Archives: Runner’s Health

Interval Training! HIIT Your Fitness Peak by Summer

Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 9:19 am  
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hiit interval sprint1 Interval Training! HIIT Your Fitness Peak by Summer
This year is going to be different. This year, you’re determined to be fit and buff by summer. But how? How can you hiit your peak in just a few months?

You don’t have time for endless cardio, and it doesn’t seem to work for you any more anyway. Hours in the gym with a personal trainer isn’t in the cards either. There’s got to be some way to get a lean body, flatten your abs, and add a little muscle without giving up on having a life. There is: It is called HIIT.

What the Heck is HIIT?

HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. This kind of workout involves cycles of short, high-intensity exercises, followed by short recovery periods. When you work out this way, your heart rate continually varies, going from a relatively low level to near your maximum, then back down again. HIIT workouts are tough, but short.

A basic workout will involve a warm-up period, several cycles of high-intensity work, and a cool down period. The whole workout will usually take less than an hour and should be repeated no more than 3 times a week to allow your muscles to recover between workouts.

Some programs incorporate a short abs workout at the end of the session (before the cool down phase) for those looking to specifically build great abs. One example of such a program is the HIIT-based The Truth About Six Pack Abs (HIITSixPackAbs) which combines whole-body exercises, specific abs exercises, and a filling, natural diet into a comprehensive fitness program.

Compare the HIIT approach to more traditional approaches that feature fun things like jogging for hours, swimming endless laps, and heavy dieting. Short intense workouts are certainly more fun and more likely to fit into your busy life.

But does HIIT work?

In recent years, several scientific studies have shown that short, high-intensity workouts are more effective for losing fat while maintaining muscle mass than high-volume, lower intensity aerobic work-outs like jogging. This is true even though your body burns fat most efficiently during those aerobic workouts.

With HIIT, your body burns more calories between workouts due to the higher metabolic rate triggered by the high-intensity workouts.

What is a HIIT Program Like?

At this point, you’re probably wondering what a HIIT program is like. Well, they vary depending on who designed the particular program, but they generally have some characteristics in common. In particular, they usually involve multi-joint movements.

That is, you do exercises like deadlifts that involve multiple muscle groups, instead of curls, which involve a single muscle group. Involving multiple muscle groups in each exercise really cranks up the intensity while allowing you to get a lot done in a short time.

Perhaps the ultimate HIIT workout is sprinting. A sprinter’s frequent short bursts of maximum effort followed by rest periods is high-intensity interval training in a pure form. And if you’ve ever looked at the physiques on sprinters, you’ve seen what this kind of training program can do for you.

More and more, short, high-intensity workouts are being recognized as the best way to get in shape, tone your body, strengthen your heart, and burn fat. If you want to be fit and lean by summer, with a flat belly, solid muscles, and a healthy heart, try a HIIT workout program.

5 Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss

Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am  
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gym cardio sprint2 5 Best Cardio Intervals for Fat Loss
Long, slow cardio is not the fastest way to burn fat. Research shows that short interval training workouts burn belly fat faster.

I was one of the first trainers to question long, slow cardio for fat loss back in the late 1990′s and I believe that traditional cardio is over-rated.

Interval training, or interval “cardio” if you want to call it that, is much, much better for fat loss. It burns belly fat in half the workout time.

I figured this out just before the year 2000. Back in 1998-99, I was but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of androstenedione (the supplement taken by the mighty baseball player, Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home run quest in ’98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February of ’99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I’d get there at 7am, and record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of mad science. And if I wasn’t there, I was downstairs in the medical library, studying papers on testosterone and training.
Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary lifestyle didn’t sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a degree in Exercise Physiology and left with no time for exercise. Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of “down-time” while the lab’s gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit and to avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a sedentary environment. And I also had to stay true to the high-school bodybuilder I once was, so there was no way I was willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working with athletes as the school’s Strength & Conditioning Coach. I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss than slow cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you can’t increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio for fat loss. I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short amount of time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and therefore I could only spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

I also understand that interval training sounds intimidating to a lot of people, so I need to clear up how an interval training workout goes.

