Understanding Interval Training

Interval training involves a precision workout that combines intense, but brief, bursts of activity with less intense physical measures. The idea is to blend an aerobic and anaerobic workout into a single training session with a personal trainer in Jackson to maximize overall metabolic demands.

Let’s say a runner does great at 4 miles per hour on a treadmill, but starts to tire at 5 mph. An interval session might include a normal warm up period, several minutes of that runner working out at 4 mph and then a minute or two at 5 mph before the workout goes back down to the 4 mph range.

Essentially, an interval workout pushes the body farther, but not for extended periods of time. A short, but effective sprint in the case of the runner can maximize workout time and increase metabolic requirements significantly.

Does It Work?

The simple reality is interval training does work and can produce a number of benefits. While that 4 mph run does burn calories and helps trim the body, that burst of energy expended during the one-minute run can increase the overall effectiveness of the same amount of workout time without overextending the body in the process.

The benefits of interval training include:

• Decreased chance of injury – It’s okay to push the body to its limits or near them, but not for too long. Interval training sessions help reduce the chance of injury and undo wear and tear because the burst of energy in the extreme range is very short and occurs after a person is properly warmed up.
• More effective use of time – Where it might take 45 minutes to gain results running at a single pace, an interval training session with a personal trainer in Jackson can shave time off the routine. Basically, interval training makes for a more effective workout.
• Increases fat burning – Interval training sessions put the body to work in the fat-burning sense. Studies have shown that interval sessions improve efficiency of mitochondria. These are tiny cells that use oxygen to help create energy. This more efficient use of them can increase fat burning properties of a workout.  And your peak metabolism rates will stay elevated significantly longer than the lower intensity steady state training will.  That’s calories burned for hours after the workout!

Interval training is a great way to get a bigger bang out of your workout time. Before starting a program, however, it’s a good idea to make sure you work with a personal trainer or check with a personal trainer in Jackson at your gym for assistance. This type of workout isn’t for everyone and you want to make sure you are working out appropriately for your fitness level and goals.

Read even more articles on this and other related topics by a personal trainer in Jackson…

About the Author

Clint Barr is the owner of Raising The Barr Fitness, Ridgeland’s premier private and small group fitness training studio. If you’re ready to begin your fat loss journey please call 601-414-3536 right now to receive a complimentary nutrition and fitness consultation (valued at $87).

If you’re not yet ready for our free consultation offer, download our free report “The Truth About Weight Loss” where we reveal the secrets the weight loss and fitness industry don’t want you to know.

While regular trips to work with a Jackson personal trainer are always smart, there are some fun things you can work into your routine on off days, when you are away from home or just don’t have time to make the trip. Chances are if you talk to the pros at your fitness center, you’ll even find your club has lots of options to offer that you might not have even considered.

To vary your routine and increase your enjoyment level, consider mixing up your aerobic exercise lineup with such things as:

• Cycling – Get a bicycle, a helmet and hit the open road. Stationary bikes do produce results, but the scenery can get boring fast! If you want to work cycling into your routine, it’s a great exercise that can even benefit your entire family. On off weather days, by all means, use the gym equipment. When the sun is shining, hit the open road for more enjoyment.
• Swimming – This is one of the best holistic cardiovascular activities going. Swimming works the heart and lungs while also toning the muscles. If you don’t have access to a pool at home or in your neighborhood, take advantage of your health club’s if one is available.
• Skiing – This is a great cardiovascular activity that can be a ton of fun, too. Cross country is the way to go to build up endurance and boost muscle tone and calorie-burning efforts. If it’s not possible to take the activity outdoors, cross country training machines are fun to mix into an overall cardio program. Check with your trainer for advice on getting started.
• Sports – There are many sports that can serve very well in place of more structured cardiovascular exercises. Tennis, basketball, football, boxing and even baseball are fun to play and they can most certainly add diversity to your workout routine.
• Dancing – Just get up and dance if you want to work your cardiovascular system and have some serious fun, too. Thirty or so minutes of moving to the beats of your favorite songs can really get your heart pumping and assist in cardiovascular conditioning.
• Taking a class – Aerobic classes, dance classes, Zumba and other organized activities can increase the fun of cardio exercise and even add to the camaraderie level. Check with your trainer to see what classes are offered at your club or keep your eyes open for fun activities offered at neighborhood recreation centers.

