They should be done with compound movements which are exercises that use multiple joints or muscle groups. For example, push-ups, bench presses, pull-downs, chin-ups, and leg presses are all good exercises to use for burst training.
We should perform rapid movements of these exercises, then rest 1-3 minutes between sets. This allows us to catch our breath. A complete work-out should be 30 minutes or less, and if you don’t have time for that, split it into two sessions. You can do 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening.
Try doing this burst training 3-4 times per week.
According to research from the University of New South Wales, Australia, running sprints with intermittent rest periods burns 3 times as much fat as running slow, consistent speeds.
As usual, before you start any exercise program, you should consult your doctor first.
