Effects of Training on EPOC by stefan taylor fitness

Effects of Training on EPOC

On completion of any cardiovascular exercise or weight training, the body will continue requiring oxygen at an elevated  rate compared to before the exercise began.  This sustained oxygen consumption is known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).  This has originally been referred to as an oxygen debt.  From research it seems this hypothesis was first deduced in 1922. They theorized that the body needed to replace the oxygen used by the working muscles during mild to intense bouts of exercise.  However more recently, researchers have used the term EPOC to describe several different events that occur within the body as it returns itself to rest.

As the body starts to restore itself to its pre-exercise state, consuming oxygen at an elevated rate, the rate of energy expenditure is also elevated, meaning calorific burn is also higher.

The following occurs during EPOC:
1) Replenishment of Energy Resources:  Replenishment occurs for the immediate energy source, known as the phosphagen system, which is comprised of creatine phosphate and ATP (adenosine triphosphate).   In addition, lactate which is a molecule that is produced during more intense exercise is being converted to pyruvate for fuel utilization.  The body is also restoring the muscle glycogen that has been used during the exercise session.
2) Re-oxygenation of Blood and Restoration of Circulatory Hormones: During exercise, large amounts of oxygen is utilised to break down food stuffs for energy, therefore the body continues to expend energy after exercise to re-oxygenate the blood.  During the post-exercise period, the body restores the levels of circulatory hormones, which increased during exercise, back to normal levels.
3) Decrease in Body Temperature: As energy substrates are removed from the exercising muscle tissues of the body, heat is produced and the body must expend energy to return to the normal core body temperature.
4) Return to normal Heart and Breathing Rate: Energy expenditure is greatly elevated as the body rapidly returns to a normal Breathing and Heart rate.

Weight Management and EPOC
Due to the body continuing to expend energy after exercise, EPOC has an essential role to play when considering an exercise program devised for weight management or loss. It seems researchers are interested in the effect different forms of exercise have on EPOC.
The evidence suggests that a high-intensity, interval type training session has an increased effect on EPOC.  It also seems to appear from research that resistance or strength based training produces greater EPOC responses than steady state aerobic exercise. The research suggests that high-intensity resistance exercise alters the body’s homeostasis to a greater degree than aerobic exercise.  The result is a greater energy requirement after exercise to restore the body’s systems to normal.

Application of Training:

Irrespective of your type of sport or exercise activity, all participants should utilise high intensity / short duration training as a means of either maintaining weight or as a practical weight loss component.  It would be inappropriate for a beginner to begin such activity but when guided by a fitness professional, research suggests this will have a positive influence upon any individual.

Enjoy your training

Stefan

Shop Yourself Thinner!

Shop Yourself Thinner!

Yes it’s true you can shop yourself thinner! Don’t think this means by running between shops, wearing fancy trainers, taking the stairs or carrying you’re shopping and doing squats every fifty meters with it. 

Some simple shopping advice to help you find the healthier options, four easy steps that could help you stop choosing the unhealthy options. We all know about whole wheat, sugars, brown rice, fats, five a day, three whole grains a day, friendly bacteria yoghurt’s yes it’s on the television, in magazines, billboards, and radio all day everyday.

When you are at the supermarket, ever suddenly felt hungry?, owing to the smell of the so called fresh baked bread, yes some supermarkets do cook fresh bread on the premises, however recent television articles have confirmed that a smelling solution is added to the air blowers in the entrance of supermarkets, so that your sense of smell picks it up and triggers of a chemical reaction, RESULT! For them as you head off to get bread, which is next to the cakes and from there they have you close to the inner sanctum, the unhealthy money making, fat building foods.

So how do we counter act this fact, some people say eat before you go to the supermarket it stops you wanting the unhealthy options, this may work for some, but if possible follow the four rules below and healthier options you shall find.

Label, ensure you read the nutritional food labels and on packaging, ingredients are all listed in order of their quantity.

Avoid just turning up and buying from memory, have a shopping list to hand and stick with it, you will save money as well by not buying any unnecessary items.

Manoeuvre, stick to the perimeter of the shop, here is where you will find mainly fresh ingredients, lean meats, poultry, fish, whole grain breads. After you have visited these areas stay at one end as you shop along the aisles look down them ask yourself, Do I really need to go down this aisle?

Buy it fresh and check the use and best before labels on packaging, try and only buy what your family needs quantity wise and try and eat your purchases before they go out of date or spoil.

By hopefully following the rules above you will possibly save money, and have a supply of lower calories and fat in your diet, resulting in a happier and healthy you!

Article by Brian Fernie - Founder of  TOD Coaching
Edited by Chris Laing - Personal Trainer Hub

10 Common Gym Mistakes

The Ten Most Common Gym Mistakes Revealed

1) Not making any improvements.

Sounds simple right?, but the majority of gym user have not made any improvements in the last 1,2,3,4 months plus. For example, If you usually do level 8 on the cross trainer, and were also doing that 3 months ago you have broken the first rule of exercise and not changed your training programme! Also, Lifting the same weight as two months ago is another sign you have hit an exercise plateau.

This totally undermines your exercise and goals. You must change your exercise programme regularly. Change it next time you are in the gym, If you do level 8 do level 10, or if you usually do 15 reps a set then increase the weight and do just 10. You must force the body to respond and adapt to change.

2) Not warming up

 Give your muscles time to adjust to your exercise routine by working them gradually and increasing intensity over time.

4) Not stretching enough

Stretch after an aerobic exercise while your muscles are still warm and limber.

5) Not doing all four key areas of exercise.

