How Interval Training Can Help With Losing Body Fat & Weight Loss.

I have many people ask me, "What is Interval Training?"

Interval Training is defined as high-intensity intermittent exercise.


High Intensity Interval Training without question, is one of the most effective ways to lose body fat and improve your cardiovascular conditioning.  Not only do you stimulate your metabolism to a greater degree, but you burn many more calories than with lower intensity training, which can result in fat loss.


How to Perform High Intensity Interval Training:

Interval training is based on a very simple concept: go fast then go slow. Repeat. It sounds easy, but within this simple formula lies a tremendous number of possible variations and strategies you can use to take full advantage of the power available to you.

If you enjoy walking you can try this interval work, if you're in good shape, incorporate short bursts of jogging into your regular brisk walks. If you're less fit, you might alternate leisurely walking with periods of faster walking. For example, if you're walking outdoors, you could walk faster between certain mailboxes, trees or other landmarks.

Interval training can be performed on almost any cardiovascular machine (including the treadmill, stair machine, stationary bike, elliptical trainer, etc.) as well as almost any type of cardiovascular exercise (such as cycling, swimming, running, etc.).

Maximal High-Intensity Intervals
Maximal Intervals are much shorter than Aerobic Intervals. Generally, the longest you'll be able to perform a maximal effort is around 30 seconds so all the work intervals are 30 seconds or less.

Here are some examples of a number of different intervals you can use in your training:

Example 1

Steady Pace       Maximal effort
2 min.                  30 sec.
3 min.                   1 min.
3 min.                  45 sec.
2 min.                   1 min.
5 min.                  30 sec.

Example 2

Steady Pace       Maximal effort
2 min.                   30 sec.
3 min.                   45 sec.

4 min.                     1 min..
3 min.                   30 sec.
5 min.                     1 min.

One of my favorite Interval workouts is to jog 4 minutes then sprint all out 30 to 45 seconds and repeat 6 times.. 

Repeat this 6 times for a great workout.

Tabata one of the most effective workouts, want to lose weight?

Tabata is a form of high intensity interval training method that offers more health benefits than traditional cardiovascular exercise. It’s short, efficient and can fit in almost any fitness program. 
There are many different forms of workouts out there and each workout will give you a different result. Some increase muscle mass, some increase strength, others help you lose weight and so forth.
Cardiovascular (cardio for short) exercises are a popular brand of exercise designed to improve endurance and stimulate fat loss. Cardio exercises can be anything from long distance running, skipping, biking or even power walking. All of these usually fall under the category of moderate intensity training because they tend to last anywhere from a half hour to more than an hour going at the same pace.

“Tabata” is the name of a particular type of workout program that provides similar health benefits to that of cardio workouts, but Tabata has a bit more spice. Instead of hours upon hours or exercise, Tabata can be completed in 4 minutes. Tabata falls under the category of high intensity training or high intensity interval training. Today I write to explain to you the history of Tabata and exactly what it is.

How did Tabata come about?

Tabata was founded by a Japanese scientist named Izumi Tabata and fellow colleagues at a department of physiology in Japan. Izumi and his fellow scientists decided to conduct a study to compare moderate intensity training with high intensity training.

He conducted the tests on 2 groups of athletes; 1 of the groups used the moderate intensity interval training and the other using high intensity interval training. In group one; the athletes were training in moderate intensity workouts (70% intensity) for five days a week for a total of six weeks with each training session lasting an hour.


Group two trained in the high intensity workouts for 4 days a week for a total of 6 weeks with each session lasting 4 minutes, at 20 seconds of intense training (170% intensity) and 10 seconds of rest.

Here are the results of the tests

Group 1 had a significant increase in the aerobic system (cardiovascular system). However, the anaerobic system (muscles) gained little or no results at all.

Group 2 showed much improvement in all their athletes. Their aerobic systems increased much more than group ones, and their anaerobic systems increased by 28%.

Conclusion? Not only did high intensity interval training have more of an impact on the aerobic systems; it had an impact on the anaerobic systems as well.

So what does a basic Tabata training design look like?

