Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at
11:32 am
I’ve been doing doing interval runs at least twice a week for the past few weeks, though aiming for 3 a week, so I thought I’d post this here as I found it to be informative.
Losing weight really has one basic premise: burn more calories than you take in. By inducing a calorie deficit, your body turns to your fat stores for energy. Most people often resort to doing traditional cardio workouts to burn calories. These types of exercises usually involve getting on a machine, like a treadmill or an exercise bike, and running or pedaling at a fast, steady pace for 30 minutes or more. However, these exercises use up a lot of time, and they can be quite hard on your joints, plus the tendency to become and repetitive and boring. A more effective type of calorie-burning workout is the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. It takes up less time, provides variety for workouts, and is a more effective calorie-burners.
Basic Premise of Interval Training
Essentially, HIIT exercises are exercises that vary in pace from a moderately relaxed speed to a very fast pace that requires near-maximal effort. The exercises alternate between 2 to 3 levels of intensity done in short durations. The alternating periods allow your body to perform at higher intensity levels which usually cannot be sustained for prolonged periods of time.
Example of HIIT
An example of an interval training exercise would be to alternate your jogging pace and sprint pace on a treadmill or track. After a 5-minute warm-up period, you will then jog at a moderate pace for 1 minute followed by a sprint run for 20 seconds. This is considered one interval. You will then repeat this alternating jog-sprint interval 6 to 10 times. After 10 intervals, you can then do a cool-down jog for 5 minutes. The total length of this exercise, including warm-up and cool-down, is approximately 16 to 22 minutes.
You can do interval training with any exercise machine, like the exercise bike or the rowing machine.
Feel the Burn
The main advantages of HIIT workouts is that you will burn more calories in less time than you would by exercising at a steady pace for 30 minutes or more. The intervals where you exert near-maximal effort pushes your body’s metabolism to a higher gear, thus burning more fat than if you were moving at a steady pace. The relatively longer slow intervals allow your body to recover and prepare for the next high-interval set.
More Efficient Combined Training
The shorter time it requires to do these exercises also means you can fit in HIIT after your weight-training exercises. This will boost your metabolism quickly, without your body lapsing into the post-weights anabolic phase it would if you do cardio. This means that your body will correctly be repairing muscle after both sets of exercises are done. If your body were to lapse into its anabolic phase while you were doing traditional cardio exercises after your weight training, your muscular growth will be impaired.
High-intensity interval training is a more efficient way to lose more weight through calorie-burning. If you have a personal trainer, ask him/her to help you program HIIT into your training program. Remember, though, that you need to always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Sunday, March 8th, 2009 at
6:25 am
Are you in need of some good exercise, but you don’t want to miss your favorite shows by going to the gym? If that is the case, you may be interested in purchasing a treadmill. With your own treadmill, you can exercise and watch TV at the same time! If you aren’t sure about which treadmill to get, let this be your guide to treadmill reviews.
There are many places to go to learn about treadmill reviews. Most of these treadmill reviews go over several aspects. Some treadmill reviews go over the ease of use and functionality of the treadmill. Other treadmill reviews go over the price of the treadmills. Other treadmill reviews just go over comparing the different brands of treadmills.
We will go over the top 3 treadmill that were listed in the treadmill reviews. These treadmills are listed as the “best buys”. The first treadmill is in the below $1000 category. It is the Smooth 5.15. This treadmill has an excellent 2.5 HP motor which is almost never found in treadmills priced this low. It also comes with a 10 year warranty which is also never found in treadmills priced this low.
The second treadmill is in the best mid priced category. This is the Sole F83 priced at $1799.99. This treadmill has a nice 3.0 HP ultra torque motor. It also has several extended warranties. Lastly, this is a folding treadmill with several safety features that are not available with most folding treadmills. It is said to be more stable than most non folding treadmills.
And lastly we have the best premium treadmill. This treadmill is the Landice L7 Pro Sports trainer. This treadmill is priced at $3095.00(!) It has a 3.0 HP Baldor motor, which many treadmill enthusiasts know is one of the best motors to have. This treadmill is made with aircraft quality aluminum and hardware. It can support a person up to 500 pounds! It also comes with a lifetime warranty, which suffices to say, no other treadmill can beat.
