Interval training or endurance training? It’s a choice that many people face when deciding on the best workout program for their age, fitness level, and fitness goals.
Endurance training is a type of exercise that helps you build up your stamina and improve your cardiovascular health. It typically involves activities like running, cycling, or swimming for long periods of time, at a moderate pace. Interval training, on the other hand, is a type of exercise that alternates between periods of high-intensity effort, and brief rest or recovery periods. This type of training can be beneficial for both endurance, and fat-loss goals.
So, what are the key differences between interval training and endurance training?
Benefits of Interval Training:
- Interval training can help you burn more calories in less time. This is because it tends to be more intense than endurance training, and thus requires more energy from your body.
- Intervals can help improve your cardiovascular health and lung function by forcing your heart and lungs to work harder than they would during endurance training.
- Interval training can help you build up your anaerobic threshold. Anaerobic threshold is the point at which your body starts to produce lactic acid, and is a key indicator of your overall fitness level.
Benefits of Endurance Training:
- Endurance training can help you build up your stamina, and improve your cardiovascular health while doing exercises as a moderate pace.
- Endurance training can help you lose weight by helping you burn more calories than interval training. It can also help to reduce your overall body fat percentage.
- Endurance training can help improve your joint health, and reduce risk of injuries, by strengthening the connective tissues around your joints.
There are pros and cons to everything, right? So what do you think some of the potential downfalls of interval and endurance training, could be? Let’s find out…
Cons of Interval Training:
– Interval training can be very demanding on your body because it involves periods of high-intensity effort. Therefore, can lead to fatigue and muscle soreness.
– Interval training can be dangerous if not done properly. Intervals can place a lot of strain on your heart and lungs, and can also lead to injuries if you push yourself too hard.
– Interval training can be difficult to stick to long-term because it requires a lot of motivation and discipline. Many people find it hard to keep up the intensity level required for this type of training.
Cons of Endurance Training:
– Endurance training can be time-consuming because it typically involves activities like running, cycling, or swimming for long periods of time, at a moderate pace.
– Endurance training can be repetitive because you are often doing the same activity for long periods of time, which can lead to boredom and frustration.
– Endurance training can be difficult to stick to long-term. Because it can become tedious, it can be challenging to stay motivated to keep up day after day.
So, which type of exercise is right for you? If you’re looking to burn more calories and build up your anaerobic threshold, then interval training might be a good option. However, if you’re interested in improving your overall cardiovascular health and joint health, then endurance training might be a better choice. It is also great to mix-in both interval AND endurance training, to keep your body guessing. However, whichever type of exercise you find more intriguing, be sure to consult with a doctor or certified personal trainer before starting any new workout routine you’re not familiar with.
Thankfully, I incorporate both types of workouts into the CSFit program, so you can choose what fits you best!
