She's running the distance, she's running for speed
May 30, 2010 4:19 PM   Subscribe

What is the correct way to run at interval speeds for weight loss?

I'm a moderately active (can sprint for the bus, walk for several miles, climb multiple flights of stairs, etc.) female in her late 20s who's no stranger to weight loss and fitness, but I've fallen off the wagon over the past year (i.e., gained 20 pounds), and I'd like to get back on, fast.

I understand that running is the best cardio to drop some fat quickly. I've also been reading that intervals (going at top speed for awhile, then slowing down, then cycling through again) is better than steady state running.

However, I've found that since I haven't engaged in much heavy cardio for awhile, the high speed intervals wipe me out. I either have to spend a long time in recovery before the next interval (10 minutes at slow walking pace, my heart rate dropping back to normal) or if I try to go back to the next high speed interval more quickly, it's much slower than the previous one. Am I actually doing myself any good?

Also, if I'm wrong on the assumptions about running or intervals, please let me know. I'm open to suggestion on other activities or programs. Bonus points for anything that can be backed up by ample or recent scientific research. Thanks.
posted by unannihilated to Health & Fitness (17 answers total) 31 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm on the fourth week of Couch to 5k (using a great iPod app) and I'm finding it really helpful in building up endurance. The first few weeks are intervals, the last three are longer runs, but once you can run for 30 minutes straight you should be able to run intervals.
posted by OLechat at 4:28 PM on May 30, 2010


Intervals (HIIT) are great, but it's intense and its going to take a while before you are "good" at it.

One of the reasons intervals are better than steady state running is that the amount of calories you burn will be elevated for even a day or two after you do it, not just during the run. This is because of all the extra energy your body needs to recover from the intense workout and to repair and replenish the muscles. Another good thing about them is that you can get a good workout without spending a huge amount of time on it. You'll probably find you're wiped out in under 20 minutes.

And finally, intense intervals will help avoid muscle loss while you lose weight. Large amounts of slow cardio will tend to burn some muscle along with the fat. Not losing that muscle will help you burn additional calories and to look better.

So, if you want to get a good work out from intervals, I'd advise ramping up to it. Maybe do some heavy steady state running for a couple weeks, and then start the intervals. When you start the intervals, focus on gradually increasing the number of actual intervals you can complete. When you first start you may only be able to do a couple of intervals, but with practice you can build this up.

A good interval setup might be go to a standard 400m track and to near-sprint 100m (say at about 80-90% effort) and then walk another 300m back to where you started. Repeat this as many times as you can manage. You may only do it twice or so when you first try, but aim to complete an additional interval each workout. You don't want to rest for too long - keeping your heart rate elevated is part of the benefit.

Once you're really getting good at it you may be able to jog instead of walk the last 300m.

Part of it is a mental game too. Intervals are not fun. They're very intense.

In summary, I say don't give up, but build up to it gradually and don't be discouraged that you aren't doing many intervals at first.
posted by Diplodocus at 4:36 PM on May 30, 2010 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: The Couch to 5K program actually looks a little easy to me, so maybe I should clarify what I can do:

Per the treadmill's readout, the 10 minute per mile pace is the fastest I can manage, and I can barely do a minute, and I'm totally spent after, like on the edge of throwing up.
In the 12 to 13 minute mile pace, I can do 2-3 minutes and recovery is not so severe.
The last time I went, I did 3 miles over the course of 50 minutes, alternating sprinting, jogging, and slow walking.
posted by unannihilated at 4:46 PM on May 30, 2010


"Per the treadmill's readout, the 10 minute per mile pace is the fastest I can manage, and I can barely do a minute"

I think you're a bit off on how long you need to work intensely while doing interval work. You probably want to work really intensely (e.g. near sprint) for 15-20 seconds or so and then back it off for 20 seconds to a minute of walking or jogging.

"The last time I went, I did 3 miles over the course of 50 minutes"

Your interval workout really only needs to last about 20-30 minutes, working very very intensely for short periods. Basically I think your intervals of work and your intervals of rest are both too long.
posted by Diplodocus at 4:54 PM on May 30, 2010


Wikipedia for HIIT gives you good info the Tabata and Little method.

Exercise RX gives a good overview, references cited, of High Intesity Interval Training and the difference with traditional Interval Training.
posted by P.o.B. at 5:13 PM on May 30, 2010


For intervals, regardless of weight loss needs, you should be able to do several reps of each distance with a short break between. If you are too exhausted to repeat after a short break, then you are not doing intervals, you are running all-out.

So cut back on your speed to the point where you can do a few repetitions at each distance, with a short break between.

