The Fastest Way to Lose Fat- Sprinting!!

Sprinting 1  Sprinting 2

 

 

So you are getting yourself fit, going to the gym and starting to eat more healthily but just don’t seem able to burn off those last couple of inches of fat. Well here is a surefire way to do it. It’s not easy and can be hard work but it is quick, both in terms of time taken and results.

Firstly let me ask you a question. How many fat and/or skinny sprinters have you seen? In fact would you agree with me that most sprinters or explosive short distance runners , both male and female, tend to have bodies we would all die for. They are muscular, lean and generally just RIPPED!

That isn’t a coincidence, its entirely down to the type of training and exercise they do. Sprinting overloads many of the muscles in the body and sends your metabolism and production of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) into overdrive. All of these factors combine to burn calories and help you shed fat at a ferocious rate.

That all sounds great, but “What do i need to do?” you ask. It really couldn’t be any simpler. Pull on your trainers, tie up your laces and Sprint! Seriously, you can do it anywhere. The road outside your house, your local park, the car park at your Gym, school playground etc.

Here is what i would recommend. Measure out a distance of only 40-60 metres. Sprint at about 90% of your capacity for that distance then turn around and walk back to the start. Depending on your level of fitness repeat it 5-12 times. That’s it, job done. It may take 10 minutes at most. Do it two or three times a week and watch as the fat melts away. In fact take a look at this video Here by Jeff Cavaliere that explains things perfectly. I make no secret of the fact that I pretty much stole the concept of this blog post from him, but the secret of health and fitness is applying the knowledge that you gain from a variety of sources.

The great thing about this is that it applies to all ages, abilities and fitness levels. It isn’t a race. It is about pushing yourself hard and overloading your body. A quick word of warning. Don’t go straight into this unless you have done a few weeks of fitness work first and especially with a little focus on your legs and hamstrings. If you just go out and sprint flat out having done nothing for 2 years you may tear a muscle and you definitely won’t burn fat sitting on the sofa waiting for your injury to heal. In fact I would suggest that the first 3 or 4 times you do this just run at about 60% capacity, a fast trot. It will still work, still burn some fat but will also allow your body to acclimatise.

I know that a lot of people don’t like running but just 10 minutes 2 or 3 times a week will make the world of difference to your cardiovascular fitness, heart, lungs and best of all will melt away the spare inches that you want to lose and reveal those hard worked for muscles.

Take Care,

John

 

Todays Training – Back & Legs….Sort of!

Back TrainingSo here’s today’s training diary or log. I’ve spoken a few times about being flexible and able to change your plans at short notice. Today was a prime example. I had about 70 minutes and thought i could fit in a really good back and leg session + some cardio. As i got to the Gym i bumped into someone i used to work with and hadn’t seen for about 4 years. He kept me chatting for about 20 minutes. It was good to see him but my workout plans were blown. However it turned into a positive as i decided to really blast my back and finish with an intense HiiT style weighted circuit focusing on legs at the end. Here is the workout.

Deadlift: 1 x 8 warmup set @70kg, 2 x 5 @100kg, 2 x 3 at 110kg, 2 x 8 at 70kg. For me doing reps at 110kg is a big step up (i know it won’t be for some of you who smash that sort of weight) so i was delighted with that, although I’m a bit concerned as my lower/middle back is still shaking.

Then the Lat pulldown machine. 3 sets of 8 @ 50kg, 55kg and 60kg. Then across to a cable machine, fitted a straight handle and did 3 sets of straight arm lat pulldowns in front of the body. This is similar to a tricep pushdown but keep your arms straight oin front and squeeze down with your lats 3 x 8 at 40kg, 50kg and 55kg.

Then the cable seated row. 1 x 10 @50kg 2 x 10@60kg and 1 x 10 at 65kg.

I tried to finish by doing some wide grip pull ups but to be honest both my grip and my back had gone so managed a measly 4 sets of 3 and even then it was more like 2 and a bit on the last set.

Then onto the circuit. I wanted to focus on legs as i hadn’t done the session i wanted, but also wanted to incorporate some metabolic/cardio training and some abs. This was the circuit.

I grabbed 2 12kg kettle bells as extra’s and did the following, no rest between exercises.

12 squats (weight in each hand by my side), 12 Press ups, 12 reverse lunges (6 each side), 25 jumping jacks, 45 second plank, 12 alternate touch your ankle straight leg v sits, 12 goblet squats (with just one of the 12kg weights). Then rested for approx. 1 minute and repeated twice more for a total of 3 sets. By the end i was blowing smoke out of my backside and my legs were throbbing. Given the limited time i was really pleased.

That’s it. Not sure when the next workout will be but I’ll keep you posted. By the way my back feels 2 hours after finishing training it might be a few days.

Take Care,

John

Ladies That Lift………or Not!

Lifing_Weights_What_Women_Think_Happens_What_Really_Happens_Meme

Why is it that so many ladies that want to get fit or lose weight run a mile when you suggest that they incorporate some weight training into their routine? You hear all sorts of excuses but the main one seems to be “i don’t do weights cos i don’t want to get too big or look manly”. At this point I haver to stifle a laugh. I lift weights at least three times a week and am continuously disappointed at my lack of progress in terms of building muscle so believe me girlies you just aint gonna get big and bulky just by throwing a few dumbbells around a couple of times a week.

It’s most likely that the few pictures you have seen of very muscular or bulky women are training their arses off 6 days a week, shifting poundages that a small elephant would be proud of and eating mountains of protein heavy food that would make the Man V Food guy turn white. Not only that but the really biggest ones are almost certainly on steroids or Human Growth Hormone.

I can’t say this with enough stress. Lifting some weights WILL NOT make you big and bulky.

So why I am I advocating that you SHOULD add some weights and resistance training into your programme. Well a few reasons really. Firstly Cardio does have its place and will help you a)get fitter and b) lose some weight. Cardio does burn calories and as part of an overall programme is great for your heart and overall fitness. However your body quickly adjusts to it and when it does adjust it starts to become less effective very quickly. Not only that but after a while it can start to burn not only calories but also muscle tissue (How many long distance runners have you seen with great figures?).

By contrast doing some resistance based weight training (It doesn’t have to be too heavy, don’t panic) will have a number of very positive effects. It will also burn calories just like cardio but if done in the right way and with some intensity and speed it will also light a fire under your bodies metabolism. What does that mean? Well with normal cardio you burn calories whilst you exercise but once you stop you almost immediately stop burning calories. With weight or resistance based intensity training you burn just as many calories but because of the muscular effort involved your metabolism lights up and your body actually continues to burn calories at a much higher rate for many hours afterwards. So when you are back on the sofa watching TV later that evening your body is still working hard shedding weight as a result of your earlier efforts, how cool is that. Metabolic training can be done in loads of ways and the variety is also fun and makes your training very enjoyable.

Another great effect of using weights is that it tones and shapes while you train. You won’t get hugely muscular arms but you WILL tone up your bat wings, get a more shapely butt, tone up your thighs, iron our some cellulite etc etc. ALL things that cardio alone just can’t do.

Finally shifting some weights now and then improves your over all strength. It makes your muscles, bones and joints stronger and more resilient. As we all get older that is key in preserving your mobility and physical health.

So ladies. Please don’t be afraid of or turn your nose up at picking up some heavy stuff now and then. It will do you the world of good, make your butt tighten up AND be far more effective at helping you lose weight than a boring hour on a cross trainer will.

If you have any questions please email and future posts will include more info on Matabolic training and weights for women.

Take Care,

John