After all, I believe everyone can do interval training for fat burning. Even beginners. For beginners who usually exercise for 30 minutes at 3.5 mph on the treadmill, their interval workout would be to go for 1 minute at 3.8mph and then recover for 2 minutes at 3.0 mph. That’s it. Repeat 6 times. If you are more advanced, you would use more intense exercise.

Interval training doesn’t have to be sprinting for your life. It just needs to start off harder than normal and progress from there.

Most folks hate cardio, so they are happy to use interval training as an effective replacement to lose stomach fat. Here is my list of preferred ways to do your intervals, ranked in order from best to worst, based on my experiences.

1. Sprinting outdoors (Hill sprinting might be the absolute best method)

2. Kettlebell exercises

3. Bodyweight interval circuits

4. Treadmill running

5. Stationary cycle (upright cycling preferred over recumbant bike)

With those 5 interval training methods, you’ll burn fat fast and never have to do cardio again!


Put and End to Hours of Cardio; Kick Up the Intensity, Shorten the Time and See Big Results

Saturday, April 18th, 2009 at 4:27 pm  
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It always drives me crazy when I see people in the gym, day after day, walking or jogging on the treadmill for hours. They do the exact same routine, usually talking on the cell phone, reading a magazine or watching their favorite TV show. I see them every day for months go through the same workout and their bodies never change! Why is this? It’s simple.

When you initially start working out, it seems difficult to do these workouts. But, your body is an amazing machine and therefore, it quickly becomes efficient at doing the same workout and like anything, if you don’t push yourself or change it up, your body adjusts. Each time we repeat a particular workout, our body adapts to meet the demand, becomes more efficient and in turn, burns less fat and calories. So, the bottom line is you need to break out of your “cardio comfort zone” and challenge yourself to see faster fat loss results.

As human nature will have it, most people take the path of least resistance, which results in a less than effective cardio routine. This in turn, impacts the time it takes to see results. When people tell me they need to stay in the “fat burning zone” in order to burn calories, it makes me crazy! FORGET about the fat burning zone! As far as I’m concerned, this is an excuse not to push yourself. Your metabolism will increase only when your body is forced to change. When it comes to cardio and fat loss, INTENSITY is the secret ingredient to see changes, period!

So when people ask me why it’s better to do an intense 20 minute workout, as opposed to a slow, steady 30-45 minute workout when you burn more calories over 45 minutes, my answer is simple. Although you may burn more calories while you’re working out, once you stop that workout, your metabolism also stops burning. However, when you perform your cardio at an intense level (intervals), your body will spend the rest of the day expending energy to recover from the challenge you just put it through. This is called EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) and it means that you consume more oxygen recovering from an intense workout than you would from a slow steady cardio workout, no matter how long that workout is. 

How do you know if you’re not pushing yourself hard enough:

1) If you can hold a conversation with the person on the cardio machine next to you or the person on the other end of the cell phone!

2) If you are getting into the magazine or book you are reading to help pass the time.

3) You are enjoying your favorite TV show.

4) You have not worked up a sweat and feel you could go another 20 minutes!

These are all signs that you are not working hard enough to get the results you want. You need to focus on what you’re doing, work hard and be done! It is only 20 minutes! Surely you don’t need to find some distraction that will take away from your workout.

Here’s how it works:Start with the form of cardio you are comfortable doing and perform as follows:

3-5 minute warm up. 1 minute intense 1-2 minutes easy repeat 5-6 times Cool down



 This is just an example to show you how it works. Give it a try and I promise you will be shocked at how much more effective, not to mention efficient it is.