Any exercise can be incorporated into the Tabata training. However the basic outline of the Tabata training method are as follows:
•     4 minutes long (whole Tabata Session)
•     20 seconds of intense training
•     10 seconds of rest
•     Total of 8 sessions or rounds

Some great tabata ideas at youtube.com just search Tabata Workouts!

Fitness Tips, Stay Healthy and Fit

   

It's important to remember
 YOU are in charge of your health.

It's NOT the doctors, it's NOT the government, and it's NOT your spouse. 
YOU can change your health....only you can choose to eat healthy and exercise.

A healthy lifestyle is a choice...

Are you using exercise as an excuse to eat more?

Unfortunately, exercise does not burn as many calories as we might think. What you may not realize is that thirty minutes on the elliptical, for example, cancels out only one Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Key to weight loss is to EAT SMALLER PORTIONS at least 6 times a day!  Make an effort to control your desire for junk food by eliminating it entirely.

If you’re training for a sporting event, you may need to eat more to fuel your workouts—otherwise, consider regular exercise a keep-it-in-check tool, not a free pass to eat whatever you want.

Fuel your body with healthy eating.  The right combination of proteins, complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables—as well as adequate hydration with water—can also add a kick to your energy levels.

While cardio exercise won’t completely burn away a weekend binge, it does benefit health by increasing energy and lowering your risk for heart disease.

Weight lift to reach fitness goals and lose weight!

Strength training exercises are important for your good health, weight loss and fitness success.  Bottom line: If you do not use weight lifting exercise on a regular basis you simply will not reach your goals.

Your health is the most valuable asset you have…without it you'll inevitably spend everything you have, financially and emotionally, to get it back!


Strength training is important regardless of your age and becomes even more critical after age 30.

There are many ways that you can incorporate it into your life even if you think you can't.

Weight lifting on a repeated basis will help you to improve your physical appearance, fitness level and reduce your risk of health problems like heart disease.

Strength exercises on a regular basis will help you lose a lot of weight, a lot more than any cardio exercise ever could.

In addition, before doing any weight lifting, make sure you warm up your muscles properly. Don't do any weight lifting when your muscles are cold.

Warm up 5 to 10 minutes on a stationary bike, treadmill, etc. is sufficient.

You know that weight lifting is good for you, so make it a part of your every day routine. You can effectively exercise while keeping up with your other everyday-jobs.

When I’m out for a walk with my dogs, I find a bench or short wall and do push ups to fatigue, triceps dips and then repeat.

Strength training helps you lose weight, improves your health so you can live a longer and more productive life.  Be sure to include strength training exercises in your over-all exercise plan.


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Change Your Life, Just 20 Minutes of Exercise a Day,

Just 20 minutes of regular exercise every single day can have a profound effect on your life, your health and your lifestyle.

With just 20 minutes a day, you can promote weight loss.
With 20 minutes a day, you can decrease how much stress you experience.
With 20 minutes a day, you can achieve the goals you set out for yourself.

Changing Your Life

Making a change in your life is about exerting a form of control over your life and your choices. 20 minutes a day is one of those changes that you can make and it's one that most of us - even at our busiest can find 20 minutes for.

"Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it." -Unknown Author
5 Ways to get motivated to walk!

1. Get a Walking Buddy

Keep each other motivated no matter what the weather or other excuses is imperative. The conversation and protein smoothie after are great ways to make even a boring walk a lot of fun.

2. Get New Gear
Nothing is more motivating then getting some brand new walking shoes, a great outfit, that new ipod to make the time go quickly. Pedometers, speed and heart rate monitors can also get you moving because we all want to know how far we walked, what our target heart rate is and how many calories we burned. Walking gadgets can make walking a little more fun and give you a reason to get out the door to achieve your next goal.

3. Get committed!
Register for a Charity Walk or sign up for a fun run (no one says you need to run, you can walk instead) so that you have a goal and a commitment. By telling others you will ten be more likely to stay the path and will be more motivated towards your goal knowing that you must train to endure the event.

4. Keep a Walking Journal
Keep track of your walking minutes, steps, or mileage in a journal. Total up each week to see how you are progressing. Set yourself a reasonable goal and you will find that attaining that goal will motivate you enough to maintain your walking schedule. There is even various software applications available to do all the calculations for you.