While exercise machines will get the job done, a successful exercise program is one that offers room for flexibility and fun. If you want to increase the variety in your program, talk to a Jackson personal trainer for other fun ideas to mix things up a bit.

Let’s face it!  You know this to be true.  Doing only crunches to reduce your waistline simply DOES NOT work.  So why do so many people still fall for the late night infomercial touting sexy abs by using their new and improved abdominal trainer, fat melting creme, or fat eliminating pill?  Answer: desperation, convenience… and a lack of complete understanding of how the body actually works.

Think about it… you didn’t gain the body fat you currently have in just a few short weeks.  And you definitely didn’t tell it where you wanted it to be distributed when you gained it.  The opposite is also true.  It’s not going to go away in just a few short weeks from doing crunches or using a thigh trainer, nor will the body just burn abdominal fat while leaving all the rest to be used up another time.  Your body distributes fat evenly over the body and it burns it off evenly over the entire body.  Now… you may have more body fat in one area over another, but that trouble area is not the only place you have body fat.

The key to burning large amounts of body fat is working all the major muscle groups with complex, multi joint movements in a total body resistance training routine to dramatically change and effect your metabolic rate.  Combined with a good, healthy supportive nutrition plan and high intensity interval training cardio plan, total body resistance training done in this fashion will not only help improve the overall metabolic demand of the workout, but will also help build and maintain lean muscle tissue that will result in a higher resting metabolic rate (calories burned at rest).

Complex, multiple joint exercises are exercises that work more than one muscle group in the same movement.  In the video above, Drew demonstrates a squat press using resistance tubing which works the legs, glutes, abdominals, shoulders, and triceps.  That exercise is far more effective, and efficient, than working each of those muscle groups separately.  Supersetting that exercise with the pushup jackknife exercise and alternating each of them in a circuit fashion will help you complete a workout in far less time as well.

So, get up off those machines in the gym that isolate each body part and start exercising more effectively, more efficiently and more functionally!  If you need more help with designing your total body resistance training routine, request a consultation with a certified Jackson Personal Trainer today.

Cardiovascular exercise is essential for overall health and fitness, but just doing “cardio” alone as part of a weight loss program will NOT produce the fat loss that most individuals expect. Long term, your ability to burn calories at rest by just doing cardiovascular exercise for fat loss will be greatly decreased.

As a fitness professional I have worked in various fitness centers and witnessed hundreds of people spend countless hours on a treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike week in and week out, and never see any changes in their body composition. Why? Because cardiovascular exercise doesn’t do anything to build, or even maintain, lean muscle tissue which is a metabolically active tissue. In other words, by just doing “cardio” you will have essentially trained your metabolism to become slower.

Have you ever experienced a plateau effect in your weight loss? You work diligently for about four weeks and see some okay results. But as you continue over the course of several months you see less and less progress. Inevitably frustration sets in and you end up quitting all together. The problem is not that you weren’t working often enough, rather you were not forcing the body to adapt to any new form of stimulus. Over time the body adapts and becomes more efficient at performing tasks…that’s what we call “getting in shape.” So day in day out doing the same thing produces a smaller metabolic effect because the body is more efficient at performing the work.

Now, not only are you training the body to burn fewer calories at rest due to loss of muscle, but you are also preventing the body from being challenged to it’s maximum potential. Furthermore, in order to continue to see results from steady state cardiovascular exercise you have to either run/walk/bike faster OR longer. And unfortunately, there are not enough hours in the day. I think you will agree that spending more time exercising is not exactly what you had in mind when you set out to reach your health and fitness goals.

