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For many years, fitness experts thought that the only way to lose body fat and improve cardiovascular fitness was by doing long, steady aerobic workouts. While there’s no doubt that long, steady aerobic exercise is effective,  many fitness experts are now recommending high intensity interval training (HIIT).

HIIT consists of alternating high intensity “work intervals” with low to moderate intensity “recovery intervals” over a 10 to 20 minute time period. For example, you sprint 50 yards and then walk 50 yards, and then continue to alternate these work and recovery intervals. Or you run for one minute and then jog for two minutes, and then continue to alternate these work and recovery intervals. Or you pedal at a fast pace on a stationary bike for 30 seconds and then pedal at a slow or moderate pace for 30 seconds, and then continue to alternate these work and recovery intervals. There are many different ways to structure a HIIT workout. Because of the intensity level, HIIT is usually performed only two or three times per week.

Here are the top 5 benefits of high intensity interval training:

1. HIIT burns a lot of calories during the workout and it also causes your metabolism to be elevated for up to 24 hours after the workout is over. A higher metabolism causes your body to burn more calories and body fat 24/7, even when you’re relaxing and sleeping. The increase in metabolism from HIIT is much higher and lasts much longer than the increase from traditional aerobic exercise. As a matter of fact, traditional aerobic exercise has very little effect on metabolism.

2. Many studies show that HIIT is more effective at improving cardiovascular fitness than traditional aerobic exercise.

3. HIIT requires a lot less time than traditional aerobic exercise.

4. HIIT improves both aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity.

5. HIIT improves athletic performance and helps prevent injury. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a serious athlete, HIIT will improve your speed, power and explosiveness, which will improve your athletic performance and help prevent injury.

In conclusion, high intensity interval training is a great way to lose body fat and improve cardiovascular fitness. If you want to get lean and fit, give HIIT a try.

In a long-term study of the health of the people of in the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service documented the chances of developing heart disease among various groups in the population. Long before the any symptoms appeared, epidemiological research could identify high-risk groups.

Among the highest risk factors are male sex, age over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of certain blood fats, and a family history of cardiovascular disorders.

Other researchers have added to this list another risk factor: the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality. The greater the number of severity, the greater the person’s overall risk.

These threats to the heart can be divided into two main categories: those beyond individual control, such as age, sex, and heredity, and those that can be controlled, avoided, or even eliminated. Among those in the second category are what cardiologists call “the triple threat.” These are the high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and high cholesterol levels in the blood.

If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, your risk of having a heart attack is twice that of a nonsmoker. If you smoke, have hypertension, and eat a diet high in fats without any exercise at all, your risk is five times greater than normal.

The Healthy Heart

If these risk factors endanger the heart’s health, what enhances its well-being and improves its odds of working long and well?

Obviously, quitting cigarettes and eating a low-fat diet will help. The next best thing you can do for your heart’s sake is to give it what it needs: regular exercise or a complete cardio interval training.

The heart is a muscle, or, more accurately, a group or “package” of muscles, similar in many ways to the muscles of the arms and legs. And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it enhances the health of the heart muscles as well.

Since World War II, several large-scale statistical studies have evaluated the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. One well-known survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The more sedentary drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, who walked around the buses and climbed stairs to the upper level.

The why and how behind these statistics were bet explained by classic experiments with dogs whose coronary arteries were surgically narrowed to resemble those of humans with arteriosclerosis. Dogs who were exercised were had much better blood flow than those kept inactive.

The exercise seemed to stimulate the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so exercised dogs had a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart. The human heart reacts in the same way to provide blood to the portion that was damaged by the heart attack.

To enable the damaged heart muscle to heal, the heart relies on new small blood vessels for what is called collateral circulation. These new branches on the arterial tress can develop long before a heart attack – and can prevent a heart attack if the new network takes on enough of the function of the narrowed vessels.

With all these facts, it is now boiled down to a single question: What should be done in order to prevent such dilemmas?

Some studies showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice often.

The general rule is that exercise helps reduce the risk of harm to the heart. Some researches further attested the link between exercise and healthy heart based from the findings that the non-exercisers had a 49% greater risk of heart attack than the other people included in the study. The study attributed a third of that risk to sedentary lifestyle alone.