Also, running is good for weight loss because it is inefficient (compared to biking). You burn more calories per unit time running. However, unless you are doing a lot of running per week, it's going to pale in comparison to diet. So I think running is a good way to stay fit and keep muscle during a diet, but diet is what leads to most of those pounds going away.
posted by zippy at 5:15 PM on May 30, 2010


Speaking as someone who's starting C25k over (I just moved house from elevation 465 ft to 6250 ft -- oof), I'd suggest you give it a try. It may well be easy for you the first couple of weeks, but I'd warrant you'll find it suitably challenging. I'll also recommend the smartphone app. It's fantastic when you don't have to keep track of your interval times and can just go.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 5:17 PM on May 30, 2010


Also, what Diplodocus said. Interval training is normally at sprint distances. For example, you might run the following with breaks in between each run: 4 reps x 100m (walking 100m between each rep) 2 x 400m (walking 200m between each), 1 x 800m (walking 400m), and then back down to 2 x 400m and 4 x 100m before your cooldown. You should be running a near race-pace for your intervals, but not so hard that you cannot recover and run the next interval at nearly the same pace. If you find you are flagging, you should drop your pace or reps.
posted by zippy at 5:19 PM on May 30, 2010


The Couch to 5K program actually looks a little easy to me, so maybe I should clarify what I can do:

Per the treadmill's readout, the 10 minute per mile pace is the fastest I can manage, and I can barely do a minute, and I'm totally spent after, like on the edge of throwing up.
In the 12 to 13 minute mile pace, I can do 2-3 minutes and recovery is not so severe.


If this is true, then Couch to 5K definitely *isn't* too easy for you. If you look at the later weeks, you'll see that they have you running a 10-minute mile towards the end, for 25-30 minutes each workout.

I did C25K earlier this year (up through about week 8). At first I thought I'd never be able to do a 25-minute run; by the time I actually got to that point of the program, it was no sweat.
posted by asterix at 6:06 PM on May 30, 2010


Diplodocus is right about everything, pay attention. You do NOT want to lose muscle mass when you drop weight as this reduces your basal metabolic rate and (usually) leads to regaining your fat. Get up to full-out sprinting as soon as possible and start lifting weights else you'll turn into just another person who got fit this one time and then gained it all back plus more.
posted by ferdinand.bardamu at 6:28 PM on May 30, 2010


Fifthing the couch to 5k recommendation. The magic is in the gradually increasing times and distances-- this is the same method marathon runners use, only on a minature scale. If you feel like week one is too easy, sprint those intervals and speed-walk the walking portions. I bet it won't be too easy, though. And go outside! Running on a treadmill is torture heaped on top of torture.
posted by bonheur at 6:33 PM on May 30, 2010


I'll add to what others have said above, that interval training is normally something you do after you have a base level of endurance (like, weeks of base training, so you can run 3 - 5 miles at a reasonably fast pace, comfortably). It sounds like you are trying to do interval training before you're at this point, and I would recommend building up your basic running fitness before doing intervals of the sort I described above (hard sprints with breaks in between).
posted by zippy at 7:46 PM on May 30, 2010 [1 favorite]


One thing I'll add to interval training is do not stop to walk between intervals. You are supposed to keep a jog- albeit quite slowly if necessary- but a jog nonetheless.
posted by jmd82 at 8:50 PM on May 30, 2010


I worked with a trainer using the Heart Zones method, and effectively used interval training long before I could run 3-5 miles comfortably. We would hit the target zone, stay at the zone for a short interval, then bring it down and back up for increasingly longer periods. And unlike jmd82's method, I did walk between intervals, and that was effective for me. Because you're having trouble with recovery, it sounds like your target zone intervals might be too long for you right now - maybe start with something shorter so you can recover quickly and get back up to speed faster. You might see if there's a trainer who works with this methodology near you to help you design a plan. Finding someone who works specifically with non-athletes might be useful too, since you're targeting weight loss rather than performance enhancement.
posted by judith at 9:23 PM on May 30, 2010


As others have said, sprint intervals involve maybe 100m sprints, which should take less than 20 seconds. A minute at top-speed is way too long. And yeah, it makes you want to puke and the first time you do it just two intervals will feel like too much. And it's best done on a track or up a hill rather than on a treadmill.
posted by creasy boy at 9:24 PM on May 30, 2010


You're not supposed to fully recover between intervals. The relative intensity of the effort is what's important, not the absolute speed. Just make sure you're going all-out on the all-out parts. Feeling like you're on the edge of puking kind of comes with the territory.

But more importantly, don't be confused about what's going to make you lose bodyfat. Diet is more important by far. Running intervals may be a better choice than long slow distance running, but you don't have to run or "do cardio" at all in order to lose bodyfat. If you want to get better at running or you enjoy doing it, then go for it, but don't think that it's a requirement for weightloss or that running intervals will mean you don't have to have your diet in order.
posted by ludwig_van at 9:30 PM on May 30, 2010


Google "30-30 Intervals" and "Veronique Billat" The first search term indicates an exercise protocol of thirty seconds hard, thirty seconds easy and the second search term is the name of the French researcher who invented it. I think this would work very well for you.
Nthing what others have suggested above -- make sure that you can do a 3-5 mile course, running at least a ten minute pace, before you embark on any interval program.

A quick and dirty description from active.com
A good way to introduce VO2max training into your program is with 30/30 and 60/60 intervals. Created by French exercise physiologist Veronique Billat, these workouts are effective fitness builders that are well tolerated by runners at a modest fitness level.

Start with 30/30 intervals. After warming up with at least 10 minutes of easy jogging, run 30 seconds hard, at the fastest pace you could hold for about six minutes in a race. Then slow to an easy jog for 30 seconds. Continue alternating fast and slow 30-second segments until you have completed at least 12 and as many as 20 of each.

Increase the number of 30/30 intervals you complete each time you do this workout, and then switch to 60/60 intervals. Start with at least six of these and build up to as many as 10.
posted by jason's_planet at 8:02 AM on May 31, 2010 [2 favorites]


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