High Intensity Interval Training

A great way to condense your exercise and burn/build more, the gist of interval training is to exercise as much and as fast as you can for an interval to failure, then have a resting period of a similar time, then exercise as much and fast as you can, rest interval, etc. Interval training shows to burn more fat/build more muscle (depending on the exercise) then normal exercise as well as taking a shorter time, partly due to a large increase in your metabolism, even after the exercise is over and done with.

For instance I do:

30 sec exercise
30 sec rest

For 4 minutes, and am building up from there.

For more info, http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_100/135_fitness_tip.html

(Btw, I personally do Burpees)

I think you need variety. Occasionally, do a long run at a moderate pace. It will help you recover and put less stress on your body.

EXACTLY Meg. I'm in physical therapy for triceps tendonitis from drumming and I asked my phys therapist about interval training and he said it's good but it's also important to have down days where you just run at a moderate pace...keeping your heart rate at around 135-150.

The most import word here is failure.
You have to work till failure, cuz it's then that your muscles will say : We have a problem with keeping up with this guy; and they'll make some sort of protection ( muscle ) to keep up with you better next time. Next time you higher your breakpoint again.

My personal trainer said that this is the most important part of training and that 90% of the people don't realise this and thus, don't gain such an amount of muscles.

He also advices to rest 3 days between each workout , in order to fully recover your muscles.

I used to train 4 times a week, where I did just 3 sets of 15 reps for each exercise.
Now I go 2 times a week with 1 ;;yes 1 ; set of 8 reps-12 reps until failure ( which means I always stop at the 10th or so rep because of failure ) and I have great improvement.

In opposite to high interval training, I don't work on an interval but on a target of 8-12 reps ; and I do them very slow. ( 4 secs up, 2 hold, 4 down, 2 hold )
I believe that lifting weights fast is not good.
You make use of momentum instead of your muscles.

If interested on high intensity training, check out Mike Spencer un derground seminar on youtube.

High intensity is the best way to train. Glad you brought it up.

V