“You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say ‘Yes’ when they really mean ‘No’?” – 2 Corinthians 1:17

Woo hoo! The holidays are FINALLY over. For me it’s cause for celebration because everyone is looking to make a change. Positive change.

Unfortunately, I know that many people will make silly resolutions and change for a week or two and then go back to their old habits. It happens. But there’s no reason for that to be you.

And hey, you don’t have to change completely overnight. Small changes over time add up to HUGE results. They really do.

I also know you’re looking for simple solutions to make these changes easier. That’s why I love being a partner with Prograde Nutrition. They do one thing incredibly well: they make nutrition easy.

Look, supplements aren’t the end-all-be-all. You need to eat whole foods. You need nutrition from real food. And Prograde knows that. They preach it. But they also know there are gaps you need to fill. And that’s where their awesome products come in. They’ve got a very simple product line that provides the basics. They provide what you need, NOT the garbage and confusing “stacks” that many companies try and trick you into thinking you need.

This week Prograde is celebrating 2010 by offering something they’ve NEVER done before: FREE shipping on orders over $97.

This special only runs through this Friday, January 8th at 11:57pm EST so you need to hurry and place your order before you forget…before it’s too late. All the details are right here: Prograde Nutrition.

Last, thanks for being such a loyal reader. 2010 is going to be a happy and healthy year for both of us!

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Nate

PS – Again, Prograde makes nutrition easy. You get FREE shipping if you order over $97, but it’s only till this Friday so get on over to Prograde Nutrition RIGHT NOW.

“When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.” – Proverbs 4:12

Happy New Year!

Today, we’re going to conclude our series on the 5 Steps To A New You In The New Year. Be sure to review Step 1 (Write down your goals and set deadlines), Step 2 (Surround yourself with a good support system), Step 3 (Follow proven nutritional guidelines) and Step 4 (Make resistance training your priority).  Today, we’ll cover Step 5:  Interval Training.

Step 5: Use Interval Training.
Research has shown that interval training burns nine times more fat in less time than aerobic training (aerobic training is steady-state cardio such as jogging, running, biking, elliptical, etc. for 30 minutes or more at moderate intensity in the “fat-burning zone”).

What is interval training? Interval training is simply alternating periods of work with periods of rest. An example would be a 30-second “hard” run or sprint followed by a 30- or 60-second “easy” walk. You would then repeat this type of interval training 4-6 times if you are a beginner and up to 13-20 times if you are advanced. The time needed for interval training is 20 minutes or less and it will result in greater fat loss and cardiovascular conditioning than aerobic training.

Jogging or running is very hard on the body and joints. A one-mile run is equal to approximately 1,500 repetitions (steps). Each repetition (step) produces the force of 2-4 times your bodyweight. For someone who is out of shape, coming back from an injury or looking for the best results, this is the worst thing they can do and will lead to injury and burn out. In addition, when performing aerobic training, your body becomes more efficient – meaning it burns fewer calories and uses less fat forcing you to go further or harder each time.

And unlike aerobic training, interval training also provides additional calorie burning for several hours after you are finished (similar to resistance training). Aerobic training also leads to muscle loss and a slower metabolism – two things we definitely don’t want. Interval training is muscle sparing and increases your metabolism.

When performing interval sprints, the distance covered is far less which means less there is less chance of overuse injuries to the ankles, knees and hips. In addition, as mentioned previously, short interval sprints burn more calories and fat while reducing the time required to train.

Interval training can also be performed using other methods as well. If you’re not at a level to perform interval sprints, you can use body weight circuits, complexes, kettlebell and bodyweight circuits, metabolic resistance training or cardio strength training. All of these methods are far less taxing on the body and joints while also giving you a variety of workouts to use so your body won’t adapt to them.

So stop running and going nowhere and start implementing interval training to help achieve your fat loss goals!

If you follow these five tips consistently, you’ll achieve your health and fitness goals for 2010. At Underground Fitness Revolution, we utilize training programs that include resistance training and a variety of interval training methods to assist with fat loss while increasing fitness levels and providing cardiovascular benefits.

Dedicated to your health and fitness,

Nate