Time Interval training

[L.gamoff]

Hey guys,
Im relativley new on here. I started crossfit 2 months ago & switched to rowing only (which has done wonders for my back as i was in a serious mva) .My question.. what is the most effective interval row calorie wise?
1.40 on/25 off
30 on/10 off
20 onn/10 off
2.45 on/ 25 off
or any other sort of combination for a period of 25-30 workout minutes.

thanks!

Lori

[dwalk]

I would keep the rest/work ratio closer to the same. I know in x-fit circles tabata(20/10) is popular, but for it to be as effective as advertised you have to perform the intervals at an intensity that only elite athletes can manage. When I say elite I mean olympic level elite not just local gym elite.

[OarConsequences]

Is there a reason you are only considering intervals as opposed to steady state?

[L.gamoff]

thanks for the replies. I do crossfit in the morning 6x a week then i row for 30 minutes. i always thought doing intervals was more effective to burn fat than staying at a steady pace. Im pretty much at my peak, im 24 124 pounds, 14%body fat with a bmi of 21. Im just trying to break the platio, i have a crazy diet. i follow the Jamie Easton diet plan and eat aprox 1250-1300 calories a day. In the mornings I have 30 minutes or so and am looking for the most effective cardio rowing workout.

[Cyclingman1]

i always thought doing intervals was more effective to burn fat than staying at a steady pace.

Lori, I wonder why you think that. Intervals generally require carbo burning, not fat burning. Long, slow has always been the way to burn fats. Are you talking about calorie burning in general or fat burning specifically? Anything you do will burn calories.

It seems that you really do not care about improving on rowing, per se. Intervals only is insufficient to become a good rower.

[L.gamoff]

I was told by crossfit that Tabatta intervals are the highest fat burning activity. I will try some 30 minute straight rows.

[L.gamoff]

ive also done 500M intervals x25 and 750M rows.. along with 1000Ms and 3000M

[Bob S.]

I find this thread to be very confusing. At 14% body fat, why are you discussing fat-burning? And what does interval training have to do with cardio training? Every physician I have discussed this with has said that research has shown that cardio training requires at least 30 minutes in the 80% of max + zone and that 60 minutes was more effective. However, if you are as fit as you say, why do you need cardio training?

Bob S.

[L.gamoff]

bob, i understand where you are coming from. I just love cardio, and high intense cardio. Im just trying to find the most effective use of my 30 minutes on my concept 2 rowing machine.

[Cyclingman1]

Lori, I doubt if most Crossfit intructors know all that much using C2 rowers. I know that because my wife has been doing some version of Crossfit for around five years. I hear what they tell her. For crossfitters, a C2 is just another apparatus, like a weight station. In fact, I see time and again where they put the damper all the way up to max and just row like crazy for 20 calories, or such. There is no wisdom in that. Form is an irrelevancy.

I suspect that you will find that rowing a 30 min piece is a little more difficult than you think. You absolutely will have to slow down from interval pace [time/500m]. There will be substantial calorie/fat burning, for sure. Form needs to be long, slow and coordinated. I suggest C2 web site videos for basic form.

[dwalk]

Tabata is a very effective way to burn fat if you are an olympic quality athlete. The research was done on world class athletes and based on their ability to maintain an intensity that 99% of the world can't. Tabata is the name of the Japanese researcher that came up with the protocol. For most people it just becomes a negative rest to work interval workout that isn't nearly as effective as promoted.

[dwalk]

I second what Cyclingman1 is saying.

[hjs]

Tabata is a very effective way to burn fat if you are an olympic quality athlete. The research was done on world class athletes and based on their ability to maintain an intensity that 99% of the world can't. Tabata is the name of the Japanese researcher that came up with the protocol. For most people it just becomes a negative rest to work interval workout that isn't nearly as effective as promoted.

Not true at all, it was done on students, no olympic athlete will ever do stuff like that. Tabata does not burn fat at all directly only carbs. Also really doing tabata's is very tough, I have yet so see someone really doing a tabata like it's ment to be, so flat out from the start.

re most fat, fat is only used it the exercise is moderate, strong exercise is done on carbs does are much more efficient. If possible out body will not use the carbs but fat instead.

But after the exercise also energy gets burned, easy aerobic exercise does not burn much energy, hard work does, this can simply be seen in the hf, the longer out hf stayes elevated the more energy out body is still burning.

[Cyclingman1]

I'm not even going to pretend to be an expert in the subject of metabolic pathways in exercise, but I do know that as intensity increases, carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel. Then there is the without O2 level that can only be sustained for a few seconds: 100 m dash, etc. The body has huge stores of fat but limited stores of carbohydrates, probably no more than 2000 cals in a well-trained person. That is why marathoners hit the wall. Their carbohydrates strores become exhausted and they cannot maintain the intensity.

Most exercise uses a mix of carbohydrates and fats. I dare say intervals on a rower of high intensity are not particularly high fat-burning. The intensity requires carbs. If someone in Crossfit is saying that intervals are good at fat-burning, just add that to the list of misinformation and misdirection that they put out. The notion that running the damper all the way up for all rower work is especially egregious.

[dwalk]

The intensity used on the tabata subjects was 170% of their VO2 max on mechanically brake cycle ergos. That is the intensity required for a true Tabata interval.
The protocol was tested for performance only, fat loss was never looked at. It even had steady state cardio at 70% of VO2 max mixed in. If you can hold 170% of your VO2 max for 8 rounds of 20/10 more power to you, but if you can't you are not doing tabata. It was high level athletes who performed this.