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Nick Faldo
Nicholas Alexander also known as Nick Faldo was born on July 18,
1957 is considered to be undoubtedly the best and the most
successful European golfer ever with over 42 titles to his
credit. Nick always demonstrated a natural aptitude for...
Oakland Raiders Finding his ways to lose.
Oakland Raiders finding the ways to lose
By Alfred Johnson
Another series of bad breaks that doomed Oakland, the NFL
Raiders began to make a habit of losing games. Losing 9 to 7 to
the NFL Browns and jumping ahead 7-0 near the end of...
The Greatest Golf Swing Secret In The World Will Not Work Without This
Golfers are constantly looking for the single golf swing secret that will revolutionize their game. This is precisely how modern life is, we are constantly looking for the single key secret to unlock the various obstacles and hindrances that...
The importance of creatine in building lean muscle
Creatine monohydrate can rightly lay claim to being the most popular and arguably most effective bodybuilding supplement currently available. The beauty of creatine is that it is 100% natural and occurs in many foods so it's unlikely to be banned...
Why is the Core Important to Golf?
Introduction
The core is the "center of the body" and is a key component for many activities the body performs. A quick review of the core region will indicate: 1) there are a vast number of muscles incorporated in this section of the body and 2)...
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Slimming the Waist - Article 2 of 3: Cardio
Slimming the Waist: Article 2 of 3 - Cardio
By Ben Greenfield
If you're performing the ab workout I outlined in Article 1 of this series, or any other ab routine, it's not going to slim your waist unless you also burn off the fat. Remember, a combination of three factors is necessary: a sound workout, smart cardio, and good nutrition. In Part II of this series, I'm going to explain how to choose the proper cardio workout structure for burning the most amount of calories and burning the proper ratio of carbohydrates and fat.
When it comes to cardio, the question I probably receive most is: long and slow or short and fast? This question actually reflects the most important concept behind a good cardio routine. The truth is, it depends. Let's begin by looking at total amount of calories burnt.
Say I ask you to travel a mile on foot. I don't care how you do it - walk, jog, or run. Many exercise professionals will tell you that you'll burn the same number of calories any way you do it, as long as you're covering the same distance. This is simply not true. Studies have shown that the faster you cover that distance, the more calories you burn, period. There is a higher metabolic cost to moving quickly than to moving slowly. So you're going to burn the most calories by pedaling, running, rowing, swimming, or doing any other cardio you do as fast as possible. The added bonus is that the faster you move, the higher your post-exercise metabolism becomes, meaning that you burn more calories throughout the day after your workout than if you had moved at a slower pace.
Here's the catch - the faster you "move" across that mile, the more you rely on carbohydrates for energy, and the less you rely on fat. Although burning carbohydrates is beneficial, your body should also be learning how to efficiently use fat as an energy source. The "fat-burning" zone varies from person to person, but a good rule is that when breathing becomes labored or the muscles begin to burn, you've crossed the threshold to utilizing carbohydrate as a primary energy source. The basic science behind this is that it takes more oxygen to burn 1 calorie from fat than it takes to burn 1 calorie from carbohydrate, so as your body begins to work harder and get lower on oxygen, it turns more to carbohydrate as an energy source.
So here's the application part. If you
are pressed for time in your workout, go short and fast (i.e. 10-20 minutes, at an intensity level of 8-10). You will burn more calories, both in your workout and throughout the rest of the day. Ideally, however, if you have the time, you should also be incorporating long and slow cardio workouts into your routine (i.e. 20-60 minutes, at an intensity level of 6-8), essentially "training" your body to burn fat as a fuel. Often, I have my clients work in both zones by performing their short and hard cardio efforts prior to weight training on their "difficult" days, then performing their slow and long cardio efforts on their "easy" days. The added bonus is that the slow and long cardio efforts allow the body to recover more quickly from the previous day's difficult efforts, which means better results.
Let's finish with a sample workout that will keep you in both zones during the same workout. This is an "interval" routine. Here's how it works:
5 minute graded warm-up, gradually working up to a hard intensity by minute 5
1 minute hard-fast effort (labored breathing)
2 minutes easy-medium effort (conversation possible)
2 minutes hard-fast effort
1 minute easy-medium effort
repeat 1x
3 minutes hard-fast effort
3 minutes easy-medium effort
4 minutes hard-fast effort
4 minutes easy-medium effort
repeat 1x
5 minute cool-down, gradually working down to a very easy effort by minute 5.
If you sign-up to work more extensively with an online trainer at www.pacificfit.net, you can receive a series of workouts that include pre-written cardio intervals similar to the one above, along with a comprehensive resistance training routine and nutritional plan.
Congratulations, you're yet another step closer to slimming the waist. Next time, I'll be giving you five simple nutritional rules to make your body a fat-burning machine. Until then, train smart!
Ben
About the Author
Ben Greenfield holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 5 years, Ben has coached and trained professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes achieve their personal fitness goals. You can train with Ben at www.pacificfit.net.
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