Author Archives: AlexK

About AlexK

Pro Fitness Trainer of 10+ yrs. Founder of www.CardioBlast.com. The Complete Home Workout & Vitality program including new cardio workouts every week, full 50 page Meal Plan, Fitness Tracker, Strength Workouts and much more!

Interval Training Burns Calories

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Interval Training Burns Calories

Interval Training Burns Calories

Interval training is the most effective way to burn calories. With short bursts of intense exercise you burn more calories quickly and make your heart stronger/more efficient than doing longer bouts of steady cardio. Your heart is challenged to become more efficient as this type of training will spike your heart rate higher and force it to recover quicker to do the next set of intervals.

When you combine this with a good meal plan and track the intensity of your workouts you can shred weight quickly. Plus interval training will make your workouts more interesting. With 30 to 60 seconds of work you get to put forth your maximal effort for a short period of time. Then you get to rest. It becomes easier to maintain interest in this type of workout as you don’t have to focus or concentrate on the workout for such long periods of time.

Doing steady, longer cardio sessions or weight training are both great for your health. They will help you stay in shape and maintain your strength. However, if you are looking for the best and quickest way to lose weight and burn calories then interval training wins hands down!

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
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How soon to eat after exercising

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How soon to eat after exercising

How soon to eat after exercising via Moriza

What determines how soon to eat after exercising? For best results in recovering from your workouts we suggest you consume food within 2 hours after your workout – the sooner the better. It is during this period that your body most readily absorbs the nutrients from your food. Your body will use the food to replenish its glycogen (carbohydrate) stores which will give you energy to continue on with your other activities. At the same time, protein will help your muscles to start repairing themselves for your next workout.

After exercising you need to consume some fluid plus food containing carbohydrates and some protein. An ideal post-workout meal is a protein shake which combines protein powder, frozen fruit and milk or water. This will get absorbed easily by the body and give it a quick start on the road to recovery. By eating right after your workout you recover quicker and give yourself the optimal chance to have a great workout the next time you hit the gym.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
You Tube:???? www.youtube.com/user/CardioBlastWorkout
Twitter:???? www.twitter.com/alexkotai
Pinterest:???? www.pinterest.com/cardioblast

Downside of exercising on an empty stomach

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Empty Stomach

Empty Stomach Via TayGable

You may have heard that you’ll burn more body fat by exercising on an empty stomach ??? well this just isn???t true.

What we do know is this. When exercising you use a combination of carbohydrates and fat for energy. Generally, in the early stages of your workout, you burn more carbohydrates for energy and as your workout progresses you use more fat as an energy source. If your stomach is empty there isn???t anything to replenish your carbohydrate supply.

This means that once this supply is reduced or diminished your body is forced to break down its own muscle mass and convert it into carbohydrate for energy. By skipping a meal you end up eating away at muscle rather than building it. This then cycles into a further problem. The less muscle you have, the less calories you burn and, the harder it is to lose weight. Compound this with the fact that most of us just simply feel tired and irritable when we are hungry. This does not contribute to a great workout either.

The bottom line is that you don???t want to be extremely full when you workout but you should always have some food in your stomach so that your body can continue replenishing its store of carbohydrates.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
You Tube:???? www.youtube.com/user/CardioBlastWorkout
Twitter:???? www.twitter.com/alexkotai
Pinterest:???? www.pinterest.com/cardioblast

Water needed for optimal health

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Water Needed for Optimal Health

Water Needed for Optimal Health via AHMED…

The amount of water needed for optimal health varies by person but it is essential to everyone. Your body is about 60% water so not having enough of it can cause a variety of problems. It helps to flush toxins out of your system as well as carry nutrients to cells in your body. In addition, being dehydrated (having too little water in your system) can cause you to feel tired and drained.

To perform at your best you need to be optimally hydrated. For males this means consuming 3 litres of fluid per day and for females roughly 2.2 litres per day. If you live in a hotter climate and are more active this amount will need to be increased. If you live in a colder climate or are less active this can be decreased. This is total fluid intake and not just water. However, if you are a coffee dinker then drinking coffee will actually dehydrate your body. For every cup of coffee you drink you need at least one additional cup of water to replace the lost water from drinking the coffee.

Given our bodies are mostly made up of water and we require it for most functions of the body, it is essential to make drinking enough water a top health priority. Drink more today and you’ll notice a difference in how you feel!

