Showing posts with label interval training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interval training. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Achieve a Movie Star Body

We watch TV and we see these amazing movie or music star bodies, and we are like how do I get a bod like that. Most people dismiss that they could never look like a movie star. Though very few people are blessed with the looks and body of Halle Berry, learning what it takes to have a movie star body will give you a hot body as well. Live Lean Today looks at the fitness and diet plans that create sexy bodies.

No matter whom you are if you want to look like a movie star than you have to exercise and eat healthy. If you want the magic pill; exercise and diet are it. Exercise builds the sexy tone lean muscles we like and your diet trains your body to burn fat and lose those love handles.

The movie star plan combines cardio and strength training with a balanced 5 small meals a day diet. What works for movie stars is exactly how Live Lean Today set up their fitness and diet plans. You don’t need expensive equipment or a lot of time. A few hours a day and some dumbbells and a stability ball will have you on your way to the new hot sexy movie star you.

Cardio Training has two major goals. The first goal is to train your body to use fat effectively as a fuel source. This allows your body to adequately burn fat on a daily basis. The second goal is to increase your metabolism so you burn more energy on a daily basis. Studies have demonstrated that people who do interval cardio training burn more fat while not exercising that doing other forms of cardio. Live Lean Today customizes your personal cardio program to optimize these results.

The best bodies have slender tone lean muscles and this is what strength training provides. The key to movie star looks from your strength training is to incorporate core training. Core training engages your abdominal muscles throughout the movements which burns more energy and develops nice looking abs.

lea newmanFive small meals may seem like a lot though it doesn’t have to be. Most people when switching from their current diet to 5 small meals eat fewer calories. When you eat throughout the day your cravings go away and your body starts to burn more fat that ever before. You know this is working because you will have more energy than ever before.

The last step to creating a movie star body is a personal trainer. Always on the news we here what the next celebrity trainer is talking about. You probably can’t afford your own celebrity trainer though with Live Lean Today you get all the benefits of a personal trainer and dietician for less than a gym membership. Live Lean Today is the only personal training website that allows you talk in real time to your own online personal trainer and dietician. Professional support is the key to overcome the weight loss and fitness challenges and personal trainers are the difference for movie stars to create their amazing bodies.


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Wednesday, June 25, 2008

How to Lose Weight Like the Competitors in Fat March and Biggest Loser

For many seeing shows like Fat March of the Biggest Loser can be an inspiration to start their own weight loss program. The problem lies in once you are excited to start now what. It can be hard for the average watcher to understand what is important and what achieves results from watching the show. It is easy to say eat well and exercise on a regular basis though what does that really mean. Losing weight doesn't have to be overwhelming if you understand the basic principles from the shows and apply them to your lifestyle.

The first biggest change for most people's diets which is vital is eating 5 small meals. The personal trainers talked about in Fat March about how until people create the habit of eating throughout the day nothing else matters. Eating small meals trains your body to burn fat and shuts off your body's ability to store fat.

In Fat March we got an up close and personal experience of what happens when you don't eat five small meals. One of the fat marchers took all his food and ate it all at once. This spiked his blood sugar which then your body stores the food as fat. Once your body stores the food as fat you get low blood sugar which is the crashing that most people feel around 3 pm from too much food at lunch. During Fat March because the competitor was doing a ton of walking he passed out from too low blood sugar and had to go to the hospital. Most people don't understand how negative not eating 5 small meals is because they don't have as serious instant consequences because they are sitting at their desk working when their blood sugar drops.

Until you start eating 5 small meals your body will be in a constant roller coaster of eating too much and storing fat into your fat cells. The good thing is that if today you eat 5 small meals you body will today start to burn more energy and go in the right dirction.

So what do I want in my 5 small meals?

The Biggest Loser show does a good job of showing cooking for good healthy meals. The goal of each meal is to get complex carbs for energy, lean protein to rebuild muscle tissue, and fruits or vegetables for nutritional value. The size is relative to your metabolism, as you get a faster metabolism your portion will increase not decrease which is why starving to lose weight doesn't work. For most Americans take your lunch cut it in half and eat the other half 3 hours later.

