Adaptations To Sprint Training

August 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Vince DelMonte

If you are looking to improve your physical conditioning, sprint training is one of the best ways to go about doing so.

Many individuals prefer sprint training because it takes a lot less time than traditional forms of cardio that have you going for thirty to sixty minutes at a time and there are a great number of benefits that will be seen when you do this more intense form of sprint training workout.

EPOC

One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from sprinting is the EPOC effects it creates. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and is where the body will expend a great deal of calories returning the body back to its former state after the workout.

Because sprint training is so intense, this will contribute to a large calorie burn after you have finished the workout. To even further increase the EPOC that is seen, consider doing hill sprint training. Since this is even more intense in nature, it will further challenge your body.

Metabolic Adaptations

Next, when you perform a number of sprint training workouts, the body will upregulate its ability to produce enzymes that are going to work at increasing the storage capacity of the muscle for energy substrates such as ATP.

This then has the corresponding effect of allowing you to work out harder for a longer period of time without fatigue setting in. Note though that this occurs when you are working more on the aerobic side of things, so while it is intense, you are still utilizing oxygen.

If no oxygen is present, you will only be able to last 5-20 seconds, regardless of how well conditioned you are (the better condition you are though, the harder you will be able to work during that time).

Phosphate Metabolism

The next benefit you’ll get with sprint training is its effect on phosphate metabolism. Phosphate creatine stores comprise a major component of the body’s fuel source for muscular activity, so anything you can do to increase this is going to be beneficial.

Myokinase is an enzyme that is responsible for resynthesizing the energy from phosphate creatine, and with sprint training, it will increase its concentration within the muscle tissue by up to 20%.

Glycolysis

The next adaptation that will occur after you’ve been doing sprint training for a period of time is that of glycolysis. This is the primary form of metabolism used during a 10 second all out sprint and contributes between 55 and 75% towards energy production during exercise.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK), an enzyme that catalyses the phosphorylation of the glycolytic intermediate fructose 6-phosphate), has also been shown to increase when sprint training is performed, along with the enzymes of lactate dehydrogenase and glycogen phosphorylase (other enzymes responsible for the glycolysis system).

Intramuscular Buffering Capacity

Finally, the last adaptation that’s seen with sprint training is the buffering capacity of the muscle. During glycoglysis, various byproducts are created such as lactic acid, and when these accumulate, it causes the extreme feelings of fatigue in the muscle tissues.

This then forces you to stop exercising as the fatigue sets in and often will be the end of your workout.

Overtime, sprint training will increase your ability to buffer these byproducts so that you can then workout for a longer period of time while maintaining that intensity.

So, next time you’re debating about whether to do a sprint training session or a moderate paced cardio session lasting for 40 minutes or so, opt for the sprint session.

The benefits you’ll receive are far more numerous and fat loss will be kicked up a notch as an added benefit. Keep in mind that for these type of benefits to occur, you want your sprints to last somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 seconds to 40 seconds, with a work to rest ration of about 1:2. Repeat this process a total of 6 to 8 times and begin and end with a five minute warm-up and cool-down.

About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found at http://www.YourSixPackQuest.com

He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get six pack abs without gimmicks, supplements or dieting.

Lose Belly Fat - How To Lose Belly Fat

August 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

By Vince DelMonte

vince

Almost everyone wants to lose some excess fat on their body somewhere. For the vast majority, they’re looking to lose belly fat and they want to lose belly fat fast! Whether you want to admit it or not, most of us spend far too many months of the year overeating and then scramble at the first sign of warm weather in order to remove what’s accumulated over the time. Unfortunately, if you’re trying to learn how to lose belly fat, it’s not exactly a quick fix.

The problem most individuals run into is they overlook how difficult it can be to lose belly fat off their body. If the truth be told, a fat belly is probably one of the hardest areas to successfully remove because it’s made up what is known as ’stubborn’ fat.

You’re body is actually physiologically slightly different when it comes to fat around the abdominal region. What’s the reason for this? Primarily, it’s the first place we tend to store fat and where body fat is needed for protection the most - to protect the organs and internal structures.

As such, your fat belly is going to do everything it can to hold onto it. Not a good situation in your quest to lose belly fat.

In order to outsmart this, you’re going to have to work really hard. That’s not to say it can’t be done - it most certainly can, you just have to have realistic expectations about the time line you will achieve this goal over and how much effort you’ll have to put in.

First things first, lets talk about exercise to lose belly fat. First, hit the weights. When lifting, be sure you are lifting as heavy as you possibly can, as this is what will ramp up your metabolism the highest. You want to shoot for the 6-10 rep range, as this is most appropriate for metabolic effects.

Second, get that cardio up there. Don’t do hours on end though, focus on doing sprints. In fact, better yet is to sprint first, then do more steady state cardio afterwards. This will help to release the fatty acids from the tissue (mobilize them) and then burn them off during the steady state cardio. This type of set-up can be far more effective at getting that stubborn fat off your body than doing a typical cardio session is.

Lastly, check over that belly fat diet. Too many fat or carbohydrates calories will slow your progress, while protein, generally speaking will help due to the fact the body burns more calories just digesting it.

This can be taken too far though - there is no need to exceed 1.5 grams per pound of body weight, but keeping it up around that level is your best approach. Then, fill in the remainder of your calories with carbohydrates around the workout period and fat during the other times.

As long as you are patient with the process and continually push yourself in the gym, there is no reason why within time, you can’t be sporting your own set of six-pack abs.

About the Author:

vince

Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found at http://www.YourSixPackQuest.com

He specializes in helping decipher the truths and myths about all the supplements such as hoodia that are marketed for helping you achieve a six pack.

Do You Need Weights For Strength Fitness Training

April 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

When most people think of strength fitness training, they usually picture heavily muscled men lifting bars with numerous weight plates on them. These men, with their bulging muscles and veins sticking out everywhere, are nowhere near where most people want to be. Most people don’t want to strength fitness train to win bodybuilding championships. They don’t want to be able to lift cars or win strong man competitions. They simply want to get in shape. They want to gain a little muscle so that their clothes fit right and so that they look more attractive to the opposite sex. There’s nothing wrong with that. Do you need to lift heavy weights in order to strength fitness train correctly? Absolutely not.

Body Weight Exercises

The truth is, you can get a great full body strength fitness training workout using nothing but your own body weight. That’s right. By doing certain exercises, you can build a great frame and muscle base that will impress those you’re trying to attract and you’ll feel great about yourself. What are these exercises and how do you do them? First, you need to learn about the various muscles in your body, how they work, and how to work them out. After that, you simply design a strength fitness training program that you can do three times per week for a great workout that will cause people’s heads to turn when they see you walking down the street.

The Exercises

Some examples of body weight exercises include pushups, pushups between chairs, feet elevated pushups, squats, calf raises, seated calf raises, pull ups, tricep pushups and more. The exercises are very easy to do and you can complete a full body strength fitness training program in as little as thirty minutes. However, don’t stop there if you want to have the ultimate physique.

Don’t Forget Cardio

You should always include a cardio exercise with any strength fitness training program. Running, walking and swimming are great cardio workouts that anyone, of any age, can do. Cardio will not only help you gain more muscle and get in better shape, but it will also help you shed body fat which will make your muscles appear fuller and bigger. Whether you’re training purely for strength or you just want to look better, you can get a great workout just by using your body weight. Just remember to also eat correctly or all your hard work will be for nothing.

About the Author

Britney Smith is an internet marketer full time and she writes in various topics , learn more about Health Fitness Exercise Website here : http://muscleshape.info/

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