Quite the contrary. So instead of committing several hours a day to the same old boring “cardio” routine, incorporate the following to maximize the amount of body fat you want to lose:

• Cross Training – use different kinds of stimulus for your cardiovascular conditioning days that will continue to challenge your energy system to produce maximum results.  Incorporate running/jogging, biking, swimming, playing basketball/volleyball, etc.  This will prevent your body from becoming accustomed to any one type of training stimulus
• Resisitance/Strength Training – you absolutely must perform exercises that will challenge the muscle so you can build, or maintain, lean muscle tissue.  This becomes even more important as we age and our metabolism slows down.  Remember, one pound of muscle can burn up to 50 calories per day at rest.  Whether you’re male or female it’s essential to your overall fitness and weight loss goals.  You can even do resistance training in a way that is highly beneficial to your overall cardiovascular health.
• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – performing high intensity bursts of maximal effort exercise followed by periods of rest cycled over and over has been shown to be the most effective form of cardiovascular conditioning for weight loss, and more importantly fat loss.  You’ll get maximum calorie burn, and what’s better is that it takes half the time!

It’s not about the amount of calories you burn during a workout…far from it.  You have to focus on what effect the workout has on your overall metabolic rate for several hours after the workout.  Research shows that combining high intensity resistance training with HIIT produces a very high metabolic demand where the metabolism operates at peak levels for up to 4-6 hours after the workout and doesn’t return to resting levels for up to 36 hours.  I’ll tell ya…working hard for 30-40 minutes a few times per week and seeing incredible results sure does sound better than busting my tail everyday for 60-90 minutes to accomplish far less results.

When planning your workouts, assess your goals and determine how much time you are willing to commit to your exercise program.  If you’re like most of us, including me, than time is usually a factor so make the most of it!  If you need help determining what kind of program is right for you just click here to request your fitness and nutrition consultation with a certified Jackson personal trainer today!

To your health and continued success,

Clint Barr

Fiction!  “Dieting” will not eliminate body fat.  In fact, long term it will do just the opposite.  Let me explain…

The term “dieting” that I am referring to here is what most individuals call it when they say they are “on a diet.”  I’m referring to restrictive calorie dieting.  This is where you calculate the number of calories you are currently taking in on a daily basis and drastically reduce that amount to produce your desired weight loss goal.  You will initially lose weight implementing this strategy, but unfortunately it’s the wrong kind of body weight.

You see… the body cannot decipher between intentional calorie deprivation and starvation.  Rather than the body adapting to make up for the lower calorie intake by burning fat, it will actually slow the metabolic rate (the rate at which we use energy) and hoard any calories that are being ingested to store as fat to ensure survival.  Due to the lower caloric intake causing the body to hoard and store the calories taken in, the body needs alternative fuel sources and adapts by breaking down muscle tissue for immediate energy.

The overall effect of this is a slower metabolic rate because muscle is a metabolically active tissue.  Lean muscle tissue burns up to 50 calories per pound at rest each day.  If you were to add, and maintain, just two pounds of lean muscle in the course of a year, that would be the equivalent of ten (10) pounds of body fat in calories.  So, by restricting your diet it will effectively cause you to burn fewer calories at rest, making it harder for you to maintain a lean body weight.

Not only that, but because you are taking in less fuel for your body, you will become lethargic and lack energy.  Energy that you need to have effective metabolic enhancing workouts, and energy that you need to stay active. It’s a formula for failure, and one that many try to implement all to often.

The lower energy levels also lead to uncontrollable cravings.  The body senses that you need energy so it relays messages to the brain that you need high energy dense foods and fast absorbing foods.  Therefore, fats and sweets become foods that you crave.  This adds to the body’s natural hormone response to store these calories as fat.

So what do you do if you’re not supposed to “diet”?

Remember, the use of the word “diet” in this article refers to restrictive calorie dieting.  Diet by definition is simply the food you eat on a daily basis.  In order to lose body fat you need to combine an effective exercise regimen, including resistance training, with a supportive nutrition plan that will produce a positive change in your body composition.  But for time sake, let’s cover some simple and effective tactics you can start applying to your diet right now to see results…

1) Increase meal frequency – in simplest terms, eat more often.  Studies have shown that eating 5-6 small meals each day is the most effective method for producing a lower body fat composition.  By eating every couple of hours you are preventing your blood sugar from dropping below levels that cause you to crave high energy dense foods (refined sugars and fats).  You also prevent yourself from overeating at each of those meals because you’re not as hungry due to the fact that you ate just a few hours earlier.  So, you’ll not only eat fewer calories at each meal, but it will be much easier to avoid the foods that are primarily stored as fat rather than used for energy.