Hence, with employing the cardio interval training, you can absolutely expect positive results not only on areas that concerns your cardiovascular system but on the overall status of your health as well.

This particular activity that is definitely good for the heart is a cycle of “repeated segments” that is of intense nature. In this process, there is an interchange periods of recuperation. It can both be comprehensive activity and moderate motion.

Consequently, the benefits of merely engaging into this kind of activity can bring you more results that you have ever expected. These are:

1. The threats of heart attack are lessened, if not eliminated

2. Enhanced heart task

3. Increase metabolism, increase the chance of burning calories, therefore, assist you in losing weight

4. Improves lung capacity

5. Helps lessen or eliminate the cases of stress

Indeed, cardio interval training is the modern way of creating a healthy, happy heart and body.

An internet search will yield you thousands of natural weight loss tips and lose weight programs. With so many weight loss tips out there, how do you know which lose weight program will be naturally suitable for you?

Let’s cut the chase so that you don’t have to search so many weight loss sites and getting all confused and befuddled. No matter what weight loss program sites out there that you search, the credible ones will all carry the same message. To lose weight naturally and keep the unwanted weight off forever, you must consume fewer calories than you expand.

“Duh? That is a no brainer, isn’t it? Everyone knows that. So what’s new?” you are probably asking.

Well, let me ask you back. If everyone knows it, then why is it that there are so many obese people who have tried so many ways to lose weight with numerous weight loss programs are not successful in getting rid of their flab and ugly body fat? Even if some of them were successful, they cannot seem to keep the weight off for long and soon, the weight that they have lost will all come back to haunt them. Are you one of them?

The reason why the weight that they loss came back because most people go for quick fixed weight loss solutions. People prefer the no pain hassle free methods to lose weight such as taking weight loss pills, going fad diets, using abs stimulator and any gizmos that promise quick weight loss and muscle toning.

Well, the cliché “No pain no gain” is also common knowledge isn’t it? And yet people are still falling into the lure of these temporary weight loss advertisements because they are promised that they can lose weight naturally without having to undergo complicated weight loss programs.

So how to lose weight naturally and keep unwanted fat off forever? Just do these natural weight loss tips regularly and see your body fat melt before your eyes:-

•Heathy Eating Habits For Natural Weight Loss

Eat healthily. Eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism humming all day long. Drink more plain water instead of soft drinks and sugar laden coffee or tea. Just keep in mind that the amount of calories you eat must be less than what you will use for energy on your day to day activities to help you lose weight naturally.

•Build Muscles and Lift Weights

The more muscles you packed on, the more your body will naturally burn calories because your muscles need calories to function and stay alive.

You don’t have to build big muscles like those body builders, but enough to buff and tone you up nicely and at the same time enjoy the calorie burning effect of your muscles. Your muscles will stay with you if you lift weight consistently and this will keep extra body fat at bay and is one of the best way to lose unwanted weight forever.

•Perform Cardio Exercises to Lose Weight Fast

Cardio exercises burn calories fast. That is if you perform the exercises until you are panting and puffing for 20-30 minutes. If you can read a book or listen to music whilst doing cardio exercises, then your cardio exercises are not intensive enough to burn fat effectively. Do this 5-6 times a week as part of your natural weight loss program or 2-3 times a week for weight management program.

By following these 3 tips natural weight loss program, you should be losing 1-2 pounds a week and losing weight healthily and naturally. Best of all, you will learn how to lose unwanted weight forever.

How do you make impressive changes to your body? You want to lose those extra pounds and get that sculpted, lean healthy 6 pack body. Many of you are probably thinking you have to spend endless hours on a treadmill or other cardio machine, right?

This isn’t necessary. Shorter durations of high intensity interval training also called HIIT produces faster more substantial results over long duration moderate intensity cardio workouts. Studies have shown that people doing high intensity interval training workouts have lost significantly more body fat compared to people doing low intensity long duration workouts. Fat burns quicker with high intensity training because you end up burning calories long after your work out is finished.

