{"id":25245,"date":"2023-08-30T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/?p=3913"},"modified":"2023-08-30T16:46:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T14:46:00","slug":"interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Interval training: what it is, how to do it and why you should do it"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"> High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts will help you achieve faster race times, whatever your distance. Joe Beer explains all you need to know and recommends key S, B &#038; R sessions <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Joe Beer\n                \t\t<\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Wednesday, 30 August 2023 at 14:00 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body> <p><strong>Interval training workouts\u00a0involve structured exercising at different intensities with recovery periods in between. High intensity is usually anaerobic exercise, while the recovery periods involve activity of lower intensity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/training\/what-is-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>High-intensity interval training (HIIT)<\/strong><\/a> workouts exercise the cardiovascular\u00a0system, which will then\u00a0\u00a0improve the athlete\u2019s aerobic capacity leading them to exercise for longer and\/or more intense levels.<\/p>\n<p>To be faster come race day, whatever your distance, means incorporating tough sessions into your average training week. These will force your muscles to produce more power, work more economically and increase tolerance to internal chemical stresses.<\/p>\n<p>This serious, go-fast mission involves endurance sessions, nutrition practice, high-intensity interval training and technical sessions.<\/p>\n<p>To be your best doesn\u2019t mean that in every session you should beast yourself. That\u2019s not training to a plan; that\u2019s just training by ego. Instead, follow these three, \u2018fast club\u2019 rules:<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px\" data-mce-mark=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/news\/improving-anaerobic-fitness-could-be-key-to-faster-run-times\/\">Improving anaerobic fitness could be key to faster run times<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/beginners\/revealed-how-hiit-workouts-can-help-activate-genes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How HIIT workouts can help \u2018activate\u2019 genes<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p><strong>Rule 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Experts across the field of endurance sport agree that doing just 10-20% HIT, annually, is enough for not only elites, but age-groupers, too. For this to work, however, the remaining 80% or so must be low-to-moderate effort (<a href=\"\/training\/beginners\/the-triathletes-complete-guide-to-heart-rate-zone-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>zone 1<\/strong><\/a>) using controlled training sessions where heart rate stays below 80% of maximum heart rate.<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/80-20-training-what-it-is-and-how-it-works\/\">80\/20 training: What it is and how it works<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p><strong>Rule 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Only a small amount of really hard work is necessary, the rest is controlled. Some sessions have no logic or proven benefit. For example, \u2018just above, just below threshold\u2019. This may burn more calories than in Z1 and provide a satisfying post-workout buzz, but there are proven, better ways to train.<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/functional-threshold-power-what-it-is-and-how-to-boost-it\/\">Functional threshold power: what it is and how to boost it<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p><strong>Rule 3<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Choose the right combination of effort level, duration and recovery to achieve results not sweat.<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/recovery-sessions-what-are-they-how-to-do-them-and-what-are-their-benefits\/\">Recovery sessions: what are they, how to do them and what are their benefits?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <h2><strong>Best sessions to improve bike speed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Incorporate these interval workouts to engineer more race speed.<\/p>\n<p>These efforts fire up muscles via the high-powered ATP-CP energy system (adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and phosphocreatine (PC)), yet they do so for a short enough time so as not to increase lactate and breathing significantly.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Micro-cheat intervals<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Feel the speed but ensure you maintain form.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Swim<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Up to 40 x [15sec swim @ above 1,500m pace, 15secs cruise\/recovery]<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bike<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>10 x 6-10secs seated bike sprint surges, 2mins active recovery<\/p>\n<p><strong>Run<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>12 x 30m acceleration @ 5km pace, 300-400m jog recovery<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Lactate accumulation intervals<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Work at around 84-90% of HRmax and you\u2019re in the threshold zone \u2013 a place where lactate produced by the muscle is just about being recycled fast enough to continue working. Embrace the lactate by controlling your breathing.<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/what-is-lactate-and-lactate-threshold\/\">What is lactate and lactate threshold?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p><strong>Swim<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>3 x 10mins @ 84-88% HRmax with approx 2mins recovery<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bike<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>6 x 5mins @ 88-90% HRmax with 2:30mins recovery<\/p>\n<p><strong>Run<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4 x 8mins 85-90% HRmax with 2mins recovery<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Threshold accommodation intervals\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Also known as supra-maximal efforts, lactate-sprints and intense intervals, these sessions involve working at your maximum for around 30secs before a whopping recovery period. Get ready for a hiding or forget starting it at all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Swim<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>6 x 50m maximal pace with 2-4mins recovery<\/p>\n<p><b>Bike\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>5-12 x 30secs maximal sprint with 4:30mins spin<\/p>\n<p><strong>Run<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>6 x 200m maximal run speed with 4mins jog recovery<\/p>\n<section class=\"highlight \"> <div class=\"highlight__content editor-content\"> \n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/beginners\/explained-when-to-train-low-when-to-train-high\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">When to train low, when to train high<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/five-ways-to-boost-aerobic-endurance\/\">Five ways to boost aerobic endurance<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/training\/how-to-improve-your-aerobic-capacity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to improve your aerobic capacity<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p><\/div> <\/section> <p><strong>Top image credit:<\/strong> Jonny Gawler<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts will help you achieve faster race times, whatever your distance. Joe Beer explains all you need to know and recommends key S, B &#038; R sessions <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":25246,"template":"","categories":[1,23],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it.jpg",490,314,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it-300x192.jpg",300,192,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it.jpg",490,314,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it.jpg",490,314,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it.jpg",490,314,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/08\/interval-training-what-it-is-how-to-do-it-and-why-you-should-do-it.jpg",490,314,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts will help you achieve faster race times, whatever your distance. Joe Beer explains all you need to know and recommends key S, B & R sessions","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/25245"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}