 This great guest article sums up why the long, drawn out boring 2 hour cardio sessions are killing your fat burning potential. Just think this way. If you want a lean muscular physique like a cheetah, then why train like a hamster? Read on the for a fuller story. -Nate The Need For Speed: It's Time To Sprint For Your Six-Pack by Chris Ryan Close your eyes and imagine the Olympic 100m final: some of the most powerful men and women on the planet are blasting down the track. Their arms and legs are pumping and exploding like powerful pistons. Immense force is being generated on both sides of the body as it pulls and twists the spine and body back and forth. Sprint training involves high-intensity, all-out movement that engages your core muscles like no other exercise can in such a short duration."Whoaaaa….my core muscles have never been worked like that!?" This is the expression I usually hear from my clients after they go through one of their first sprint workouts. It's funny to see the surprise on their faces that their core, not their legs, get the brunt of the workout. Summer is approaching, and there is no better time to get your core engaged like never before. Who doesn't want to look shredded in their bikini or board shorts this Summer? It's time to get out of the gym and head to the track! Why is sprinting so good for your core? The best exercises have two things in common that determine muscle function and growth: degree of muscle activation and length of time that muscle is under tension. There is no exercise that generates more force in the abdominal musculature than sprinting, and therefore no exercise can mimic the developmental stimulus it provides. How is the body is able to stay ridged and upright under this immense pressure? The abdominal wall elicits tremendous degrees of force and pressure stabilization. A monumental effort takes place to engage the entire abdominal cavity and forces engagement and stabilization of the trunk and internal organs. This force is so powerful that even one 10-15 second sprint can induce massive muscular stimulus on the midsection. First and foremost it's sprinting, not jogging ladies and gentlemen The explosive power generated through sprinting can be done by anybody too. You just have to run at the maximum efforts your body can handle to fully engage your musculature. It may seem awkward at first to run so fast, but proficiency at high intensity sprinting comes the same as with any exercise: through proper training and coaching. Best of all, the workouts are short and fun! You will not be slogging through endless miles pounding the pavement, but rather getting in touch with your inner athlete. In doing so, you will engage all the major muscles in your body, such as the arms, legs and glutes - and of course the core. The Best Core Exercise in the World Needs to Burn Fat as well as Build Muscle There are a lot of people with super strong cores, but they have excess body fat covering up their "internal six pack." To be considered the best ab exercise in the world you need to do two things: build muscle and burn fat. Sprinting accomplishes both feats with flying colors! In addition, sprinting also gives the gift of EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), which basically means there is an acute elevation in energy used even after the exercise has stopped. EPOC causes a biochemical effect to burn excess fat stores to help your body recover from the performance surge you put it through propelling yourself down the track. Yes, sprinting is the gift that keeps on giving well after your workout is completed. 5 Tips to Get Started on Your Strongest Core Ever! 1. Warm-up well: jog for a few minutes followed by plyometric and mobility drills that include several sets of high knees, butt kickers, hip openers, strides to get up to race pace, etc; you NEVER want to sprint until you are properly warmed up and increasing the intensity SLOWLY is key with any sprint program. 2. Form is crucial: you sprint on your toes and balls of your feet, keep your arms bent at 90 degree angles at your sides (do not cross the body with your arms) while the hands reach levels between your shoulders and your eyes. Remember, your arms and legs are powerful pistons! 3. Push versus pull: your foot strike should push away from the ground from the hip (pushing backwards versus pulling from the front to the back). Many hamstrings have been pulled from not doing this properly. 4. Control your core: the core and low back should be engaged the entire time; do not collapse either one. Keep the chest upright and proud even in the forward lean as you hit your top speeds. 5. Run through the line: give yourself a good amount of room to finish and slow down properly. You never want to stop suddenly at the finish line. Glide through the finish and gradually slow up your muscles. More Information: To learn more about how to incorporate sprinting into your comprehensive fitness program click here and contact me today! I can design and deliver your customized fitness plan to have you leaner this summer and for many more to come Source: http://www.PopularArticles.com/article462803.html 
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-Nate Lewis US Sports Strength and Conditioning
Can you relate to this scenario? After putting it off for too long, you commit to get fit—only to find yourself injured the minute you start working out.
