| To excel in his or her sport, an athlete must include | | | | swim and the duration of each fast and slow intervals. |
| these 3 unavoidable components in his or her training | | | | During the course of the swim, you need not do the |
| regimen - strength training, endurance and stamina | | | | same swimming stroke but instead can interchange |
| training and flexibility training. Endurance and stamina | | | | the various strokes so that the workout becomes |
| can be defined as the ability of an individual to undergo | | | | more challenging. For example, you can do slow |
| a prolonged period of physical activity without undue | | | | freestyle during the low intensity phase and fast |
| stress or exhaustion. Endurance and stamina can | | | | butterfly during the high intensity phase or slow |
| usually be acquired with 2 very common training | | | | backstroke during the low intensity phase and fast |
| methods, namely Interval training and Circuit training. | | | | breaststroke during the high intensity phase. There are |
| What is interval training? | | | | no fixed rules about how one should train and you can |
| Interval training is any kind of prolonged low intensity | | | | come up with various other combinations of the |
| physical activity in between which are interspersed | | | | strokes if you like. |
| periodic intervals of short but highly intense physical | | | | Interval Cycling |
| activity. This process of alternating the low intensity | | | | For interval cycling you will need either an outdoor |
| with the high intensity intervals is repeated continuously | | | | sports bicycle or an indoor stationary bicycle. The |
| for the whole duration of the workout. | | | | former is preferable to the latter as an outdoor terrain |
| An example of interval training is interval running. Let's | | | | consists of uneven surfaces such as slopes or hills |
| say you are going to do a 3-mile run. Now instead of | | | | which make the workout more strenuous and aerobic. |
| running this 3 miles at a same constant speed, you | | | | Here again, as in interval running or swimming, you do |
| include some all-out sprints at specific intervals of say | | | | the high and low intensity intervals continuously for the |
| every 300 metres. These all-out sprints can be of 1 or | | | | whole duration of the workout. |
| 2 minutes duration or less depending on your level of | | | | Interval Rowing |
| fitness. After every burst of sprints, you will slow down | | | | If you have a canoe or kayak, you can do your |
| to a jog or walk (if you are not very fit) for about 300 | | | | interval rowing out in the sea, lake, pond or river. It can |
| meters before your next burst of sprint. | | | | also be done indoors with an indoor rowing machine. |
| From the above example, we can deduce the benefits | | | | Determine first the duration of the low and high |
| of interval training which are four-folds: | | | | intensity intervals and then proceed with the training. |
| 1. Muscular strength, speed and power are acquired | | | | Interval Training For Kickboxing |
| from the short but highly intense sprint intervals. | | | | You will need a heavy punching bag for this workout. |
| 2. Muscular endurance and stamina is a second | | | | The intervals you perform on this punching bag will be |
| physical effect acquired since the workout is | | | | highly intense. In other words, you will strike the bag |
| continuous. | | | | with kicks, punches, elbows and knees with all your |
| 3. Cardio-respiratory fitness - the heart and lungs too | | | | strength, speed and power for one or two minutes |
| have to work continuously from high intensity to low | | | | duration. Immediately after this and without pause, you |
| intensity during the workout, thus making them more | | | | will practise your kicks, punches, elbows and knees on |
| efficient and stronger. | | | | an imaginary opponent for another minute or two or |
| 4. Fat loss can be experienced up to 48 hours after | | | | more - this is called "shadow kickboxing". During this |
| an intense bout of interval training. | | | | shadow kickboxing you can include some ducking, |
| Interval training is applicable not only to running but to | | | | weaving, parrying, blocking and footwork drills. The |
| other sports as well such as swimming, cycling, rowing | | | | heavy bag work is the high intensity interval while the |
| and martial arts. Below are some examples of interval | | | | shadow kickboxing is the low intensity interval. This |
| training applied to these other sports. | | | | process of repeating the two intervals one after the |
| Interval Swimming | | | | other is continued for the whole duration of the |
| First you determine how many laps you are going to | | | | workout which can last for 15 minutes or more. |