2) Drink a lot of water – dehydration can slow your body’s metabolic rate by as much as 50%, making it difficult for you to burn significant calories at rest.  Water is calorie free and can make you feel more full as well.  Make sure you are drinking water throughout the day and especially when exercising.  To know whether or not you are drinking enough water, simply monitor your urine color.  The more concentrated (dark) your urine, the more dehydrated you are.  Conversely, the more diluted (clear) your urine, the more hydrated you are.

3) Eat Your Vegetables – research shows that individuals who consume vegetables regularly each day are significantly leaner than individuals who do not consume vegetables regularly each day.  The reason is because most vegetables are low energy dense foods with a high nutrient value.  Example: 2 cups of steamed broccoli is just 87 calories.  In contrast, just one glazed donut can be as high as 350 calories.  Moreover, the donut is composed of simple, refined carbohydrates that break down quickly and don’t sustain you for very long.  Broccoli is a complex, fibrous carbohydrate that takes significantly more time, and more energy, to be broken down by the body.

You don’t have to restrict your calories and starve yourself to get the lean, tone body that you’ve always wanted.  Quite the contrary.  Eat healthier foods more often and combine that with a structured exercise regimen that includes resistance training, and your goals can be achieved.

If after reading this you are still struggling to connect all the dots, you can (and should) seek help.  Reach out to us, that’s why we’re here.  Submit your questions in the comments section below and we’ll gladly respond as soon as we possibly can.  And feel free to request a no obligation health and fitness consultation.  You can also pick up a copy of our “True Success: Nutrition for FAST Fat Loss” DVD by clicking on the banner at the top right hand corner of this page.

To your success,

Clint Barr

If it’s your goal to increase muscle tone and strength, but not necessarily bulk up like a bodybuilder, there are tons of options at your disposal that do not call for barbells and dumbbells. When you work with a trainer or other professionals at your health club, chances are you will find it is easy to work some variety into your strength training routine.

When it’s time to set aside the weights for a while, you might want to consider such things as:

• Pilates – Take a class or get a video that shows you the ins and outs of a pilates program. This type of exercise routine involves gentle resistance training that focuses on building flexibility and core strength. While it might not result in pumped biceps, it can help you tone muscles and boost overall strength. Plus, it’s a fun alternative to sitting on the bench!
• Water aerobics – This is an unusual exercise routine that blends a bit of cardio along with some strength training. As you work through aerobic routines, the water adds resistance to your movements. This, in turn, helps with muscle development and toning.
• Swimming – Just plain old swimming can help with strength training courtesy of that resistance just mentioned. Mix in a few laps a week to help with toning and strengthening. This activity does tend to impact most major muscle groups, so it provides a fun and refreshing change of pace away from those standard weights.
• Yoga – Take a yoga class if you want to add an interesting twist to your strength training routine. This ancient art does involve muscle toning movements along with intense flexibility training. It’s a unique and fun way to address health through mind, body and spirit.
• Boxing or kickboxing – This particular sport strikes a nice balance between endurance and strength training. Kickboxing classes can be particularly fun if you are tired of typical routines. If your health club or gym doesn’t offer these classes, check with your trainer on how you might work this activity into your program.
• Kettlebells – Although similar to weights, this type of training can mix things up while also helping to improve endurance and flexibility. Kettlebells are fairly cheap to buy and they can offer adjustable weights so they grow with you as your body strengthens.

Strength training doesn’t have to call for chaining yourself to a weight bench. There are a variety of ways to mix things up and still realize some incredible results. If you’re ready to add fun to your routine, talk to your trainer about incorporating unusual and enjoyable activities into your routine.

]]> http://bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com/fun-strength-training-ideas/feed/ 0 http://bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com/the-benefits-of-whole-and-organic-foods/ http://bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com/the-benefits-of-whole-and-organic-foods/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:41:41 +0000 Clint Barr http://bestjacksonpersonaltrainer.com/?p=535 If you’re working on losing weight and getting into shape, chances are you’ve heard a great deal about the need to eat right. After all, a balanced, low-fat diet that is calorie controlled is an essential component in any well-rounded weight loss plan. While you may need to reduce overall calorie consumption to shed pounds, you also want to think about making the foods you do eat count for more. This is where whole and organic foods can come into play.