HIIT training is so effective because it revs up your metabolism which will cause your body to burn more calories. So if you want the fastest way to burn fat and speed up your results, start condensing your workouts using high intensity interval training instead of long, slow boring cardios like you’ve been told in the past.

Now that you have heard of these benefits and how it can positively effect you, try this with your next workout and see the improvements.

Here are 3 different examples of HIIT workouts….

Variation 1 – BASIC Warm-up for 3 to 5 minutes. (cycling, jump roping, treadmill etc.) Exercise to high intensity for 1 minute. Then exercise with low intensity for 1minute. Repeat 6 to 8 times. When finished cool down for 5 to 7 minutes

Variation 2 – The Build Up Warm-up for 3 to 5 minutes. (cycling, jump roping, treadmill etc.) Exercise with high intensity for 30 seconds then 1 minute of low intensity. Exercise with high intensity for 45 seconds then 1 minute of low intensity. Exercise with high intensity for 60 seconds then 1 minute of low intensity Exercise with high intensity fro 90 seconds then 1 minute of low intensity. Then Reverse the high intensity…. 60, 45, 30 When finished cool down for 5 to 7 minutes

Variation 3 – The Challenge Warm-up for 3 to 5 minutes. (cycling, jump roping, treadmill etc.) Exercise with high intensity for 2 minutes then 30 seconds with a even HIGHER intensity Followed by 2 minutes of low intensity. Repeat 3 to 6 times.

If your thinking this seems too difficult, remember you go at your OWN high level of intensity. Slow down a bit if you can’t make it through the intervals. You want to go at a pace where you can complete each interval without having to go crazy with them. Then as you get stronger increase YOUR intensity. Keep challenging yourself.

Here is an example… if you usually work out on a stationary bike at level 6 try taking your level up to level 9 during the high intensity interval and then take it down to a lower level during the low intensity interval.

Great success to you all!

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While running is an excellent cardio workout, it isn’t always the most convenient way to exercise. Inclement weather, busy schedules, and joint-problems are just a few inconveniences that can interrupt a jogging schedule.

Working out a home is a great alternative, but it can be terribly disheartening to have to piece together a number of routines (or drag out several pieces of equipment) to get a total-body workout.

A few years ago, the hottest equipment to take the place of jogging were the treadmill and stairmaster. –But those particular pieces of equipment are bulky and usually require dedicated floor space. Treadmills in particular still do not ease the impact that running can have on our knee and ankle joints.

A wonderful alternative that is sweeping through the fitness world is the elliptical trainer. It mimics the jogging motion without requiring you to remove your foot from the pedals. Not only are the movements extremely fluid, but you almost get a sense that you’re gliding, rather than taking steps.

The beauty of an elliptical trainer workout is that it only takes 15 – 20 minutes to get a great workout that includes your shoulders, back, hips, buttocks, thighs, and calves. It’s so easy to squeeze in a quick workout while the kids nap or while we watch our favorite shows.

If you’re looking to buy your own elliptical trainer, you should know that while you can find some great deals online, it’s always best to try the equipment before you buy it. Some models may suit better than others. Just pop by your local fitness equipment store and ask for a demonstration/trial.

(c) 2008 Sandy Sommer

If you are as busy as the rest of us, then this exercise program will give you the results you desire in no time at all!

Tabata Protocol Interval Training may be one of the most effective tools to improve body composition available. If you want to see major changes in your body’s level of performance, then you will enjoy that as well. Tabata Protocol was developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. They were trying to develop a training system that the Japanese National Speed Skating Team could use to be as successful as possible. They worked through any number of systems before settling on Tabata and the reason they chose it was that it very useful for enhancing aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. You work for twenty seconds and then you rest for ten seconds.

If you use Russian Kettlebells, then what does this training protocol feel like? Similarly to doing Tabata in sprint training, using the protocol with Russian kettlebells is a very vigorous but compact workout. How compact? How about four minutes of lung searing intensity! These four minutes could seem like four hours and you will wish you had never heard of the workout.

