Rowing is a great workout, interval training is a great fat burner and this workout combines the two!
Name: Broken 5000 Meter Rowing Challenge
Duration: Against the Clock
Equipment: Rowing machine
Method: Row the following intervals. Increase your pace slightly for each interval and finish with an all out sprint!
Do you want a time efficient way to train? Do you want to lose weight or just improve your stamina and endurance? Look no further because interval training is where it’s at!
What is Interval Training?
Interval training describes a system of exercise where periods of high intensity work are interspersed with periods of low intensity active recovery, for example sprinting for 30 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds. These intermittent rests allow you exercise at a much high level of intensity than you would otherwise be able to if you worked out continuously.
Commonly thought of as a tool only to be used by athletes to improve their running performance, interval training can be used by pretty much anyone. The work to rest periods will vary depending on the energy system that you wish to overload and your fitness levels but even the most unfit beginner can use a form of interval training, even if it is only alternating between walking and jogging.
The Fat Burning Myth
There is a common myth that exists in many gyms up and down the country that to burn fat you must work out for 30 minutes at your target heart rate. While this is true, it is not the most effective or efficient way to exercise for fat loss. The thing is, while you will burn mostly fat working at low levels of intensity for extended periods of time, you won’t actually burn very much. Once you stop exercising, you will stop burning fat. Interval training however raises your metabolism for hours after your workout has finished which means that you will burn fat at an accelerated rate for 24 hours or more after your workout!
Interval Training Benefits.
Interval training offers a wide number of benefits to regular users including the following points:
Interval training is time efficient. You can work much harder for a shorter period of time because of the periods of rest and recovery.
It allows for faster ‘adaptation’ to stressors. For example lactic acid tolerance will improve, allowing for improved and prolonged performance.
Interval training significantly improves cardiovascular fitness.
It will increase speed and fatigue resistance for endurance athletes.
Interval training is appropriate for all levels if adapted correctly.
This form of training burns more calories – not necessarily while you work out but in the hours afterwards.
The science bit.
Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy systems. During the periods of high intensity exercise you will be using your anaerobic system (without oxygen). This system will use the energy stored in your muscles (glycogen – from carbohydrates) to fuel your workout. Lactic acid will build up in your muscles and you create up what is known as an ‘oxygen debt’.
During the recovery period your cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) will now be working aerobically (with oxygen) to repay this debt (EPOC or Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) and clear the lactic acid from your system. As a consequence, your metabolic rate will be raised as your body works to return to its normal balance, called homeostasis. During this time you will continue to burn calories at an accelerated rate for up to 24 hours or more after your training is completed. Because your metabolic rate is elevated, specifically aerobic respiration, your body will burn extra fat while you rest and recover from your interval workout. It’s like getting two workouts for the price of one!
Who can do interval training?
Pretty much anyone can train this way in some shape or form. Remember it is simply working hard and then recovering. For example new starters may walk briskly and then slow it down. For those new to running try jogging alternated with walking. Highly conditioned individuals will sprint then run to recover. Interval training is not just for treadmills and can be performed using a wide variety of CV equipment as well as out of doors.
How long should each session last?
This very much depends on the individual, how conditioned you are and your ultimate goal; but 20 -30 minutes excluding warm up and cool down is a good time for most exercisers. Work hard enough and you will not be able to train any longer.
As with any type of exercise please make sure that you warm up thoroughly first. Ensure your warm up is appropriate to the exercise you are about to perform and includes a pulse raiser, mobility and dynamic stretches. Once your period of training is over, cool down and stretch once again.
Try interval training as an alternative to your normal slower paced cardio – it’s one of the most effective and efficient ways to get in and stay in shape!
If someone told you that a there was a training method that could dramatically improve your aerobic fitness, your anaerobic fitness and help you drop body fat while performing workouts less than 5 minutes you’d probably think they were a scam artist, telling you a blatant lie or just plain crazy!
Incredibly such a method does exist and it’s called the Tabata Method.
What is the Tabata Method? The Tabata method involves performing 8 – 10 sets of 20 seconds very high intensity exercise separated with 10 second recovery periods giving a total training time = 4 – 5 minutes. The caveat of the Tabata Method is that all the intervals have to be done at 100% intensity – an absolute flat out effort. You have to strive to perform as much work in each 20 second interval as possible and try to maintain that work rate for the 8 – 10 sets. The old adage that you can train long and easy, or short and hard has never been truer than when describing the Tabata Method! As with any type of exercise, Tabata Method should be preceded by an appropriate warm up of 5 – 10 minutes and followed by a cool down of similar duration. All in all the session could take as little as 15 minutes…perfect for anyone who is short on time but still wants great results from their training.
All this and fat loss too? Traditionalists may scoff at the idea of workouts which promise “fat loss in 5 minutes” but Tabata Method can deliver where many slow steady workouts fail. This is due to a phenomenon called Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC which is sometimes called Oxygen Debt…When performing Tabata Method or any other HIIT, a large amount of lactic acid is produced. This build up has to be cleared on cessation of the exercise and in very simple terms the aerobic system is responsible for the removal of lactic acid from the blood. The aerobic system goes into over drive for an extended period after exercise has stopped in an effort to “flush out” the lactic acid. This means that the metabolism (the rate at which we burn energy) remains elevated for a number of hours after we have packed up our exercise kit and gone home. It’s not uncommon to feel warmer than usual, have an elevated resting heart rate and increased breathing rate for a number of hours after a tough Tabata Method Workout – all indicators of elevated metabolism and therefore increased calorie expenditure while at rest. The primary fuel of the aerobic system is fat so we end up burning elevated amounts of fat after exercise essentially getting two workouts for the price of one! As you can see – Tabata Method is not only time efficient while you are doing it but keeps on delivering in the hours after exercise too.