Can you relate to this scenario? After putting it off for too long, you commit to get fit—only to find yourself injured the minute you start working out.
All of the sudden your fitness goals go back on the shelf and you are left to deal with the pain.
Whether your injury occurs right off the bat or after years of regular workouts the result is always the same. It is discouraging, painful and downright depressing.
And since studies suggest that up to 38% of all exercisers suffer from an injury each year, it is a subject worth exploring.
Top 3 Workout Injuries
The following three ailments occur commonly among active people. Let's explore the cause of each and then detail your very own injury prevention plan—because let's face it, you simply don't have time to spend nursing and injury (and losing all that progress you had made).
1. Strain / Pulled Muscle: occurs when a tendon (connects muscle to bone) or muscle is stretched or torn. If you suffer from a strain you will feel pain and swelling in the muscle belly, or loss of function if the strain occurred in a tendon. Many strains occur as the result of an improper warm-up and insufficient stretching.
2. Sprain: occurs when a ligament (connects bone to bone) is stretched or torn. While this can happen to any ligament in your body, the most common placements of sprains are in the ankle, wrist and knee. Often this injury will happen suddenly as the ligament is stretched beyond its normal limit, usually during a fall or other acute trauma.
3. Low Back Pain: it is said that 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives—and the list of causes is as diverse as the sufferers themselves. Here are the main reasons for workout related back pain:
- Improper form: Similar to bad posture, using improper form while performing weight bearing exercises will leave your back sore and aching. The good news is that once your form is corrected this pain should subside after a healing period.
- Weak muscles: If you have a desk job then chances are your deep back muscles are inactive and unconditioned. When you start an exercise program, but fail to properly strengthen these muscles, the result is often an aching back.
- Strained muscles: Not to pick on that desk job, but another result of sitting all day is tight back muscles. When these muscles are not properly warmed up and stretched before exercise begins, muscle strains occur.
Injuries don't have to slow you from meeting your fitness goals. The following 5 steps will dramatically reduce your chance of injury and if you do find yourself injured, but have been following these 5 steps, your recovery will be quick and efficient.
Step 1: Stretch
What is more boring than stretching? You want to exercise, not sit around touching your toes—right? Even though it isn't exciting, stretching is the best way to increase muscle elasticity and durability. Tight muscles are big contributors to strains—remember? Take the time to stretch everyday before and after your workout to stave off injury.
Step 2: Warm Up
Preparing for your workout should not begin and end with putting on your gym clothes. Your muscles need to be coaxed into motion by way of a 10-15 minute warm up in order to prepare them for injury-free use. Cold muscles are less elastic and are therefore more prone to tears.
Step 3: Proper Gear
For most fitness enthusiasts proper gear has everything to do with their shoes. Don't be fooled—not just any shoe will do. Find shoes that offer support and traction for your exercise of choice, and make sure that they aren't too tight or too loose. If you are prone to ankle injuries then try a pair of high-tops for extra support.
Step 4: Lifestyle
Stop for a moment and think about your car—if you don't maintain it with regular tune ups, oil changes and quality fuel then you can't expect it to perform well on the road. The same applies to your body. Getting healthy amounts of sleep, eating well balanced meals and staying hydrated will all contribute to your performance during exercise. The healthier your lifestyle is the less likely you are to suffer an injury.
Step 5: Condition
This may seem like the most obvious step to injury prevention, but unfortunately it is the most overlooked. People who keep their bodies in top condition by exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are the least likely to injure themselves. When exercise programs are started and stopped sporadically your muscles are most likely to become injured.
Of course being conditioned also has another great benefit that everyone enjoys - you get to look and feel great! And who doesn't what that, right?
The ultimate injury prevention plan is to work with me, your qualified fitness expert! Together we will explore proper technique and will craft a plan for your unique fitness goals.
Wouldn't you love to see awesome results before this summer comes to an end? Simply reply to this email, call me today, or click here, to get started. It's time to take action and get the results that you deserve!
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