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We've said it before and we'll say it again - if interval training isn't a part of your workout program, it should be.

Leading fitness experts are now confirming that interval training is TWICE as effective as traditional workouts. Not only can interval training take your fitness to a new level, but it can help you accomplish twice as much in half the time.


Developed for Olympians, and once thought to be too strenuous for ordinary people, interval training is getting major press from health and fitness trainers. Some even tout it as the only way to exercise.

"High-intensity interval training is twice as effective as normal exercise," said Jan Helgerud, an exercise expert at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "This is like finding a new pill that works twice as well ... we should immediately throw out the old way of exercising."

That's a bold statement, but one that's backed up by solid scientific evidence. To put it simply, interval training stresses your muscles in an explosive fashion which, in turn, makes them stronger. Studies have shown that runners and cyclists who incorporate interval training improve their endurance and stamina, their strength and oxygen intake by 10% and their speed by at least 5%.

"It's a shortcut to explosive fitness. This is definitely the way forward to save time on your exercise," Adamson Nicholls, a martial arts expert, said. "The results are worth it."

p.s. I can personally attest to this. Interval training has done wonders for my running speed, strength and endurance. To incorporate intervals, simply sprint, hike, ride, run or walk as fast as you can for a set amount of time (between 30 and 120 seconds) followed by a period of rest (slowing to a jog or fast walk, for example for 2-5 minutes). Then do it again.