The four minutes you invest in the program will pay you large dividends. Your workout will get you into better condition than ever. The program is very popular among strength and conditioning coaches as it dramatically increases aerobic and anaerobic work capacity. The kicker is that it strips fat off your body incredibly fast. The workout is as brief as it is intense but your post workout metabolism will be increased for many hours after your work.

Doing Tabata is really quite simple. Step one is choosing the exercise. I recommend that you opt for two handed swings, kettlebell thrusters or goblet squats. In addition, you will want to keep the kettlebell off the ground during your ten seconds of rest as you won’t have time to get the bell back off the ground when your rest period is over. This protocol is strict so to get FULL BENEFIT follow it to a tee. Here it is: First make sure you are properly warmed up and then:

Pick your exercise and then work for twenty seconds and rest for ten seconds.

Repeat and rinse. For 4 minutes and that will be eight intervals Cool down for another five minutes.

On paper this looks like a cake walk. Trust me. It isn’t. It is deadly, grueling and effective for those that are really busy and need to get maximum return on their work out time. Don’t be shocked if you aren’t able or willing to finish the 4 minutes. If you do this at full intensity, as it’s designed it may take you a bit of time to finish and that’s OK. Just keep at it. Good luck!

Weight loss supplements are advertised as the cure to obesity. But do these pills work? And how safe are they?

We often see advertisements for supplements promising instant weight loss in short periods of time. For people who have suffered long periods with weight issue problems, have had it impact their lives negatively and have had little or no success with diet programs, a miracle solution is what they are looking for. But some things are too good to be true and supplements may just fall in this category.

Supplements are available to anyone, since they can be obtained without a doctor’s prescription. Their manufacturers profess remarkable results and even tout them as being “natural”. It has become a billion dollar business and many people will use their hard earned money on these products and pills. The problem is, more often than not, these claims are fraudulent. Natural does not necessarily mean safe. In addition the body can quickly adjust to many of these weight loss pills, allowing any of the positive results obtained to vanish. Short-term usage of supplements along with a proper diet and exercise program will produce a more desired outcome.

If you’re thinking what could I lose by trying these? A few pounds would be great! Well think again, you could be losing your health. The FDA does not approve weight loss supplements and there are no government agencies that require warnings on their labels about possible side effects. This is due to the DSHEA Act (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) that permits any dietary supplement derived from a plant origin to be sold without FDA or any other government agency approval. Natural seems harmless enough. A plant in its natural state is harmless. The problem comes when it is extracted and put in pill, capsule or concentrated form. At this point they are capable of causing a range of side effects and can interact negatively with many prescription drugs. Now natural becomes risky.

Although the FDA does not regulate these products, they can pull them from sale if it is determined that they are dangerous. At this point, it is too late for many who have been using the product and have been affected by it adversely.

It is easy to be lured into taking weight loss supplements with the miracles they promise, especially if you have reached the point of desperation. If you rank among those whose weight is causing serious health issues, then prescription diet pills under the supervision of a doctor may well be an option. If you don’t fall in this category and are looking for a quick fix, you may be tempted to try these supplements. But keep in mind; supplements may cause you more problems than your weight currently is. You should always be aware of what you are putting in your body. Read the labels, do the research and check with your doctor about what ingredients are contained in them. Find out if they will react adversely with any medication you may be on and what side effects are possible. Remember, losing weight is not easy. It requires a healthy diet and adequate exercise.

This is a much safer alternative to the miracle pill.

They say first impressions last the longest. In the case of kettlebells, my first impression was way off. I was formally introduced to kettlebells about three years ago by my colleague Josh Henkin during one of our weekend training sessions. My wife got hooked on them and almost immediately started looking for them on eBay. To say I was a little hesitant about kettlebells would be an understatement. As a matter of fact, when I learned that she had purchased a pair of 12 kg kettlebells, I believe my comment was something like, “You can do the exact same thing with dumbbells.”

My how things have changed. I now have at least 10 kettlebells in my facility and will probably add a few more in the relatively near future. I also drag around another six or so in my truck for my outdoor fitness camps. I’m sure some of you are thinking that I have gone and drunk the proverbial kool-aid.

No, what actually happened was I realized two things.