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
You Tube:???? www.youtube.com/user/CardioBlastWorkout
Twitter:???? www.twitter.com/alexkotai
Pinterest:???? www.pinterest.com/cardioblast

3 Reasons you need to Strength Train

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Strength Train

Strength Train

Everyone needs to realize it is important to strength train, especially as people age. First of all, it keeps muscles strong which will help you perform your daily activities with ease and prevent injuries. The stronger our muscles are the more we can lift and this help greatly with the function of our lives. Have you ever heard someone say “that’s too heavy for me”. Building strength is key to a more functional life.

On the injury front, the stronger you are the less chance you have of getting injured from most activities. As people age their muscles naturally become smaller and weaker from disuse so it is really important for seniors to continue with strength training. Strength training also helps build bone density which again is important for seniors that tend to have more brittle bones and women that are prone to osteoporosis. Once people start to fall/break bones it is very difficult to get the strength back that they once had. Even if you are in your 20′s or 30′s, strength training is still important because it sets the tone for you for later in life. Stronger muscles and denser bones will be easier to maintain as you age.

Finally, from an aesthetic point of view, strong, lean muscles give people a sense of confidence in their lives both at home and at work. This is an intangible benefit but any you of that work out on a regular basis know how confident and great you feel about your body when your muscles are strong and look good.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
You Tube:???? www.youtube.com/user/CardioBlastWorkout
Twitter:???? www.twitter.com/alexkotai
Pinterest:???? www.pinterest.com/cardioblast

Sugar Consumption Problems

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Sugar Consumption

Sugar Consumption via Shay Aaron

Sugar consumption is a major factor in the dramatic rise in childhood obesity. Research also indicates that an over-consumption of white, refined sugar also has the following harsh effects on the body:

  • weakens the immune system,
  • can trigger behavioral problems,
  • cause tooth decay and
  • robs the body of precious vitamins and minerals.

Checking to see if a food item contains white sugar is fairly easy. When reading a label, look for words ending in the suffix ???ose???, such as high fructose corn syrup, maltose and sucrose. White table sugar is called sucrose and is derived from sugar cane or sugar beet. White sugar is stripped of vitamins, minerals and fibre and is basically empty calories.

After eating a food product that is filled with white sugar, the sugar enters the bloodstream very quickly making it very difficult for the body to assimilate. The body reacts to the increase in glucose levels in the bloodstream by over-secreting the hormone insulin. Excess insulin secretion leads to blood sugar levels dropping to a critical low, resulting in a state of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels). This can cause fatigue, irritability and cravings. This often leads to excess sugar consumption again as people then look to consume more sugar to combat these feelings which starts the cycle all over.

One other major issue with excess insulin secretion is that is triggers the excess storage of fat and this leads to weight gain. Overall, refined white sugar is something you should avoid in your diet as much as possible. For more nutrition tips and information on our online workout programs please visit www.blog.cardioblast.com.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
You Tube:???? www.youtube.com/user/CardioBlastWorkout
Twitter:???? www.twitter.com/alexkotai
Pinterest:???? www.pinterest.com/cardioblast

Train like an athlete for optimal fitness

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Train like an athlete for optimal fitness

Train like an athlete for optimal fitness

If you want to get in the best shape of your life you need to train like an athlete for optimal fitness. Training like an athlete will take your fitness level to new heights that you just won’t experience with the average training program.

Athletes train for power, speed, agility, coordination, balance, strength and endurance. Imagine bringing this intensity and overall conditioning to your workout. This type of training just doesn???t happen with the average trainer.?? If you take a look at the top athletes in professional sports most of them have lean, powerful physiques. Their training styles are unique.

You won’t find top athletes sitting on a bike and then doing your standard circuit training exercises in the weight room. Their full workout routine includes training for everything they need to optimize their performance in sport. Exercises for power include many different types of plyometric jumping drills. They’ll work on speed through acceleration and deceleration drills. Coordination involves moving your body in multiple planes with moving objects coming at you. This is key to all sports and is helpful in everyday life as well.

Balance of course is key to any sport as athletes cannot execute their movements properly without being in a balanced position. Strength is also important in order to fend off or move through opponents. Finally, endurance is essential for those times when an athlete must endure a longer shift than normal and still compete at a high level.