Exercises of choice… The most important thing to consider when choosing exercises to use with the Tabata Method is that there is minimal set up (you only have 10 seconds between sets remember) and that technically, you can perform the exercise under stress when severely fatigued. Multi joint exercises are best as they stress multiple muscle groups simultaneously and put the greatest demand on the cardio-respiratory system – thus giving the most “bang for your buck”. In many cases all you need is a clock with a second had and you are all set for a Tabata Method workout. If you become a real Tabata aficionado it may be worth buying an interval timer which can be programmed specifically for your workouts thus leaving your mind free to concentrate on your workout.
My TOP SEVEN Tabata Method exercises
1) Prisoner Squats – A classic exercise – prisoner squats are a great “entry level” Tabata exercise due to their ease of performance, lack of any required equipment and the fact that you can easily keep an eye on the clock whist pumping out the reps. Keep your hands clasped behind your head (no pulling on the neck) and keep the chest elevated. Make sure your heels stay down and feel free to walk on the spot between sets to try and keep the lactic acid at bay. To increase the demands of this exercise consider wearing a weighted vest.
2) Burpees– you can’t beat the burpee exercise for total body conditioning! Modify them to meet your individual fitness needs by removing the press up or jump portion as necessary.
2) Skipping – if you are a proficient skipper, this low tech exercise offers a new twist to traditional rope work. The best skipping styles for Tabata Method are knee-up sprints and double unders (two turns of the rope per jump). Ensure you wear good shock-absorbing shoes and use a sprung surface to minimize the risk of lower limb injuries.
4) Sprinting – this could be performed on a running track, a grassy playing field, a beach or even on a stretch of deserted road. Sprint for 20 seconds, walk for 10 seconds, repeat for 8 – 10 sets. Simple but highly effective!
5) Thrusters– a total body exercise which rivals even the mighty burpee! Thrusters can be performed with a barbell, a pair of dumbbells, a medicine ball as pictured or even a sand bag. From a deep “front squat” stand up and, using the momentum from your legs, simultaneously press the load overhead before reversing the movement and returning to the starting position. Try to set a brisk rhythm and stick to it,
6) Rowing ergometer – a rowing machine with a programmable timer is an excellent choice for Tabata Method training. Aim to maintain the distance covered from one set to the next or take an average from the 8 – 10 sets completed and try to beat it whenever the workout is repeated. Make sure your rowing technique is sound to avoid any potential lower back injuries.
7) Sledgehammer swings – shown in the video, the sledgehammer lends it’s self beautifully to the Tabata protocol. Use the entire body so swing the sledgehammer with as much force as possible for an excellent (and fun) whole body workout. (please excuse the the shirtless video – was very hot that day!)
The wrap up Tabata Method offers any fitness enthusiast an extremely versatile and effective addition to their exercise armoury which, whilst challenging to perform, offers a wide range of benefits when used on a regular basis. Don’t let the short work out length deceive you – training the Tabata way will get the job done in record breaking time.
References:
Effects of moderate –intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2 Max
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8897392
Rowing ergometers are used by indoor rowers as an alternative to rowing on water and are also popular with sportsmen and general exercisers. Rowing is an effective whole-body exercise that can be aerobic or anaerobic depending on the type of workout you perform. All workouts should be scaled to suit your individual fitness levels and because rowing strongly uses the lower back, you should row using good technique to minimize your risk of injury.
Time Trials
Time trials are like races except you compete against yourself. The aim of a time trail is to develop top-end aerobic fitness by rowing at your fastest sustainable pace. Typical distances for time trials include 2000, 5000 and 10,000 meters. Perform time trials on a regular basis to monitor your progress.
Long Intervals Interval training describes alternating periods or work with periods of rest and long intervals are performed at just below maximum pace. Long intervals will develop your top-end aerobic fitness, muscular endurance and mental toughness as well as being excellent for fat burning. Generally, work periods are twice as long as rest periods so a 5 minute row would have a 2 1/2 minute recovery. Perform multiple intervals, for example 4 sets of 4 minutes fast rowing with 2 minutes recovery.
Short Intervals Short or sprint intervals will improve your anaerobic fitness, strength and power. Perform short intervals at your top speed. Work periods should be between 30 and 90 seconds and rest periods should be between one and three minutes. Perform multiple intervals per workout, for example 10 sets of 30 seconds sprinting with 60 seconds recovery between efforts.
Power Intervals Power intervals will develop your rowing strength and your aim to generate as much force as possible for a very short period of time. Power intervals are all about maximum effort so recovery periods are disproportionately long to maintain the quality of the workout. A good example of a power interval workout is rowing as hard as possible for 20 seconds and then recovering for 40 seconds and repeating 10 times. If you find your performance is dropping significantly from interval to interval you should increase your rest period-with power intervals, think quality and not quantity.
Fartlek Fartlek is Swedish for speed play and describes a workout consisting of a variety of rowing speeds mixed randomly. Either as directed by a coach or as you see fit, row for a set distance or time and mix your pace for the duration of the workout. Alternate between sprinting, fast, easy and moderate paced rowing to work both aerobically and anaerobically.
