For many years now I’ve had a regular workout program. This program changes over time, but I rarely go for long periods without working on some “program.” For a long period of time (nearly three years) I was training for the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. Before that, I used to train for marathons and half marathons, and in between there somewhere I picked up other workout programs like CrossFit, powerlifting, etc. Right now I am back on a bike-specific training program that also includes daily strength training with “Wonder Woman” (my wife, Sabrina). After many years of training for one thing or another, there is a specific type of training that I have found creates greater results over time, called High Intensity Interval Training, or “HIIT.”

HIIT is a training technique in which you give all-out, one hundred percent effort through quick, intense bursts of exercise, followed by short, sometimes active, recovery periods. This type of training gets and keeps your heart rate up and burns more fat in less time. “A high-intensity workout increases the body’s need for oxygen during the effort and creates an oxygen shortage, causing your body to ask for more oxygen during recovery,” says Eric Salvador, NASM, NSCA, head instructor at The Fhitting Room in New York City. “This afterburn effect is referred to as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and is the reason why intense exercise will help burn more fat and calories than regular aerobic and steady-state workouts.”

This is what a typical interval training session would look like:

I’ll get deeper into this in a bit.

In fact, when I trained for the Leadville 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race at 10,200 feet elevation, nearly 75% of my total training was short, interval-based training. Generally less than one hour at a time, but occasionally 90 minutes. You would think that in order to finish a 100 mile race that I would have to spend insane amounts of time just riding my bike – that’s what I thought when I started training – but, in general, the opposite is true. My coach insisted that short, focused intensity, done with consistency over time was the way to go. So in classic Shoshin style (see issue 6, January 2019), I simply obeyed my coach and pressed forward. While I had a few VERY LONG days on the bike during training, these were designed more to shake down my nutrition plan and help with my mental endurance, than to improve my performance on the bike.

The result of my training? I finished one of the world’s hardest mountain bike races in 10:13:54, WELL below my target time of 11 hours. I’m slightly ashamed to say that after finishing I still had quite a bit “in the tank.” I suspect that I could have done this race quite a bit faster. All of this, in my mind, due to using intervals as my primary training modality.

Here are a few reasons that interval training works in the fitness world:
EXTRA FREE TIME – Interval training is the most efficient form of cardio, and can deliver benefits much more quickly than typical cardio workouts. In fact, research shows that 27 minutes of HIIT performed three times per week delivers the same aerobic and anaerobic results as 60 minutes of regular cardio performed five times per week. Interval training can also get you in shape more quickly – according to a 2011 study, a mere two weeks of high-intensity intervals can improve your aerobic capacity as much as six to eight weeks of traditional endurance training.

MORE CALORIES BURNED – In terms of weight loss, intervals are more effective than long, slow endurance exercise. The intense effort you put in means that your body must work harder to recover, so you’ll burn more calories in the 24 hours after an interval workout than you would after a slow, steady workout. During those 24 hours after high intensity interval training, your body can also produce up to 450 percent more human growth hormone, which increases caloric burn and even slows down the aging process.

A HEALTHIER HEART – Although high intensity intervals accelerate your heart rate, HIIT can actually decrease strain on your heart. Over time, cardiovascular exercise can increase your heart stroke volume, or the amount of blood that your heart pumps per beat. Interval training maximizes cardiovascular benefits, so it can quickly increase stroke volume, making your heart stronger and more efficient. HIIT also maximizes the other benefits of cardiovascular exercise, including decreasing your risk of both heart disease and high blood pressure.

INCREASED SPEED AND ENDURANCE – Interval training stimulates several physiological changes that can lead to greater speed, and stamina. For example, HIIT helps your body learn to burn lactic acid more efficiently – allowing you to exercise for a longer period of time before fatigue sets in. Interval training makes it easier to go farther and faster with more energy, and will also help with your other cardio activities, including hiking, biking, swimming, and skiing.

SO HOW DO WE APPLY THIS METHOD TO BUSINESS?

One of the things that I’ve come to firmly believe is that willpower is FINITE. That is to say that as we use willpower, it depletes and over time completely disappears. A period of rest or less intense action is then required to restore willpower to a usable level again. This theory is called “Ego Depletion” and is somewhat controversial, but I believe it. (I actually also believe that we have MORE willpower than we ever use, but that the process of continuously tapping into that willpower is an inefficient use of our time and energy.)

In business, what I think this means, is that in order to have sustained success over time, it may be advisable to create INTENTIONAL periods of high intensity, followed by INTENTIONAL periods of low(er) intensity. Instead of regarding the periods of high intensity as “good” and low intensity as “bad,” simply avoid labeling them altogether. The high and low periods work together to create consistent performance over time.

