almost complete recovery, so it is normally
over 5 times longer than the actual interval
duration, typically between 2 and 5 minutes.
The most well-known type of SIT are
Wingates, named after the Israeli institute
where they were developed. A Wingate
session starts at four bouts of 30 seconds
with four and a half minutes active recovery
between each bout. Like all work efforts in
SIT sessions, the 30 seconds is performed
at best possible speed, with no pacing.
Although the total work performed in the
session is only 2 minutes, the perception
of effort is enormous, due mostly to the
extremely high acidosis that is generated
during the repeated all-out 30-second
bouts.
Here are three examples of SIT workouts,
remembering that although the duration
of the interval is short, the effort required
should be maximal!
Option one: 30-second bouts
Wingates: 4 x 30 seconds with 4:30 minutes
rest between each bout. Add one more
interval every two workouts, so that sessions
1 and 2 would be 4 x 30-second intervals;
sessions 3 and 4 would have 5 intervals and
sessions 5 and 6 would have 6 intervals.
For the first timer performing this method,
undertake the session as written. For the
seasoned interval devotee, start with 6
bouts and increase to 8 over the 6 sessions.
Option two: 20-second bouts
6 x 20 seconds with 2:10 minutes recovery
between each bout. Each 20-second
interval commences every two and a half
minutes (i.e. train for 20, recover for 2:10).
For the beginner, perform as written and
for the veteran, after the 6 bouts, actively
recover for 4-6 minutes and perform the
entire 6 bouts again.
Option three: 60-second bouts
4 x 60 seconds with 4 minutes recovery
between bouts. Like the Wingates in option
one, add an interval every 2 sessions, so that
you will perform 6 bouts on session 5 and 6.
Again, like the Wingates for the advanced
trainee, start with 6 bouts and progress to 8
over the same time period.
The goal here is not ‘all-out’ but rather best
sustained pace for the duration of the block
for your best 3-4 minutes once off (the so-called p/vVO2max). If
one used a 20-second work period, then the three possible short
intervals would be:
• 20-second effort, 40-second recovery (half work-to-rest)
• 20-second effort, 20-second recovery (equal work-to-rest)
• 20-second effort, 10 second recovery (double work-to-rest).
The session would be conducted as a block of 4-10 minutes, where
you would perform, say, option 1 above (20 effort/40 recovery) for 6
minutes, with the goal of keeping the 20-second effort at a similar
pace. After the 6 minutes was completed, you would actively rest for
2-4 minutes and repeat the 6-minute block another two times.
Using the three work-to-rest ratios above, short intervals gives
us many options for program design, with the most common effort
durations being intervals of 15-seconds, 20-seconds, 30-seconds
and 40-seconds.
To summarise, if programming short intervals for a client, you
would choose one of the 12 options above and perform repeatedly
for a block of 4-10 minutes at the best sustained pace, actively
recover for several minutes after the block, and repeat the block
three or four more times.
Tabata short intervals
Most people have been introduced to short intervals through a more
intense version known as the Tabata Method. Popular in sports like
speed skating to develop the so-called W’ (formally called ‘anaerobic
work capacity’), Izumi Tabata published a study in 1996 using a
typical short interval method used by athletes for decades. In his
work, Tabata had speed skaters perform 4 minutes of 20-second all-
out sprints on a stationary bike interspersed with 10 seconds of rest,
performing 7-8 lots of 20-second intervals in total. This session was
performed five days a week for six weeks. At the end of the study, the
speed skaters increased their VO2max (maximal oxygen uptake) by
15% and their anaerobic work capacity by 28%. It did not take long
before this method became popular in the fitness industry.
The Tabata session should take approximately 20 minutes.
The first ten minutes are spent warming up (see section on page
43 on structuring an ideal warm up). The next 4 minutes are spent
performing the Tabata Interval: 8 bouts of 20-seconds work
interspersed with 10 seconds of rest. The pace at which the 20
Short Interval work-to-rest durations
Short Intervals
Short Intervals are sessions where interval
durations between 10-40 seconds are
performed in blocks of 4-10 minutes,
alternating the recovery duration in one of
three ways: equal work-to-rest, double work-
to-rest or half work-to-rest. Although similar
to the work durations used in SIT sessions,
the goal here is not ‘all-out’ but rather best
sustained pace for the duration of the block.
Normally, a power or speed for the interval
would correspond to just below, equal to or
above the power or speed you could sustain
One-to-One Two-to-One One-to-Two
(equal work- (double work- (half work-
to-rest) to-rest) to-rest)
15-seconds 15s/15s 15s/5s (for ease) 15s/30s
20-seconds 20s/20s 20s/10s 20s/40s
30-seconds 30s/30s 30s/15s 30s/60s
40-seconds 40s/40s 40s/20s 40s/80s
Interval Length
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