5. Choose the Right Time and Have Fun!
What is the best time to walk? Many people find that if they commit to early morning walks, there are fewer distractions as may commonly pop up in the afternoon or evening. But if you hate mornings and feel most energetic later in the day - that should be your walking time. To stay motivated, analyze your habits and choose the time that will work best for you. Keep it realistic and most of all fun, and you'll find walking the best route to good physical fitness and health well into your elder years.

Why it's important to Strength train and exercise as we age.

During a fitness class I talked about the Importance of Resistance Training as we are aging and how important it is to continue to exercise, eat right, take time for meditation and stretching.

Strength training is the only type of exercise that can maintain muscle and metabolism as we age, and should be an essential component of every senior fitness program.

Men and women who do not perform regular resistance exercise experience a decrease in muscle mass throughout the aging process. Research indicates that inactive adults lose about one-half pound of muscle per year during their 30's and 40's.  The rate of muscle loss may double to one-pound per year in people past 50 years of age. Unfortunately, the higher rate of fat gain masks the muscle loss. Adults typically lose about 5 pounds of muscle and add about 15 pounds of fat each decade during the midlife years.

Based on bodyweight the average adult changes approximately 10 pounds per decade, but based on body composition the average adult changes approximately 20 pounds per decade (5 pounds less muscle and 15 pounds more fat).  A woman in her 50's may have 15 pounds less muscle and 45 pounds more fat than she had in her 20's.  This represents an unhealthy 60-pound change in her body composition, which increases her risk for a variety of devastating degenerative problems such as cardiovascular disease, many types of cancer, type II diabetes, and low back pain.

While the focus is typically on fat loss, more emphasis should be placed on muscle gain.  On average, previously sedentary seniors can replace approximately 3 pounds of muscle after about 3 months of regular resistance exercise.  So I’m going to encourage you to start now to strength train 3 days per week!  Not sure where to start?  Check a fitness facility near your home to see if they offer senior classes. If you can,  Hire a personal trainer who is over 30.  Youtube.com has some great strength training videos for seniors  http://youtu.be/JenGpTjS1lI  watch this 4 minute video to learn more.

Our life expectancy is longer in this day and age.  50 is the new 30, and while you may be eligible for some senior citizen discounts, you don't have to think of this stage of your life as the beginning of the end.  At 58, I feel better than I did in my 30’s.  I eat healthier and work out harder.

There are still more adventures to be had and obstacles to overcome as well as events to attend in your grandchildren's lives. Your age may get older, but you need to keep your body young, so you can live longer and be there for your family.

5 Reasons to Run Trail's Verses the Road, improve your fitness level!

I took this picture this weekend when I hit the hiking trails right out my front door.  It was a great run on the trails this weekend and so beautiful.  At times I get bored with my regular run, after a few miles I'm done.  Today I could have kept going and it definitely wasn't boring.  If you are bored with the same old routine, change it up and try a trail run.
If you are bored with the same old routine, change it up and try a trail run.




Here are 5 reasons to Trail Running Verses the Road:


1- Fewer Injuries   Trail running surfaces are much softer than the asphalt or concrete you'll find when running around town. Softer surfaces mean fewer injuries, not only due to lower impact forces, but also because you'll build more strength in the muscles that help stabilize your lower leg. These muscles help absorb impact forces and provide more support—no matter what surface you're running on—and that can add up to fewer injuries.


2-  Improved Technique  Studies show that running on uneven terrain causes you to take shorter, quicker strides and land more on the forefoot than the heel. These adjustments are helpful when you're running on any surface. Shorter strides, a faster stride rate and mid-foot landing requires less energy and allows for faster acceleration than heel-toe running with longer strides.


3-  Mental Break   Just as important as the physical benefits, trail running is mentally relaxing.


4-  Breathe Easier  Trails are usually off-limits to motor vehicles, so you don`t have to worry about taking a deep breath of carbon monoxide every time a car goes by. 


5-  Get Faster   For those of you most concerned with improving your times, rest assured, trail running can make you faster. Most trail running involves hills and lots of them. Running uphill makes you stronger, it’s actually the most efficient form of strength training for runners since it uses all the muscles you activate when running on flat surfaces, but builds greater strength due to the increased resistance.