Jackson personal trainers here at Raising The Barr Fitness, as well as other fitness professionals, will often recommend the consumption of whole foods and organic products to our clients. The reasons for this are not because they are trendy and fashionable. The reality is both types of food tend to be a lot better at fueling the body with the nutrients it needs without cluttering the system with unwanted junk.

If your trainer has recommended incorporating whole and organic foods into your diet, you need to know how to spot these items. They are not always one in the same.

A Look At Organic Foods

Organic foods are simply those that are grown or produced without the use of chemicals. This means harsh fertilizers, chemical pesticides and even growth hormones are not used in the production of fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products that bear organic labels.

Organic foods can cost more than conventionally produced products, but many people feel the increase in price is well worth the benefits. While studies have shown that organic foods do not necessarily contain more nutrients than conventionally produced items, they are free of chemical residues and unwanted hormone levels. Although these things have been proven “safe” for human consumption by government agencies, many people worry about the cumulative, long-term effects of consuming food even with trace amount of chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Finding organically grown foods is not difficult. Just look for organic labels in regular grocery stores or shop at organic or whole food markets.

Whole Foods Are A Little Different

Whole foods are those that undergo no or very little processing prior to their sale. While many whole foods are organic, as well, this is not a requirement for a food to be considered whole.

Whole foods include a variety of standard fare, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Other options include whole grains, unprocessed meat and milk that are not homogenized.

There are a number of benefits to consuming whole foods. This type of food product will not have added salt, sugar, fat or preservatives. This means there is nothing in the way of enjoying the full benefits of the food’s natural nutrients. Essentially, whole foods provide all the nutritional perks without any of the downsides of additives.

If your trainer has recommended incorporating organic and whole foods into your routine, you will find options on both fronts are readily available. They can give you an edge on weight loss by providing you with the nutrients you need, without the additives and chemicals you don’t.

Can you resist and put yourself on a healthier path? You bet you can! These tricks and tips can help you navigate around temptations:

• Make your home a haven – It’s probably not feasible to put yourself out of the path of temptations all the time. You can, however, give yourself one “safe place” where sweets and other treats are not found in abundance. Get rid of the junk food in your own home by giving it away or tossing it out.
• Change cooking habits – Eating right doesn’t mean having to give up on flavor. When you opt to grill, broil, boil or bake your favorite foods instead of frying them, you can make a big difference in your eating habits. Replace heavy sauces and tons of butter with spices and healthy side dishes. Be creative on this front and you are likely to find making good food choices tastes quite good.
• Don’t skip meals – Skipping meals and even planned snacks is bad for your metabolism. It can also make you so hungry at mealtime that you’ll be more likely to select faster, less healthy choices. Eat throughout the day and your hunger level won’t get out of control.
• Order wisely – Even if you have to eat out, try to look for healthier choices on a menu. Even fast-food restaurants do offer alternatives to fried, calorie-laden foods on their menus.
• Stock up on healthy snacks – Replace those bags of chips and chocolate bars with healthier snacks. Fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat yogurt and other options can fuel your body and satisfy cravings, too.
• Cut out sugary drinks – Don’t overlook the need to stop drinking sugary sodas or juices when losing weight is the plan. Opt for lower-calorie choices and your body will thank you for it.  Water is always the best option.  Feel free to add lemons or cucumbers to make it a bit more palatable.
• Think before you eat – Before popping a doughnut or other unhealthy choice into your mouth, stop and think. It’s also a very good idea to read labels when shopping to make sure you know exactly what you are buying and putting into your body.

Making healthy food choices isn’t easy, but it can quickly become a habit. Be creative in your food choices, vary your menu plans and seek advice from your trainer and you are likely to find that eating healthy never tasted better. Changing lifestyle choices doesn’t mean giving up on flavor or going hungry.

And more so than that are all the little things in life that I find simple enjoyment in… my family, my exercise, time with my dogs, my quiet time in the morning with devotional in hand and heart steeped in prayer.  Those are the things I can lose sight of when I get caught up in the world that is rushing to and fro around me.