1. All of the best coaches that I know use them for many different types of clients. Whether they’re coaching for athletic development, fat-loss, powerlifting or hypertrophy, you will likely see kettlebells being used during some portion of a training day. There must be some merit to the implement if all those guys use them with their clients.

2. As a coach and businessman, I can’t afford to ignore such a versatile implement. I have a limited amount of square footage and a limited budget so it is important for me to invest in equipment that I can get a lot out of in a small amount of space.

In other words, kettlebells are just too big a deal and too good a tool to ignore. Whether you are a fitness competitor or a powerlifter, there are many reasons you should at least consider kettlebells. These are my top 10:

1. Pound for pound they are the best piece of home equipment you can purchase. Not nearly as expensive, and they take up a helluva a lot less space than the “clothes hanger” err… treadmill many of you have. For a modest investment, you can get a kettlebell, an instructional DVD, and probably one or two sessions with a local instructor – a much more effective start to a fitness program than “some assembly required.”

2. Price Point – They say duplication is the highest form of flattery. Well, that must be true in the case of kettlebells. It used to be that you could only get kettlebells at Dragon Door. Now there are no fewer than a half-dozen other distributors out there. Are they all the same quality bell? No, but if you do a little research and ask around, you can find out who is selling the best bell at the best price.

3. Instant Feedback Loop – One of the keys to coaching is having the client/athlete understand the difference between proper and improper technique. With the kettlebell, drills such as cleans and snatches provide clients/athletes with instant feedback. The way the kettlebell falls gives them a not so subtle reminder of their improper technique, and after a workout or two, they won’t have any trouble with the technique at all.

4. Teach Olympic Lifts Fast – The bane of teaching Olympic lifting has always been that the lifts are difficult to teach. Kettlebells make an excellent segue. Not only can you teach variants of the Olympic lifts but things can be taken back a notch farther. One of the first things you learn, even in the most basic kettlebell drills, is hip drive.

5. Great for Fat-Loss – I don’t know if there is a better, more easily learned drill than a two-handed kettlebell swing. There are so many different complexes available that the opportunities for ass-kicking fat-loss work are endless. If you could do only one drill, this is it because what you need for fat-loss is to move a load for as long as possible. That’s exactly what kettlebells allow you to do and you can add some speed as well.

Running down hill, variable terrain, tough climbs, and uneven footing; these are the ingredients of trail running. They demand lateral agility and responsiveness that one might lack from the more predictable strides of road running. The key to the requisite lithe footwork of trail running is a strong and supple core because the abdominal and lower back muscles are the essential centerpiece of the gyroscope that allows for balance and resilience. The core forms the foundation for posture, back support, and stability, and assists in absorbing the impact of descents. More and more runners are using Russian Kettlebells as part of their cross training and the following exercise is one that will develop your core as well as your legs.

Kettlebell thrusters are simply one of the best compound Russian Kettlebell exercises you can do, if your goal is to build a strong core and work your whole body. In addition, the cardio vascular component of this exercise complex is flat out amazing. The kettlebell thruster is a full body workout. If you employ the correct levels of tension, remember to inhale at the bottom and sharply exhale at the top you will tax every muscle of your being and raise your heart rate to lung searing levels. If you are a kettlebell rookie, then you need to use the right size bell. Most women will start with either the 8 kilo or 12 kilo and most men the 16 kilo.

The first part of the exercise is to use a “clean” to lift the Kettlebell. You will start with the kettlebell in front of your feet like the point of a triangle. The first move is a hike pass through your legs, near your crotch and above the knee. Keeping your arm loose, the KB is lifted with your hip thrust. Keep your elbow in and quickly flip your elbow under when the bell has almost reached your shoulder. Do not pull with your arm or try and cheat curl it up to your shoulder! The power is from your hip thrust. Move your hand through the handle. Don’t move the kettlebell around your hand. Once you are in this racked position keep the elbow tight against your rib cage with full upper and lower body tension and a happy, relaxed face. You do not support the kettlebell with a shrugged shoulder or by pushing up the arm. Instead, relax the shoulder girdle and let the force of the kettlebell pass to your ribcage, stomach and hips. You need to have your elbow as low as you can. The Kettlebell will be just off center of your chin for men and just to the side of your chin for women to protect the breast area. When returning the Kettlebell to the bottom position, after the set of thrusters, keep your arm very loose. Swing it back between your legs and don’t try to stem the tide of the kettlebell momentum. Then let it swing forward just a little bit and then place it on the deck.