Now that you know a little more about treadmills, it is time you got out there and picked one out! You will be glad you did.
I should note that I don’t own a treadmill myself, but I have looked into it, and plan on buying one in the near future.
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at
5:07 pm
There is some controversy as to whether or not running or walking is the better exercise. Each form of exercise has its own pros and cons. If you are wondering whether or not you should be running and exercising, you may want to consider the positive and negative aspects of each before you choose one.
Consider Doing Both
Keep in mind that a lot of people feel as if doing a workout that is a combination of both is ideal. Walking provides excellent cross training for running and vice versa. And that way you can reap the benefits of both. If the workout includes alternating bursts of running and walking you can get the best of both worlds.
Risk of Injury
It is important to note that it seems that runners have a higher risk of injury than walkers. Running is a higher impact sport than walking is. If you have joint problems or are struggling with constant injuries, walking is the better choice. If you walk at a fast pace, you will still burn adequate calories.
Weight Loss Considerations
At first glance, it may seem as if running can help you lose weight. This is partially true. Runners tend to burn more calories because they go faster. However, if a walker is focused on going at a fast clip, they could also burn enough calories to lose weight. With walking, it is easier to get complacent.
Examining a Duke Study
There was a study done at Duke University that attempted to analyze which is better for weight loss, running or walking. The end result of the study was that the two were nearly identical. The key is that the walkers need to maintain a fast pace and not reduce their stride to a stroll. However, runners and joggers experienced better protection against heart disease.
Running Burns More Calories
You can’t escape the fact that running burns more calories. The current lore is that walking a mile and running a mile burns approximately the same amount of calories. However, runners will complete that mile a lot quicker than the average walker. So, thirty minutes of running will burn a lot more calories than thirty minutes of walking. Despite the results that the Duke study indicates, running should help you lose weight quicker.
Health Benefits of Exercise
But no matter which activity you ultimately choose, running or walking, the important thing to remember is that leading an active life is important to building an overall state of health. The key to staying healthy is to keep moving.
Sunday, March 1st, 2009 at
10:15 am
As a personal trainer, I get asked many times about what brand of treadmill to buy. However, from personal experience, I will not buy based on name because there are many more factors to consider. I will also not review any brand in this article. Do not simply walk into a shop and get tempted by “$0 Deposit, 0% interest” deals. An impulsive purchase like that will leave you regretting for many years later.
Before going into the specifics of how to choose a treadmill, you need to sit down and think about the following questions:
1. What is the reason for getting a treadmill? If you want something to do your daily walks at a pace that raises your heart rate, you can opt for a treadmill with a low maximum speed and no incline. However, if you are planning to get in shape for a vacation where you will be hiking and biking, then you should opt for something with higher maximum speed and incline functions.
2. What is your budget? There are many good models you can purchase for $2000 or less. I suggest $2000 because most people cannot afford $3000+ for a treadmill and I know you can get a good treadmill for less. There are great deals online so shop around.
Once you have decided on the reason and budget, you have to do the following before you go shopping for your treadmill.
1. Measure the floor area you have to position your treadmill.
2. If you want a treadmill that folds, measure the storage area you have for the folded treadmill.
3. Measure the weight of the heaviest person that will be using the treadmill. Each treadmill has a maximum weight limit. If you weigh between 45kg – 90kg (99lbs – 198lbs), a treadmill with 100kg (220lbs) weight limit will be sufficient.
Now you are ready to go shopping for a treadmill.
Standard features that should come in a treadmill for your home. These are features that will be important to you.
1. Foldable – As a home user, you never know if one day, you will have visitors to your house or need to move house. A foldable treadmill on wheels will make repositioning the treadmill a breeze.
2. Electronics – Heart Rate monitor, Time read-out, Distance read-out, Speed read-out, Calories burned. An electronic “track” lighting up to show my progress. At least 5 preset programmes and 3 more programmable slots for you to define your own workout routine.
3. Belt – Try out your shortlisted treadmills. Take note of how long and wide it is. Bottom line: you must be able to run comfortably on it.
