I just came across a study, featured in the Journal of Applied Physiology, that examined the benefits of breaking your workout into two segments, with a long break period in between. Now, when I say long break period, I'm not talking about a 2 or 3 minute rest. I'm talking twenty minutes of rest!

In the study, scientists measured fat metabolism in men that followed a specific work/break/work exercise pattern. The men first pedaled a stationary bike or 30 minutes, then took a break for 20 minutes, and then finished off their workout by pedaling for an additional 30 minutes. The researchers found that during this break, the body seems to redirect its excess energy into burning fat, as evidenced by the fact that the work/break/work test subjects had 3-times the amount of free fatty acids (compounds released when stored fat is used as energy) than men who did not take a break.