Once you have the kettlebell racked into position, then find your ideal stance right around your feet at shoulder width. Keep your heels planted and you should be able to wiggle your toes. Track your feet with your knees. Push your hips back as if sitting and go as deep as you can. Keep your core under tension and your lower spine straight. Ideally your hamstrings rest on your calves. Next, drive through with your heels and press the kettlebell overhead without raising your shoulder up to your ear. Keep your whole body tight. Lower the kettlebell back into the rack position by pulling it down, not by dropping it. Re-squat and repeat. Work for thirty seconds on one side, set the kettlebell down, rest for thirty seconds and then go to the opposite side for thirty seconds. Try for 9 minutes. As you get fitter you will be able to work more and rest less.

This one exercise workout will develop your core and balance like no other. In addition, you will be building metabolic lean muscle that will want to feast on your fat. If you can last for a full nine minutes, without any rest, but just switching from right side to left side, then you are tough as nails. A full nine minutes means never letting the kettlebell touch the deck. Most of you will not be able to do the nine minutes without using the rest periods. The goal is to work more and rest less each time you the workout. Good luck!

Why do we mainly use kettlebells in our training? I mean, all the commercial gyms are stocked with machines of every kind. You don’t really see kettlebells in these gyms. For those few unfortunate folks who still don’t know what a kettlebell is, just google the word kettlebell and familiarise yourself with this incredible tool. I can think of about 1000 reasons why you should consider training with kettlebells, but I’ll mention only a few.

Let’s start with you pocket first. For the price of a few month’s gym membership you can get yourself a couple of kettlebells and maybe a training DVD or personal training to help you get up and running. That’s it! For a relatively small financial layout you can get world class results if you put in the work. Just remember, this is not for those looking for a shortcut to a toned, lean and super fit physique. This is for real men and women who take pride in knowing that they have put in the work and that they can expect serious results. Your kettlebells won’t take up all your space either. Whether at home, office or in a gym, they are very portable and can be stored almost anywhere.

Kettlebells come in a variety of sizes. Usually you can find them in sizes from 8-48 kgs. For the gym rats that won’t sound like a lot, but believe me, there is a world of difference between training with barbells or dumbbells and training with kettlebells. Although you can do some of the usual bodybuilding type exercises like bench press, squats and shoulder presses, you will realise the unique benefits of kettlebells by doing ballistic exercises like cleans, jerks, swings and snatches. Build upper body strength with an assortment of presses and pulls (rows), build lower body strength with various squats, lunges and swings and build shoulder flexibility and a torso like a tree trunk with unique exercise like the Turkish getup and windmills.

You are spoilt for choice when it comes to putting together a program. Go heavy and eat big to pack on the beef. Go heavy and keep your diet the same to add serious strength without bulking up. Do high rep ballistic work to acquire the respiratory system of a race horse. Can you say fat loss? Whatever your training goal, you can structure a meaningful program with very basic equipment. If you put in the sweat, kettlebell training will deliver the goods. It’s not better than training with other types of weights, it’s just very different and exciting and rand for rand the best conditioning tool that I know of.

Kettlebells may be new to you, but they have been around for decades in Russia where they have been used by the military, strongmen, weightlifters, bodybuilders and wrestlers. It found its way to America and today is considered the ultimate all-round fitness and physical development tool by experts. With one handy piece of equipment you can work on strength, hypertrophy, endurance, mobility, balance, flexibility and a host of other conditioning categories. No wonder that people such as these use kettlebells:

Rugby teams

Martial artists

Strength and conditioning coaches and personal trainers

Boxers

Defence Force Operations

Physiotherapists, Osteopaths and Chiropractors

Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Sylvester Stallone and Lance Armstrong

So if you are not using kettlebells yet, I think it would be worth your while to consider it as part of your fitness routine.