Yes you do need to eat carbs. Carbohydrates are your major source of energy from food. When you don't eat carbs even if you eat protein your body will go into a starvation response and store fat and burn muscle for energy. Complex carbs are stored in the muscles cells and are rice, pasta, grains, and potatoes.

One reason many fad diets cut carbs is because carbs absorb water. If you cut carbs out of your diet you will lose weight immediately. You may think that is good though your weight loss is only water. Most fad diets do this knowing that people want to see instant results on the scale and cutting carbs can 5-15 pounds of water out with in a week. Because of poor diet habits and too much consumption of caffeine drinks, it is estimated that 75% of Americans are in a constant state of dehydration. Which means for the average American who adds carbs back to their diet they may gain 5 pounds of just water back right away. This healthy and their bodies were unhealthy everyday from a lack of later. If you cut carbs it doesn't matter how much water you drink, you don't have the carbs to absorb it. Low carb diets that drink a lot of water go to the bathroom more often.


Find personal trainer, fitness, and nutrition information you are seaching for at LiveLeanToday.com. LiveLeanToday.com has a full library of diet, exercise, and supplement information.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Zone Training for beginners to maximize workouts

Like Training programs that are based upon maximum heart rate, Anaerobic threshold (AT)-based training zones are relative to varying levels of intensity, each of which serves different training objectives. Each of these zones develops essential physiological functions that contribute to good health and improved fitness, especially the possibility of weight loss. So you should never limit your training to a single metabolic zone, although you may exercise predominantly in one zone for a given time in order to reach specific training objectives.

Except for rank beginners or people with health related limitations, all levels of intensity are appropriate to ensure maximum cardiovascular development and results. How much and how often you work in each zone will depend on your athletic goals and your current level of fitness (continue reading for a more detailed description of the zones and their primary applications).

Let's look at the volume of the different zones that should be performed weekly. As a rule of thumb, 60 to 65 percent of your total workout time should focus on Zones 1 and 2; 30 to 35 percent on Zones 3 and 4; and about 5 percent on Zone 5. But you need not incorporate all zones into a single workout. In fact, you'll get better results from designing a range of different workouts throughout the week - including long, easy ones in Zones 1 and 2, and shorter, tougher ones that occupy more time in Zones 3, 4 and 5.

ZONE 1: Warm-up Heart-rate range: 60 to 70 percent of AT.

Training objectives: Encourage blood flow and burn fat.

What's happening: This is almost a pure aerobic state, which you can maintain almost indefinitely without experiencing any rise in blood lactate.

Feeling: Comfortable to talk and breathe through your nose.

How long: 10-minute warm-up progressing to higher intensity zones for 45 minutes or longer. Depending on your fitness level, you may need to start with a shorter workout and build up to 45 minutes, or do several shorter workouts throughout the day.

Zone 1 basics: This is a good place to launch your fitness program if you are a beginner or returning to exercise after taking off several months or more. It develops basic exercise technique, endurance and an aerobic base. Ideally, if you are new to exercise, or returning to training after a long break, you should stay in Zone 1 for about six weeks before moving up in zones. Zone 1 is also a good place to recover from tougher workouts.

ZONE 2: Aerobic Development

Heart-rate range: 70 to 90 percent of AT.

Training objectives: Build aerobic efficiency and maximize fat burning at a higher caloric rate.

What's happening: A small rise in blood lactate occurs, yet the body can process it without buildup.

Feeling: You can still converse and may have the urge to go faster. Breathing deepens a bit.

How long: 30 minutes (beginner); 90 minutes or longer (advanced).

Zone 2 basics: Before developing your lactate tolerance or increasing your AT, you should fully develop your "aerobic base," and this is a great zone for moving that effort forward. Noticeable improvement in this zone generally takes about six weeks of consistent training. But don't worry: As you become more efficient and fit, you'll be able to work out faster in every zone. For fit people, Zone 2 is also a good place for active recovery.