To change it up and keep it from getting boring, try shortening the hard intervals to 30-45 seconds while simultaneously increasing the intensity. Keep the easy part to 1-2 minutes. As you shorten the intense intervals, it is important that you increase the intensity from your level in the 1 minute interval and do additional intervals (8-10). Repeat until you’ve completed 15-20 minutes.

An Example of how I do it on a treadmill is as follows:

1 minute intervals:

Note: I keep it on a 7.5 to 10.0 incline throughout these workouts. The levels shown below are the speed.

3.0-4.0 warm up (3-5 mins) 7.5-8.0 intense (1 min) 3.5 easy (1-2 mins) 6 intervals Cool down



30-45 second intervals:

3.0-4.0 warm up (3-5 mins) 8.5-9.0 intense (30-45 secs) 3.5 easy (60-90 secs) 8-10 intervals Cool down

 

These are two examples so you are not confused. You need to do these intervals according to your individual fitness levels. The only thing I stress is you need to push yourself! By this I mean a subjective effort of 8-9 on a scale of 10. It must be intense to see results.

*Please note that if you are new to exercise, don’t attempt this without consulting your physician and even then, work yourself up slowly to being able to perform this type of exercise. This is not for everyone.

Types of Interval Training:

I also want to mention that interval training is not limited to a single cardio machine. It can be performed in a number of different ways as seen below:





1) Change machines every 3-5 minutes (i.e. start on treadmill, then move to elliptical and then stationary bike).





2) Hill sprints. Find a hill outside and after warming up, sprint up the hill. Walk down. Do this 5-10 times, depending on your fitness level.





3) My favorite type of interval training is doing different cardio intensive exercises. I get bored doing the same thing every workout. I love to change it up and here is an example of what I may do when I need a change:

Jump rope: 1-3 minutes Treadmill: 5 minutes (30 second sprints/30 second walking intervals) Push ups: 45 secs Burpees: 1 min Repeat 2-3 times

 

 So these are just a few examples, but a place to start if you are interested in kicking up your workouts. In order to see big changes, it is also important to do resistance training, as well as maintain a proper diet. Nutrition is imperative to any weight loss plan. Just remember, you can not “work off” a bad diet, no matter how hard you try.

In short, remember that with each workout you perform-whether it be interval training or resistance training- it is important that you find a way to change it up and keep yourself challenged. Training in your comfort zone is useless. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

Reach Your Weight Loss Goals – Couch To 5K Reviewed

Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 11:53 am  
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Some more Couch To 5K info that I found – Great program if you’re not familiar with it, especially if you’re just starting out:

Are you a couch potato? The good news is I have worked with individuals who saw the walk to the kitchen fridge equal to scaling Everest. Well guess what? It is possible to go from being as sedentary as a tortoise to actually running your first 5k (3 mile) run within 2 Months.

My test subject a 48 year old female from the UK weighing in at 189 pounds, suffering from clinical depression and trapped in a web of weight related diseases came to me and asked me for help. Who was I to let them down? I advised the Couch to 5k challenge, offered my help free of charge as long as I could monitor the results, mainly so I could get some subjective information on the matter.

1. The couch to 5k challenge basically sets out on the opinion that you should start off slow and easy, when you first start out running it’s not just your weight that is a mitigating factor, but your joints, ligaments and bones just won’t cut it at this early stage. Easing yourself in will help you to overcome this and by the time you end the challenge you’ll feel comfortable jogging, actually it will become pleasurable. Well that’s exactly what happened in my client’s situation. She is now running 10k races for charity and in the best shape of her life, tipping the scales at 145 pounds only 6 months later.

2. Each session of the couch to 5k challenge only takes 20-30 minutes of your time 3 times a week; I can personally guarantee that even the busiest of us can fit this time into our schedule. By the way, 20-30 minutes 3 times a week is actually recommended by numerous studies for an optimum level of fitness.

3. The couch to 5k challenge focuses on the length of time you run over the speed you run. (Basically as we mentioned earlier your joints, bones and ligaments aren’t ready for any speed work yet). My client found this no pressure approach fun and the fact it was goal orientated easy to work with. She actually told me it made the program enjoyable.

