9 Proven Health Benefits Of Max Interval Training (No. 7 is our favorite)

Everyone is looking for quick and easy ways to develop their muscles and burn fat at the same time.

If you are one of those people, do not be discouraged as there is indeed one easy solution for you to achieve your objectives.

It is called max interval training.

Accumulating evidence from proven studies shows that the benefits of max interval training or high intensity exercise may be an effective and economical exercise protocol that will efficiently help you reduce fat and maintain a healthy body.

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So What Is Max Interval Training?

Max interval training is any workout routine that alternates between intense amounts of activity and periods of less-intense training or complete rest.

Why is it crucial to seek solutions when it comes to losing weight?

Because excessive fat can result in several life threatening health conditions such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, etc. Achieving the goal of losing weight and staying healthy has been difficult.

However, emerging research examining max interval training has proven that it may be a more efficient way to reduce abdominal and subcutaneous body fat than another form of exercise.

We have summarized these results after gathering detailed information from several studies on max interval training to help you achieve your desired solution.

1. Max Interval Training Pushes You To Maximum Exertion Levels


Max interval training pushes you to maximum levels of exertion. Which is the main reason why it is sometimes called an insanity workout.

This interval training consists of insane amounts of work when compared to the regular interval training.

For example, instead of running for 30 minutes straight, you can choose to divide it into one minute of sprinting, two minutes of jogging, and five minutes of walking (it’s usually repeated several times). This works your cardiovascular fitness much harder and burns more calories faster.


2. What Results Do you Get From Performing Max Interval Training?


Max interval training may be an efficient workout plan for everyone. It remains effective whether you decide to perform a workout during lunch break or to be in shape for an event that is fast-approaching.

Research has shown that you can achieve much progress in a just 15 minutes of max interval training (done within a three week period) compared to jogging for one hour on the treadmill.

The American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting conducted a 2011 study which concluded that two weeks of max interval training can improve your aerobic capacity from 6 to 8 weeks of endurance workout.


3. An Effective Way


With max interval training you will burn more calories during workouts, and improve (this is as a result of the intense exertion) your body’s repair cycle.

Which means that you are burning more fat and calories in just 24 hours after max interval training than you do after a steady-pace run.


4. There Is No Equipment Required To Carry it Out


Via : onnit.com

Running, jump roping, biking, and rowing are all great for max interval training. However, you do not need any equipment to perform this workout.

Fast feet, high knees, or anything plyometrics such as jumping lunges will work well to make your heart rate fast.

Additionally, some equipment (such as dumbbells) can make high interval training less effective because the original purpose of the exercise is pushing your heart to maximum, not your biceps.


5. You Will Lose Weight, But Not Muscle


People who have been on a diet know that it is difficult not lose muscle mass with fat at the same time.

While steady state cardio may encourage muscle loss, research has shown that weight training and max interval training allow people on a diet to preserve their muscles while also ensuring that most of their weight lost comes from the fat stores which is a win-win.


6. You Will Enjoy Increased Metabolism


In addition to a rise in fat burn and preservation of muscle, high interval training stimulates production of human growth hormone by up to about 450 percent in just 24 hours after your workout.

This is excellent news since human growth hormone is responsible for increased calorie burn and slowing down the ageing process, which makes you look younger both inside and outside.


7. It Can Be Performed Anywhere


You can choose to do max interval training anywhere whether on a boat or at home anywhere you feel right with.

Since it is such a simple concept (involves going at maximum effort for short periods followed by a recovery period repeatedly) you can adapt to it according to your time and/or space constraints.


8. It Is Seriously Challenging


Because max interval training is short, you will have to work hard every time. The trade-off here is that this format offers you new challenges, new exercises and quick ways to see results.

You might be in pain, you might be sucking the wind, but you definitely won’t get bored.


9. Are There any Health Benefits?


Yes, there are a number of health benefits that come from practicing this workout. Below are three of them with some detailed scientific studies.

Cardiovascular fitness

One 2015 systematic study and meta-analysis of randomly controlled trials concluded that max interval training leads to significant improvement in cardiovascular fitness among healthy adults between the ages 18 to 45. It also concluded that better improvements in VO2 max were discovered in people participating in the high interval training regimen.

Another study also found that high interval regimens for about one month or longer efficiently improved cardiovascular fitness in adolescents. The study found that max interval training of a month or more also led to moderate improvements in the bodies composition.

Additionally, a separate systematic study and meta-analysis involving seven small randomized controlled research found that high interval training (four intervals of four minutes between 85-95% of maximum heart rate with a three-minute interval each at 60-70% of maximum heart rate) was slightly more effective than moderate-intensity regular training at improving the bodies blood vessel performance and markers of the blood vessel health.

Cardiovascular disease

A 2015 meta-analysis conducted comparing high interval workouts to moderate intensity regular training in individuals with coronary artery disease discovered that max interval training leads to better improvements in VO2 max, however, the study found that moderate intensity regular training leads to more reductions in heart rate and body weight.

A 2014 meta-analysis concluded that the cardio-respiratory fitness, measured by the VO2 max, of people with lifestyle-induced severe cardiovascular or metabolic diseases (high blood pressure, heart failure, obesity, metabolic syndrome, or coronary artery disease) who performed a max interval training program was about double that of people who completed a moderate intense continuous training exercise program.

Metabolic effects

Max interval training significantly reduces insulin resistance when compared to moderate continuous training. It leads to decreased fasting blood glucose amounts and weight loss when compared to people who do not undergo physical activity intervention.

When Should You Try Max Interval Workouts?

In a recent “one-minute” study, (actually a 10-minute analysis), it was discovered that when people stop doing nothing and start keeping busy, they can see some health benefits in as small as 10 minutes. Pushing yourself out of the comfort zone a few times during your workout provides you with a way to boost your fitness in a time-efficient way.

And for those individuals who are less inclined to begin cycling or start a running routine, it is completely fine to try the exercise by doing brief bursts of faster walking.

Bottom Line

So what are the benefits of max interval training? From the above, we have come to understand that max interval training is any form of exercise that produces significant increase in anaerobic and aerobic fitness and results in significant skeletal muscle adaptations which are glycolytic and oxidative in nature.

We have also come to see that high interval workouts appear to have a dramatic chronic and acute effect on insulin sensitivity.

Though the effects of max interval training on abdominal and subcutaneous fat loss are promising. However, more studies involving overweight individuals are still carried out.

The maximum length and the intensity of the rest and sprint periods along with the examination of the pros of high interval workouts have been established.

Since one of the main reasons given for not performing exercise is time, it is most likely that the benefits of high interval workouts will be appealing to mostly individuals who are interested in fat reduction.

Max interval training periods are periods of much more intense efforts separated by recovery periods. It is important to note that the dose-response curve for workouts is pretty robust. This means that you can get more gains by performing interval exercises with more intensity putting in more time.

For individuals who intend to improve their endurance or tolerance levels, making sure there are intervals in their workout regime is indeed a great approach as seen above. For the rest individuals, it is a lucid way to think of how you can weave intervals into your a workout plan.

Luke Cafferty
 

Luke Cafferty is a fitness junkie, personal trainer and blogger. He's passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a strong and well rounded physique, while inspiring you to do the same.

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