Interval training is very demanding on your body. During an interval workout you alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with lower intensity exercise that is known as active recovery. This type of training is used during cardiovascular exercise to push your intensity higher than normal and burn more calories. However, you can overdo interval training.
Signs of Overtraining
Overtraining is when you are exercising too much and your body cannot recover or adapt to training. It can be that workouts are too intense, too long or too frequent. With overtraining your body is always sore or fatigued. You may not see changes to your physique even though you are burning calories. Your heart rate may be higher than normal during a workout that you perform on a regular basis. Instead of progressing your fitness, you plateau or go backward slightly. Too much interval training can cause overtraining.
Varying Exercise
To see continual progress and avoid overtraining or a plateau, you need to vary your workouts. Your body will adapt to the stress created by exercise, which is what you want. You want to see changes in your physique, strength and cardiovascular endurance. However, if you always do the same type of workout, in this case interval training, your body becomes accustomed to it and does not have to change. You need to vary your workout routine every six to 12 weeks. Since each person is different, there is no exact timeline on when you should change your workouts.
Cardiovascular Exercise Recommendations
Apply the FITT principle to your cardiovascular exercise sessions to continually adapt and progress: frequency, intensity, time and type. Frequency of cardiovascular exercise should be at least three to five days per week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Keep your intensity level moderate to hard and sessions should last 30 to 60 minutes. Type can refer to the form of cardio you uses, such as treadmill or elliptical, or it can refer to the training method.
Cardiovascular Training Methods
Interval training is not the only cardiovascular exercise method available to you. Long, slow distance training can be applied to any activity that you enjoy. In this session you keep your heart rate lower, in the moderate range, for a longer period of time. An example would be an easy jog for 45 minutes. It helps build an aerobic base so that when you do incorporate intervals, you are able to exercise harder and recover more quickly. You can also do a pyramid workout where you gradually build intensity to a peak and then gradually bring it back down.
References
- American Council on Exercise: What Is High Intensity Interval Training and What Are the Benefits?
- Mayo Clinic: Interval Training: Can It Boost Your Calorie-Burning Power?
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
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