Overall I would advise the Couch to 5k Challenge to anybody who sits there eating TV meals, drives the car to the local shop or pays someone to walk their dog. Its fun will make a change to your lifestyle and open your life up to a whole new world of opportunities.

Running Tips: What You Need to Know When Starting a Running Routine

Thursday, April 16th, 2009 at 1:40 pm  
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Strong legs, strong lungs, strong will. Such is the portrait of a typical distance runner. The good news is that you can be a runner, too.

Why run?

Running carries with it the same benefits of all cardiovascular exercise: it helps reduce stress, strengthens the heart and lungs, reduces risk of certain diseases, increases confidence, brightens your mood, helps you sleep better, gives you more energy, and, in general, provides a better sense of well being. It is also a great way to burn calories.

How many calories do you burn running a mile?

Conventional wisdom says that, for every mile you run, you will burn 100 calories. But other factors play into the equation as well, including your running speed and your body weight. Generally speaking, a 135 pound person will burn about 100 calories per mile. A 200 pound person, running at the same speed, may burn 150. Obviously, the faster you run, the more calories you will burn.

Starting to run

Running can be stressful on your body, particularly on your leg muscles and knees. But you can minimize your risk of injury with a few simple tips.

Make sure to stretch before and after every run. Walk briskly for at least 5 minutes at the beginning of each run. Once you feel your body starting to warm up, do some gentle stretching exercises. Focus on steady, continuous stretches and avoid bouncing through the stretch.

If you are new to running, here is how you can work up to a 30 minute running routine while reducing the risk of injury.

Your first goal will be to make sure that you can walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes. If you can do that, start to run at a slow pace until you become short of breath. Then walk briskly until you feel like you can run again. Continue with these intervals. You can challenge yourself by timing these intervals and working toward longer intervals. For example, maybe the first day you will run for 30 seconds and walk for 2 minutes. As your endurance increases, run longer and walk for shorter distances.

Another interval technique involves counting your footsteps, instead of measuring time. When you are first starting your running routine, you may do 100 or 200 running footsteps with 300 or 400 walking footsteps in between. Then you can work up to 400 or 500 running footsteps with 200 walking footsteps in between. Each day, try to extend the number of running footsteps and reduce the number of walking footsteps (even by just a few footsteps) until you are running for a full 30 minutes. Counting steps can help give your mind a clear focus toward an achievable goal.

It is important to not push yourself too hard. Even if you simply walk for 30 minutes and can manage to get in a couple of one or two minute runs, you are getting your heart rate up, and you will be reaping some of those health benefits. The rule of thumb is this: run at a pace at which you can still talk. If you are very short of breath, slow down or take a walk break.

Once you are running for a full 30 minutes, keep up this interval training to maximize the benefits of your running routine. For example, run at your normal pace and then speed it up for 30 seconds or one minute (or 200 or 300 footsteps).

After every run, walk for a few minutes, and stretch your muscles again.

Making the most of your running routine

Here are a few more tips to help you make the most of your running routine:

Invest in a good pair of running shoes, which will increase comfort and reduce your risk of injury.

Plan to rehydrate about every 10 minutes during your run.

The best places to run are smooth dirt roads or paths, which are not as hard as asphalt and concrete. Ask around (at your local running store, for example) for recommendations of good routes.

Finally, make sure to follow these simple safety precautions: Running with a friend (or even a dog) is safer than running alone. At the very least, tell someone when you are leaving, where you are going, and when they should expect you to return. Leave your valuables at home, vary your routes, and stay in busy, well lit areas. Pay attention to what is going on around you. That means leaving the headphones at home, or turning the volume down low. Lastly, always jog against traffic, so you can assess oncoming cars for potential danger.

A running routine is a rewarding way to build strength and endurance. Enjoy the process of developing your own strong legs, strong lungs, and strong will.

