For many years my training routine consisted of lifting weights, often using muscle splits, wasting time between sets, then jumping on the treadmill or elliptical for 30 to 45 minutes everyday. It was boring, took way too much time out of my day and wasn’t super effective at helping me reach my goals.
It was really by accident that I found a formula that finally helped me reach all of my goals without spending as much time training. I didn’t have as much time to spend in the gym, so I had to consolidate my fitness routine into a short, compact time frame everyday.
It’s funny because it wasn’t until I started spending less time in the gym that I started to see results.
This lack of time required me to switch my training methodology into performing high intensity interval training on a frequent basis. In short, high intensity interval training consists of working hard for bouts of ten seconds to several minutes with rest to recover and repeat.
As a result, you’ll often see high intensity intervals programmed for our clients at Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness because they’re highly beneficial for almost any goal!
BENEFIT #1 – BURN FAT
If your goal is to lose weight, moderate weights taken to failure in intense bouts are a great way to build lean muscle.
Having lean muscle is what will continue your body’s process of burning fat even when you’re not working out.
BENEFIT #2 – INCREASED STRENGTH
To increase strength you want to be sure you’re training your muscles with variance. High intensity efforts mean the muscle fibers that normally don’t get used in traditional strength sessions are firing at full force.
Exercises taken to failure are also a great catalyst for building muscle mass which is needed to hold onto strength.
BENEFIT #3 – PREVENTION OF INJURIES
Most don’t think of high intensity training as a tool for injury prevention, but testing your limits in a controlled gym environment, with a coach safely teaching technique pays big dividends OUTSIDE the gym.
Think of these efforts as a learning tool of how to be self aware and how far you can push yourself with different movement patterns.
BENEFIT #4 – IMPROVED ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Because high intensity efforts promote athletic body composition, strength, explosive power, and injury prevention, it is highly beneficial for improving athletic performance in almost any sport.
BENEFIT #5 – INCREASED ENDURANCE
High intensity efforts are beneficial for improving aerobic capacity and endurance. Interval training leads to an increase in the ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles as well as increased tolerance to the build-up of lactic acid.
These physiological changes result in improved endurance.
At Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness, we offer you both nutrition & fitness coaching, from personal training to group CrossFit classes we have the keys to help you reach your goals!
Our personal trainers and group coaches value lifting weights, and using multi-jointed, functional exercises performed at high intensity. You don’t have to guess about what to do!
Schedule a free consultation with a coach to see how we can help you with your goals! → I’M READY TO MEET WITH A COACH!
COACH PHIL KNIEP – Owner & CEO of Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness
Precision Nutrition L1 Coach
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
Endurance Certified
Mobility Certified
Scaling Certified
3x CrossFit Games Qualifier