ZONE 3: Aerobic Endurance Heart-rate range: 90 to 100 percent of AT.

Training objectives: Increase endurance. Here, you push your AT up to higher intensity by training your body to tolerate more lactate in the blood.

What's happening: As intensity increases, not all lactate produced in the cells can be shuttled back into the metabolic cycle. Lactate levels in the blood begin to rise and, with time, fatigue sets in.

Feeling: Breathing becomes noticeable, but not too difficult; conversation is restricted to short sentences.

How long: 20 minutes (beginner); one hour or more (advanced).

Zone 3 basics: Building endurance at your AT through long intervals (four to 10 minutes) at threshold range will help raise your AT and slowly develop your body's tolerance of lactate. This training adaptation also allows your body to burn fat more efficiently. The idea here is to rest between intervals with your heart rate recovering in your aerobic zone and then increase intensity again up to your threshold.

ZONE 4: Anaerobic Endurance Heart-rate range: 100 to 110 percent of AT.

Training objectives: Increase athletic ability by improving lactate tolerance. Here you're pushing AT and VO2 max (your body's highest ability to utilize oxygen), challenging the heart to work longer, and increasing cardiac output (more blood is being pumped with each stroke, thus requiring fewer strokes per minute).

What's happening: Your body switches into primarily using glycogen or carbohydrate to fuel its need for energy, and your blood-lactate levels dramatically increase.

Feeling: Breathing becomes heavy, difficult and uncomfortable. You may also experience "muscle burn" because of lactate buildup.

How long: Five minutes (beginner); 30 minutes (advanced).

Zone 4 basics: Run at an aerobic pace, then speed up or increase resistance until your heart beats at 110 percent of your AT range. Maintain this level for one to four minutes. Reduce the pace until your heart returns slightly below AT, but not completely back to the aerobic zone. Then repeat the interval.

ZONE 5: Speed and Power Heart-rate range: 110 percent of AT to MHR.

Training objectives: Increase athletic ability by improving neurological response, exercise mechanics, speed and muscle power.

What's happening: Your body is burning the last remaining fuel (glycogen) in your muscles and cannot sustain this maximum effort for more than a few seconds without succumbing to exhaustion.

Feeling: Extremely difficult and uncomfortable. You'll feel breathless and may hear pounding in your chest. You'll feel an intense desire to slow or stop.

How long: Typically several seconds.

Zone 5 basics: Your work here consists of sprints and very intense, short intervals (up to one minute). Although you can come in and out of Zone 5 several times during the course of a single workout, spending more than 10 percent of your total workout time in this zone increases your risk of injury. If you've done a significant amount of Zone 5 work, be sure to add recovery time (meaning a day or two of rest or working in Zones 1 and 2) before returning to Zones 4 and 5.

Progress Makes Perfect By using your AT as a marker for aerobic exercise, you can base your training on a highly individualized fitness parameter, without having to guess about percentages of MHR. This lets you take advantage of every exercise session, knowing you are making the most of your time and energy. And as your fitness improves, so will your AT - one of the best indicators of cardiovascular health, fitness and overall vitality.


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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Cardio Threshold Training - Medium Intensity Days

The Plan: The threshold workout or medium intensity workout is the #1 workout that most cardio athletes and enthusiasts miss in their programs. The goal of the threshold workouts is to work at the max at which your aerobic metabolism produces energy. Because you have another energy source called your anaerobic metabolism, you have the ability to train harder or faster than a proper threshold workout. Most people thinking that they need to be killing themselves to be getting a good workout never slow down enough to train their body effectively.

Your aerobic metabolism is the way your body burns fat and carbs as energy with the use of oxygen. The only way to optimally perform in cardio or endurance races, as well as, achieve your weight loss goals is to train your aerobic metabolism to be as fast as it can. The perfect workout for weight loss, 5k training, and running a marathon.

How do we find the proper intensity to train at? The only way to know for sure that you are training at the right intensity is through having your own personal heart rate profile. With Live Lean Today's online fitness plans, you receive your own heart rate zones to optimize each workout. Most people not watching their heart rate are way off to what they think their heart rate is to what it actually is.

