It Burns Fat Like Crazy: What Is Fartlek Running, and Why Is It a Perfect Training Method?

With this training method, you can burn more calories while running and strengthen your muscles even more.

Jogging is simple yet extremely effective for burning calories and building muscle. However, there are ways to make it even more intense. One such tactic is fartlek running, a special combination of interval training and long distance running.

Jogging at a steady pace is already a great fat burning cardio workout, with a 70kg woman burning about 300-400 calories per half hour. Fartlek running can increase this efficiency with some conscious effort.

Fartlek running, unlike interval training with breaks, involves continuous movement with varying speed and intensity to improve endurance. Developed by Swedish coach Gösta Holmér, it alternates between fast and moderate jogging without rest.

You can customize fartlek combinations based on your fitness level or terrain, either randomly during the run or planned in advance. Typically, it includes short, intense sections followed by longer, slower jogs. For example, jog for five minutes, sprint for one minute, then jog slowly for another minute or two. The key is to keep jogging without stopping, gradually incorporating this into your routine.

What are the advantages of Fartlek? Fartlek training is recommended for more advanced runners and offers numerous benefits: it increases endurance, strengthens muscles, and adds new challenges to break the monotony.

It's especially useful for those training for long distance races, where continuous movement at varying speeds is required. It prepares the body for changing terrains and tempo shifts, making it easier to overcome obstacles.

Fartlek helps runners understand their limits, build mental strength, and encourages mindfulness. Keeping a training journal to track difficulties can be beneficial at first.

A key advantage is its adaptability to the environment. A nearby hill can be used for sprints, or a lamppost can mark a segment's length.

Training can vary: combine 30-60 second fast sections with longer, normal paced running, or 5-10 minute fast sections with shorter slow jogs.

For beginners, start with 30 second to 4-5 minute fast sections. Alternate 30 seconds of fast running with 90 seconds of steady pace 10-15 times, gradually increasing the fast sections. Warm up and stretching are essential before starting.