The average person should keep all of these key components in mind when designing their own workout routine. There is an athlete in all of us and we could use all of these attributes in being successful in our daily lives.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, strength training programs, 50 page meal plan, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Facebook:???? www.facebook.com/cardioblast
You Tube:???? www.youtube.com/user/CardioBlastWorkout
Twitter:???? www.twitter.com/alexkotai
Pinterest:???? www.pinterest.com/cardioblast

Warmup and Cooldown are essential for workouts

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Warmup and Cooldown

Warmup and Cooldown

The warmup and cooldown are two important parts to a workout that most people don???t pay attention to yet both are essential to the quality of your workouts.

A proper warmup usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes and allows your muscles to get adequate blood flow to prepare for the workout ahead. By drawing blood to your muscles you give them a chance to lift more and move faster for a longer period of time. Your muscles also increase in temperature during the warmup which allows them to become more flexible and?? avoid injuries.

Ideally, you also want your warmup to include activities that will mimic the workout ahead except to a lighter intensity. This will help your body activate the mind/body connection that is key to success with your activity. This is especially important for sports where you need to perform at your optimal level from the start of the competition.

A proper cooldown includes a mild cardio workout which gradually reduces your heart rate and helps your body remove lactic acid (waste products created during your workout) from your muscles. This in turn helps your body recover more quickly which will make your next workout more effective. By doing this you achieve greater fitness results much quicker.

The second part of your cooldown should include static stretches that you hold for 30 seconds. This will help return your muscles to their normal lengthened state and reduce stiffness which further helps to prevent injuries.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, full meal planning, fitness tracking and personal training included with their membership.

Exercise in movement patterns not isolation

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Exercise in movement patterns not isolation

Exercise in movement patterns not isolation

Whether you are doing strength or cardio training it is important to exercise in movement patterns not isolation.This means you should combine one or more exercises together or train with a specific movement for whatever activity or sport that you are training for. Isolation exercises are good for building strength but don’t really work on overall function.

The human body rarely works in isolation like when we stand or sit in the weight room and do a plain old bicep curl. In most things we do both our upper and lower body are involved at the same time, especially when training for sports. The human body moves in multiple planes with multiple joints at a time and it is a rarity where it only works using one muscle group at a time so you shouldn’t train like this.

Your goal should be to train with multi-joint exercises and movement patterns that mimic your sport/activity or everyday life. An example of this is a squat where you pick up a bar off of the ground in front of you, then lift the bar up and over your head and then bring it back down and put it back on the ground. This exercise involves many muscle groups and is appropriate for your daily activities and many sports. This will give you true functional strength rather than just big muscles!

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, full meal planning, fitness tracking and customized online workout programs.

Exercises for bad weather

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Exercises for Bad Weather

Exercises for Bad Weather

There are many exercises for bad weather out there. People often use the excuse of bad weather as a reason they can???t get to the gym or to workout. There are many ways to work out besides going to the gym so that you can still stay healthy and in top shape.

Here are a few options to consider if you find weather is hindering you from getting to your workout.

  • Half an hour run through your neighborhood. Even on a day when there may be a lot of rain or snow outside it is very refreshing to go outside for a run and then come back inside to a warm house and a warm shower.
  • If you have stairs in your home you can use them to intensify your cardio. Run stairs for 1 minute intervals combined with some other cardio such as running on the spot, jumping jacks or high knees. This can give you a great workout.
  • Create your own interval workout. Pick 10 exercises and write them down. Here is an example: Shuffles side to side, Squats, Pushups, Jumping Jacks, Lunges (alternating), Burpies, Tricep Dips, Flurries (quick runs on the spot), Jog with high knees, Skip side to side on the spot. Perform each exercise for 30 – 60 seconds. Then take a break for the same amount of time. Then move onto the next exercise. You can perform this circuit of 10 exercises 1 – 3 times and it will give you a great workout.
  • If you want a full complete workout you can do at home, our Cardioblast.com workouts give you a great interval training workout that you can do anywhere as long as you have internet access. The workouts are 45 minutes long and require minimal equipment.

About the Author: Alex K is an online Fitness Professional providing health and wellness to the world through his online workout program Cardio Blast. Members of www.Cardioblast.com receive new cardio workouts every week, full meal planning, fitness tracking and customized online workout programs.