Threshold workouts range from 15-30 min. in total session time. With Live Lean Today, your online personal trainer will work with you to create the right program and progression for your threshold workouts. If you can go longer than 30 min than we need to go faster. What is important is highest rate of energy and heart rate that you can sustain for the entire threshold workout.

The Results: Threshold hold workouts train your body to burn more fat and carbohydrates as energy. This is another way of saying you have a faster metabolism. As it relates to performance, with threshold training you create a faster pace. Especially, if you have found that you can't seem to increase your running pace, threshold workouts are needed in your program.

After effective threshold workouts, the biggest difference you will instantly feel is how much faster you perform at lower heart rates. Your heart rate profile will change as you progress and improve. This is why it is so important for a cardio expert to be monitoring your progress and making adjustments. You now have the ability to run faster for the same distances and times that were once a struggle.

Your weight loss results occur while you are resting. If you have ever said you wanted a faster metabolism than threshold workout are for you. Your body will burn more calories of fat 24 hours a day 7 days a week after your body improves from threshold workouts.

The Difference: Live Lean Today is the only online personal trainer program to have precise heart rate training programs to optimize your results. Training in the right heart rate zone makes each workout as effective as it can be. The fastest way to your results is through proper heart rate training and progression.


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Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Understand Your Metabolism and Unlock Your Weight Loss Results

Have you ever seen an ad for the next latest and greatest weight loss program or diet pill, only to see in fine print that this person also ate a balanced diet and did regular exercise? The other common complaint all the time is "I workout hard everyday and I don't lose a pound." Does this sound like you? The key to achieving health weight loss and keeping it off for a lifetime is understanding your metabolism.

When you think about weight loss you want to think in terms of a diet fitness program. The problem many people do is they only focus on one aspect which leaves them always falling short of their goals.

What is metabolism any way?

Your metabolism doesn't have to be confusing. Let's break your metabolism down in to two aspects. First, is your body's ability to break down food that you eat and convert it into energy or store it. You can store fat in your fat cells though you do store carbohydrates in your muscle cells to be used as energy later. The second is the rate at which your body produces energy, or do you have a fast or slow metabolism? The other key part to your metabolism is what you are burning for energy.

Your metabolism wants small amounts of food at regular intervals throughout the day. Typically every 2-3 hours is a good time to eat. This isn't eating the average American meal 5 times a day, more cutting your meal in half and eating that amount throughout the day. When we go longer than 3 hours between meals are body starts to store the food we do eat as fat, and can burn away muscle tissue for energy instead of using your food. When you eat 5 small meals a day you train your body to use fat as your main fuel source. A proper metabolism burns 70% fat as its main source of energy all day long. Just think while you are working sitting at your chair you are burning fat.

It is through exercise that we raise our metabolism up. The amount of calories we burn is not as important as the rate at which we burn calories. If burning 3500 calories worked than all the walkers at the gym would be the thinnest people. You typically see runners much thinner than walkers and that is because running burns calories at a greater rate and raises up your metabolism. You burn more calories by raising up your metabolism the entire day than you can in any workout.

Cardio interval training is considered one of the best ways of raising up your metabolism. Interval training is short burst of high intensity follow by short durations of low intensity and then repeated. People after doing an interval workout burn more fat as a source of energy for the entire day after than any other form of cardio. You only want to do one interval workout per week as over doing it creates over training and a drop in results.

Combining exercise and eating 5 small meals and you will unlock your weight loss potential. This not only the fastest ways to lose weight these habits work for the rest of your life to have more energy and keep the fat off your body.


Find personal trainer the fitness and nutrition information you are seaching for at LiveLeanToday.com. LiveLeanToday.com has a full library of diet, exercise, and supplement information.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Heart Rate Training Optimizes Your 5k Training Program

Are you looking for a 5k training program? When you start looking you see many program offering beginner programs and advanced programs. What is interesting is that most beginner programs are too many miles for the average beginner. The key to effective 5k cardio plans is for every person to have their own heart rate profile. With optimal heart rate training every workout will be optimized for the greatest impact for your results. Heart rate training is for advanced and beginners; the difference is the heart rate profile not using a heart rate monitor.