For example, I generally write this letter to you in one 12-15 hour sitting each month, an intense single period in and of itself. Using traditional measurements that might seem ridiculous – to write a 16-20 page document in 12 hours. I mean, why not write a little bit each day, right? Aren’t I procrastinating? I guess some might suggest that, but let’s break down my process a little bit using HIIT Methodology:

WarmUp – This is research time for me. Each month I think about what I want to write about and do a good amount of research on the topics. This activity is generally low-intensity, but as I get closer to knowing what I want to write about the intensity increases until at some point I open up Google docs and start writing.

High-Intensity Period 1 – This is where I create the document itself. I open up Google Docs, set up the formatting on the document and write the actual titles for each of the articles. I’ll also throw a quick outline under a few of the titles to help me remember what I want to write about.

Low Intensity Period 1 – Now I get myself a cup of coffee or a seltzer water, turn on the space heater in my office, turn on some music that helps me concentrate (really liking a band called Beat Antique at the moment), put on my comfy wool socks and just SIT with my computer on my lap.

High Intensity Period 2 – Article 1. This is the tough session for me. Writing the first article always feels like a bit of a grind. I think it’s because my fingers and brain are just getting used to the idea that, yes, we’re actually doing this. Music on, fingers moving, brain fully engaged.

Low Intensity Period 3 – Get a snack, stretch. Once the first article is done, I generally feel like I can take a few minutes to get up, reset my body and brain, and fuel a bit for the next push.

High Intensity Period 3 – Articles Two and Three. These articles generally come a bit easier to me. I’m in the flow. This is a huge benefit of intervals; After the first high intensity period, the remaining periods seem to come easier.

Low Intensity Period 3 – Play with the dogs, hang with Wonder Woman, go for a short bike ride. This is a longer period…a couple of hours typically. I need the time to allow for a reset. In this period I’m really just prepping my brain and mood for the final push.

High Intensity Period 4 – Final Article(s). This period is often the best. I’m in flow, effortlessly putting thoughts on paper. The last article takes me half the time, or even less, of the first one.

Low Intensity Period 4 – Personal editing and preparing the document for my lovely editor (she probably wishes I would do this a little MORE intensely.)

Cool Down – Send the Issue to the Printer and setup the envelopes with labels. Send the newsletter.

That’s an example of using intervals for a single project, but in my work I often encourage my clients to consider completing an entire year of work using this same methodology. By breaking the year into SPRINT periods and JOG periods, they are able to accomplish much more than using the traditional model of “just keep going.” Instead of “annualized” thinking, where we think of everything in terms of what we can accomplish in one year, I encourage them to break the year down into smaller chunks, generally three months and to treat each of those periods as a “year” in terms of productivity (Note: this is a modification of Brian Moran’s “12 Week Year” method) .

Viewing each three month period as its own separate and disconnected period (i.e., not connected to the rest of the year) has several advantages:

• It concentrates INTENSITY. Instead of stretching out activities over long periods of time, these short SPRINT periods allow us to use willpower to our greatest advantage. In SHORT bursts.
• It allows us to see the fruits of our labors sooner. Annual goals require lots of waiting. Three-month goals are here before we know it.
  We get to make mistakes faster and change directions faster.

So, here is a method that I use with all of my clients for creating interval-based performance in their companies. Beware: It’s simple. Don’t spend too much time overcomplicating it or thinking “this is too easy.” It IS simple but doing it can be very challenging.

CAST A VISION – Start thinking about four areas to improve in your business in the next three months, but not in a traditional way. Ask yourself this question when considering each area: What is the ONE THING related to this area that, if I accomplished it in the next three months, would most significantly impact my happiness and success? Write down WHY this would make you happy.
WRITE GOALS – Write a STRONG Goal around each of your 4 areas. You can use the SMART goal method, or any other method that works for you. No need to overthink this. Make it MATTER.
CREATE ACTIONS – Next write three actions that you can take on a weekly basis to accomplish your goal. Be specific. The actions should be slightly terrifying to you.
IMPLEMENT TRACKING – Create a tracking form for your weekly actions. My preference is a spreadsheet where I can track weekly progress.
GET ACCOUNTABLE – Now, share that tracking form with a person who will hold you accountable to your promises. Each week hold an update meeting with them and encourage them to be HARD on you. You want to ACTUALLY accomplish this goal, don’t you?
TAKE A BREAK – At the end of three months, take a “break” from strong intensity, but put a time frame on it. A week? A month? It doesn’t matter as long as there is a commitment to implement a NEW three month plan as soon as your break is over.
REPEAT – Now do this again.

The challenging part is doing this CONSISTENTLY. If you fall off the wagon, just get back on and keep going. Don’t Quit! That’s it. Simple, repeatable 3 month “interval training” for your business that is guaranteed to create stronger, more meaningful and faster results for you and your business .