My love for for fitness runs pretty deep I must say. I recently picked up an interval training class which happens to be right after another fitness class so it is good in that it reduces the time that I am commuting. I hesitated at first because it’s a bit out of my comfort zone, someone else would have had time to snatch the class but I ended up taking over for my friend Lisa.Boy is a high intensity workout tough though. I wanted to do as many of the exercises during class to see what it is that I am asking of the participants and right now my lower back is KO.

The idea for interval training is to maximise your workout by giving your all, whatever that is to you. Anyone can do it as squats off and on a chair for example, might be interval to a senior. For a fit individual however it requires a lot of jumping but also some recovery time between the sets. Rotating through sets of different exercises can also help muscle groups recuperate to better perform when going back to the same exercise.

Today we worked for 90 seconds with 30 second recoveries and more than half the exercises included plyometric bursts like jumping. This kind of exertion works on the anaerobic way of the body to release energy namely the glycolic system and the ATP-PC. During these short outburst, the body burns sugars which are stored directly in the muscle in a chemical reaction which doesn’t require oxygen. It is important to note that aerobic systems are constantly working in the background and that these explosive abilities could not exist on their own as we once believed. Although sugars are the only fuel stored in the muscles, fat will be burned during the short breaks and for many hours after the workout. You are also promoting the increase of fast twitch muscle fibers which grow faster than their slow twitch counterpart but are not as handy for doing yoga. There is no other regimen better suited to increasing metabolism which is why you see so many competitive weightlifter indulging in it.

Interval training is an arduous path but it is one which I already feel very passionate about. Bringing this method beyond my spin classes is very exciting, I learned the sparawl frog kick today in preparation for class and I love it. It consists of pulling your knees to your chest and bring them back mid air while holding a plank. Very good for the core. I personally do not prefer working the anaerobic systems over the aerobic ones, after all, one can’t commute on a bicycle without them and I love looking at the scenery while exercising.

Thanks for dropping by, stay fit and drink lots and lots of water!