Last night I got home early (well earlier than I normally do) and for the first time in months I put on my running shoes and decided to go for a run.  It hadn’t been since before my hip surgery almost 11 months ago that I’d been on the road…alone…with iPod in ear and nothing to think about.  I felt a little awkward on my first couple strides.  Literally had to re-train myself how to jog, but before I knew it I was striding smoothly and consistently with a nice rhythmical cadence.

At first I felt invigorated.  I was moving at a relatively fast quip, but my time away from running on the road soon became apparent.  About a mile into it I started to struggle and my pace dropped off dramatically.  I was considering just walking the rest of the way back to the house, but I decided to press on.  I didn’t like the song that was playing on my iPod so I started surfing through the songs.

I landed on one of my favorite Mercy Me songs…”Sanctified”.  It’s such a powerful song that speaks an even more powerful truth.  As I was crossing an intersection in my neighborhood the song was building to it’s crescendo.  The music, gradually building in intensity, comes to a pause when Bart Millard (lead singer) sings the following: “Sanctified….I have been set free!”  The instrumental comes blaring back right at the point of ‘I have been set free’.  Powerful.

At that moment I could feel my spirit lifted, and it was as if my feet were not even touching the ground.  I felt a rush of warmth come over me and all I could do was smile.  A BIG smile!  The car that drove past me at that moment was probably wondering what was wrong with me…I mean, how can anybody enjoy running enough that it makes them smile?  Well, I’ll tell you I wasn’t smiling because I was running.  I was smiling because of who I was running with.

Wait a minute Clint…weren’t you running alone??

True.  I did start out on my run alone, but at that moment someone joined me…actually he’d been there the whole time.  GOD.  His Spirit came over me right there, right when I was about to “cash it in”.  He met me right at that moment and reminded me that He is always with me.  Sometimes we just have to step away from the world we get caught up in so we are aware of His presence.  After all, our time here in this world is merely a vapor in the wind…a wave tossed in the ocean.  Just a “blip” on the radar.  In the grand scheme of things, and I need to be reminded of this as much as anybody, circumstances in our every day lives are an even smaller speck on the map of time.  That project that seems so crucial… it can take one more day.  And you know what… work will be there tomorrow.

The rest of the run was a breeze.  Heck… I could have probably kept going, but my hip would not be happy with me today if I had.  I’m gonna go for another run tonight, and probably the night after that.  And I don’t expect to have the same experience every time, although that would be nice.  I know that when I take the time to “shake off” everything the world throws at me… I feel better, I act better, and I love better.  That is all the reason I need.

I hope you find that ‘something’ that lifts your spirit.  And I would love to hear your comments about that, or this post.

God bless,

Clint Barr

- Blueberries have been shown to shield the brain from stress, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.   Research has also shown that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills.  They go great with a steamy, hot bowl of oatmeal too!

- Avocados contribute to healthy blood flow and decreased blood pressure, lessening the chances of developing hypertension, which can lead to a stroke.

- Deep-water fish, such as salmon, is abundant in omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are essential for healthy brain function.  Plus, research shows that individuals who consume fish are have 9% less body fat than those who don’t eat fish regularly.

- Nuts and seeds are good sources of vitamin E, an important vitamin needed by your brain to stave off declining cognitive functions. Cashews, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower and sesame seeds and almonds are all great choices.

- Whole-grain breads, brown rice, and oatmeal also contribute to a healthy brain by reducing the risk for cardiac disease.  By promoting a healthy heart and improved blood flow, the brain is sure to thrive via excellent oxygen and nutrient delivery through the bloodstream.

Complex carbohydrates also supply the brain with a steady stream of glucose that enhances brain function. It’s important to avoid simple carbohydrates often found in junk food because the glucose gives the brain a short-lived sugar high, often followed by a crash that makes you feel hungry and tired.

- Freshly brewed tea also has potent antioxidants, especially the class known as catechines, which also promotes healthy blood flow. Since black teas do contain caffeine it’s important to use it sensibly.

- Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties, contains several natural stimulants, which enhance focus and concentration, and encourages the production of endorphins, which helps improve mood. Again, moderation is the key.