The most effective cardio workout for running faster races and burning fat is interval training. Interval training is short durations of high intensity followed by short durations of low intensity and then repeated. Most programs only offer interval training for advanced programs though effective programming is good for all levels. The key is a person's heart rate profile. The most advanced you are the higher heart rate you want to train at for your interval.

Each person has a different level of fitness associated by their heart rate. As you run the energy required needs a certain consistent heart rate produce the energy. The more fit you are the lower your heart rate is for a given speed. This is why heart rate training is so effective. By finding a person's targeted heart rate profile you can make sure each workout is training in the right zone to optimally improve your performance. Often, people's lack of results comes from not training hard enough, or very common with cardio runners is overtraining by running with too high of a heart rate on every workout.

What is important for your metabolism and race speed is the rate at which you burn calories not how many calories you burn. This is why walkers and people who run mile after mile seem to never achieve their results. The more calories you burn the more calories you need to eat to restore energy back to your muscles cells. It is challenging your muscles to burn more energy by going harder relative to your fitness level forces your metabolism to improve and than makes you fun faster and burn more fat. People after completing an interval workout burn more fat 24 hours after their workout than any other form of cardio or strength exercise.

Though the interval workout is important it isn't the only workout that makes an effective 5k running program. Two other key workouts is a threshold workout and a long day. The threshold workout is a medium intensity workout that almost no person does. The reason why is people can always go harder and there is this myth that you have to push yourself in every work to your max. The other reason is people go on their slow steady pace never picking up the pace for a shorter run. An optimal threshold workout is between 15-30 min. If you can last longer than 30 min. you should run faster. When you run at your threshold level you are at the max at what your aerobic metabolism can burn for energy. When you go harder your anaerobic metabolism is kicked in to produce the needed extra energy. A threshold workout trains your body to burn energy the most effectively utilizing oxygen. It is the best workout for creating a good race pace.

The long day is the last workout you need every week in your 5k training program. Having running session that go for slower speeds and longer durations trains your body to burn fat and increases effectiveness of burning energy while running. You only need to do one long day a week and spending hours doing cardio during every workout may be a key reason why you are no longer seeing results.

To truly see your results you want a program that creates a personal heart rate profile. The charts on most treadmills are not accurate and the doctors who came up with the charts admit they made them up as a best guess for insurance companies and were never supposed to use as training heart rates. The other major key as you continue to run is a 5k program that uses specific and multiple threshold and interval workouts. The workout that worked for the first month won't work for the second as your body needs a new stimulus. With proper heart rate profiles you will be running your first or fastest 5k in no time.


Find personal trainer fitness and nutrition information you are seaching for at LiveLeanToday.com. LiveLeanToday.com has a full library of diet, exercise, and supplement information.

Friday, June 29, 2007

What to know before you hire a personal trainer

Once you have made the decision you want to lose weight or get back into shape, you then decide to hire a personal trainer. If you have ever been to the gym then you know how different each trainer can be. I am going to list an on going series of posts looking at different things to look for in hiring a personal trainer.

The first thing is what they are going to do with you towards your goals. What I mean is the average personal trainer only work weight lifting with most clients. Unless, you want to be a bodybuilder than there is more to a successful fitness plan than lifting weights.

If you goal is to lose weight than one thing to know that heart rate interval training is the most effective way to lose weight. This isn't using the charts on the treadmill. I would make sure your trainer understand how to do effective cardio. A good personal trainer who truly understands how to achieve weight loss results will do cardio with during your session and it isn't an after thought once the weight training is done.

I look for this knowledge which seperates almost every trainer in the gym. There probably is only one or no trainers in a gym that understand how to do effective cardio. It is considered the biggest gap in the personal trainer industry. This also what I would look for in an online personal trainer.