4. Horse Power – Most people do not pay attention to the horse power of the motor. Look for the term continuous duty rating. Look for something between 1.5 to 2.5 horsepower. Some have horsepower of 3. You do not need one that powerful but if you do not mind the extra cost you pay for a model with a horsepower of 3, that is fine.
5. Make sure the treadmill counts down when starting and the speed increases progressively when you start it. I have been on treadmills that start at the speed I set without counting down and have to immediately lower the speed manually. All treadmills should allow you to change your speed at any time using the arrow keys. Do not buy it if it does not allow you to do that.
6. Water Bottle holder – This should be a standard feature on most models. This is especially important if you do long walks or runs lasting 30 minutes or longer on your treadmill.
7. Speed Range – Look for one that goes up to 15km/h (9mph). An average person will not need more speed than that. A power walker walks at 7km/h to 8km/h (4.3mph to 5 mph). You will be jogging above 8km/h (5mph) and at 12km/h (7.5mph), you will be running.
8. Safety Key – This is a feature that will allow you to stop the treadmill immediately in the case of an emergency.
9. Warranty period – Look for a treadmill with 1 year or longer warranty periods. Do not purchase if the warranty period is less than 1 year. Do not be deceived by “X years warranty on frame”. Ask about the warranty on ALL parts, such as belts and electronics.
Optional Features you may want. These are features that will cost you more but if you feel that they are important to you, please go ahead and choose a model with these features.
1. Incline – Running at an incline, even at 1 degree, allows you to burn more calories as compared to running with no incline. Look for one that inclines at least 10 degrees and if you can afford, go for one that can incline 15 degrees or more.
2. Speakers – New treadmill models now have speakers where you can plug in your Ipod or MP3 player to play music from the built-in speakers while you run.
3. Fan – A few treadmills have a built-in fan. This will limit your choice of treadmills as there are not many models around with this feature.
Before heading down to your nearest fitness store, do your research online so that you do not waste too much time talking to salespeople who will try to sell you their latest models with the highest premiums.
Some precautions to take with a treadmill:
1. Please do not start an exercise programme before checking with your doctor.
2. Remove the safety key when not in use so that kids cannot fiddle around with your treadmill. They may get very hurt if their clothes get caught in the treadmill.
I hope this article has been helpful. Enjoy your machine.
Saturday, February 28th, 2009 at
4:32 pm
Lots of people, including myslef, start running because they want to loose weight. Becuase running is probably one of the hardest cariovascular exercises you can do, for most people it is an very good way to burn calories and start shedding the weight.
You need to remember that healthy eating should be part of your weight loss program because you will only loose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. So, for example if you loose a pound in wieght then you have to burn around 3500 calories, which means you should think about running AND healthy eating to loose wieght efficiently.
If your running, like mine, turns into a more serious sport for you, then you could consider racing in 5K or 10K races, or even look into training for a half marathon or even full marathon distance, which is 26.2 miles. I’d recommend that you first start building up you weekly training program and see if you can run up to around 10 miles. Of course the longer distance you run, the slower your pace should be.
Anyway back to healthy eating! Runners sometimes start to eat more food and load up with too many calories, putting on weight even though they’re training! If you think you might be falling into this trap then have you ever though of keeping a food diary? The best thing you can do is look at how much you’re eating, when and where.
The other main point with running to loose weight is that you really need to run on a regular basis. By regular basis I mean every day if you can! If this isn’t possible, certainly to begin with you will need to ensure you rest adequately between training runs, then I suggest 3 times a week or more.
Finally, after your body becomes used to your training program and you’re finding that running 5 miles or so, 3 times a weeek is fairly comfortable for you, you need to start mixing up your training. A good way to do this is to introduce speed training to your routine – this sounds like more pain!? Speed training is essentially running very fast for short period of time, having a similar short resting period where you jog or walk, and the run very fast again for the same period of time. You should repeat this process so you are running fast for 4 or 5 times, resting inbetween each fast run. This is called interval training, and it will help you burn more calories, plue increase your slower, long distance running pace, over time.