Note: The tips in this article are for general information only. Before starting any exercise routine, you should consult with your doctor.

Beyond Cardio, Beyond Interval Training – Lose Fat Faster

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 at 7:22 am  
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gym cardio sprint3 Beyond Cardio, Beyond Interval Training Lose Fat Faster
In this article, I have an intriguing discussion about cardio training, which will hopefully get you thinking differently, and trying new things.

You may know I’ve been called the anti-cardio guy before, but this week I’m back posing the question to you… Do you really need cardio training to get lean and in great shape? By the way, you’ll see in a minute that I’m not really “anti-cardio”, just “anti traditional cardio”.

Most fitness buffs, weekend warriors, or anyone trying to get in shape or lose body fat, consider it a fact that they need “cardio” exercise to accomplish these goals. They would never even question it. However, I’m not only questioning it, I’m going to refute it! In fact, you may be surprised to know that some of the leanest and meanest people I know (men and women), NEVER do any type of normal or traditional cardio. And I’ve spent over 15 years working out in various gyms, and hanging out with athletes of all sorts, so I’ve seen it all. I will say that there can be a place for low-moderate level cardio for really overweight or deconditioned people, but even in those cases, there can sometimes be more effective methods.

But what exactly is “cardio”? Most people would consider cardio to be pumping away mindlessly on a treadmill, riding a stationary bike, or coasting on an elliptical machine, while watching the TV screen at their state of the art gym. This is what I call “traditional cardio”. Hmmm, no wonder the majority of people get bored with their workouts and give up after a couple months without seeing results.

But if you look closer, “cardio” can be considered any type of exercise or activity that strengthens the cardiovascular system. I’m not going to get into anything technical like increasing your VO2 max or anything like that. To keep it simple, if it gets your heart pumpin, and gets you huffin and puffin, it’s cardio. I don’t care if you’re holding dumbbells or a barbell and everyone calls it a weight training exercise… it’s still conditioning your heart.

Let’s take a look at a couple examples. Take a barbell (or dumbbell, or kettlebell) clean & press for example, which involves lifting a barbell from the floor up to shoulders, then push pressing overhead. And listen up ladies, because even though this is usually seen as a manly exercise, it doesn’t matter if you’re not lifting 250 lbs; if 45 lbs is challenging to you, then you will still benefit just as much. At first glance, most people think of the barbell C&P only as a weight training exercise or strength exercise. However, I challenge you to do a hard set of around 10-15 reps on the C&P. If you used a challenging enough weight, what you’ll find is that your heart rate is probably up to about 80-90% of your recommended max, and you are huffing and puffing like you just ran a 100-meter sprint (which by the way, sprinting kicks the crap out of jogging any day if you want the easiest way to lose body fat fast).

Try the same thing for a set of 20 reps of one-arm snatches or swings with each arm with a kettlebell or dumbbell, and tell me your legs aren’t burning, heart racing, and you’re gasping for breath. How about trying 5 minutes straight of bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups with very little rest. Again, notice your heart pounding, sweat pouring off of you, and chest heaving for breaths!

Try and tell me you’re not conditioning your heart with this style of training! Conventional thinking says that these are weight training or strength training exercises. However, they are fullfilling your cardio needs as well due to the high intensity of work performed during these types of exercises.

Not only do you save time, but you strengthen and condition almost every muscle in your entire body with these full body exercises if you do them with enough intensity… something that can’t be said for that boring stationary bike ride or treadmill jaunt while reading or watching TV. Seriously, if you can read or watch TV while doing any exercise, you’re not concentrating enough on what you’re doing, plus you’re probably not working out hard enough to see any real results.

I challenge you to give the “traditional cardio” a rest for a month or two, and start training the way I explain in my internationally popular “Truth about Six pack Abs Program”, and see how you start getting leaner, more defined, and your six-pack starting to show through what used to be stubborn stomach fat deposits.
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