In general, many women do just cardio and most guys just weights. You will not achieve your goals until you get a perfect balance of aerobic, resistance, core and flexibility training. Once these are all in place it is about how you do each of these methods. Remember that different people require different amounts of each exercise type. For example, some people would be better served spending longer on the weights than the cardio while other people the reverse.

6) Thinking a gym session has to be a certain length of time!

The reality of the issue is that as long as you do all four exercise areas in the right way you do not need to commit massive amounts of time. Too many people think they must hit their 20 minutes on the bike or the session has been a failure. Anything is better than nothing and a short bout even if just 10 minutes is better than getting out of the routine and disappearing for months on end.

7) Going too easy.

There is a certain intensity that you must reach to achieve your goals and training benefits. The key is to hit this intensity, which is unique to each person, while sticking to the principles of programme design. A sign of going too low is reading a book on the cardio machines. If this is you it would be wise to examine your training methods. Weights wise women are more likely to be guilty of lifting lighter than optimal weights as they worry about putting on bulk. A misplaced concern that just cannot happen. If you do 15 reps but could have done 20-30 reps you will be making little progress. Next time your are in the gym do not just stop at your goal number, stop when you cannot do anymore and lose your good lifting technique.

Going too hard

Where women are more likely to go too light the guys are more likely to go too heavy. If you can’t keep perfect technique for the desired reps your weight is too heavy. Cardio wise you do not need to be at deaths door to be attaining the benefits of the training. A common mistake would be to go 19 minutes at a comfortable pace before turning into a maniac for the last minute and nearly killing yourself. On completion that mad final spurt did not help the fitness too much and leave a nasty memory of how painful the gym can be.

If you find yourself jerking weights, go down to a lighter weight, which you can lift and lower with control. Improper use of weights can lead to strain and injury, particularly for the back muscles.

This article was written by
Chris Laing & Ben Wilson
Personal Trainer Hub & One to One Nutrition

 

Critical Swim Speed

Critical Swim Speed

 

This article remains the property of the author and can be reprinted in any format as long as full accreditation and all links inclusive of HTML are published.

Brian Fernie is an accredited Master Trainer, Triathlon Coach and is Scotland’s premier outdoor trainer.

www.tod-coaching.co.uk

 

 

 

Stroke technique
Stroke count
Aerobic conditioning
Anaerobic endurance
Land Training
Mileage in the pool
Type of stroke

Many of us have tried and died trying to swim 400m straight away, many of us have wondered what “onset blood lactic tolerance” means, as well as “swim rest” mean. Fear not, in this test, we will look at the critical swim speed test, who can do it, and what you need to do it (apart from big lungs).

The test was devised by E Ginne in 1993[i] and is used by coaches and swimmers alike to test aerobic(s) that can be maintained. From the test results, Ginne concluded that training times could be calculated and set for swimmers using his unique/specific calculations. This means that swimmers can train just below “race pace” or “lactate threshold” to give it its other name.

Who can do it?
Anyone who wishes to improve their aerobic swimming capacity

What do I need?

Pool access doesn’t matter on the size although 25m or 50m is best
Stop watch
Mate to act as lap counter
Stopwatch
Calculator

Test Criteria
Must be from a “push start”; no diving is permitted
The swimmer must be allowed to fully recover from each swim
Record the time for each swim in seconds and again in minutes (in order to compare your calculations) Calculate CSS by the approved method.

Execution of the test
· Two swims over 400m
· Two swims over 50m.

Best method is to swim 400m then rest, then again swim 50m, after a recovery period swim the test again.

Calculation method for the test
· D1 is 50m
· D2 is 400m
· T1 is time over 50m recorded in seconds
· T2 is time over 400m recorded in seconds

So effectively the calculation is this
CSS = (D2 - D1) ÷ (T2 - T1)

Example of the calculation

Flipper swims 50m in 35 seconds and 400m in 297 seconds
CSS= (400-50) / (297-31)
CSS= 350/262
CSS= 1.32metres/second

What Now?
This is where we think back to lesson 1 regarding analyses and what we require to do

· Test
· Collate
· Analyse
· Discuss
· Disseminate
· Implement (training requirements etc)

Remember the results of the test are required to be analysed but can only be compared to previous CSS tests. With the correct conditioning, training and stroke technique between the tests, an indication will be found allowing an improvement in your aerobic capacity or failings in your training regime.
After collating and analysing the test results, how can we incorporate the results into our training schedule? Well that’s the easy part. We can use the results to determine our training times.

 

 

 

This test will enable you to improve your aerobic fitness and incorporate the results into your training programme. Remember, tests should always be conducted as close as possible to the previous test and over testing can give poor results. Every 6 weeks is enough to test whether your programme and training is progressing or not.

[i] Ginne, E. “The application of the critical power test to swimming and swim training programmes” (1993) National Sports Research Centre.
[ii] Brainmac Internet
[iii] Ginne, E. “Critical speed and training intensities for swimming” (1993) Australian Sports Commission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speed/ Stamina Endurance

Speed/ Stamina Endurance

 

 

As a boxer or fighter you know how hard it is to continually pound the tarmac mile after mile hour after hour, sometimes with your trainer alongside shouting in your ear, other times all alone just putting in the miles.

 

It doesn’t have to be that way smaller bouts of high intensity training can and will improve your speed and stamina endurance.

 

Don’t get me wrong there is a lot of advantages for lengthy road sessions with and without weight, and the following workouts can and will improve your stamina, both in speed and endurance and be a welcome addition to any programme and also aid you mentally as your brain wont switch off thinking about the hours and miles.

 

The workouts below start at the basic level before progressing to an intermediate level, these workouts have all been tested and are achievable being adapted from military tests.

 

 

Basic Fitness Test

Find a relatively flat route 1.5 miles in distance.

First 1.5 mile 14 minutes

Second 1.5 mile maximum effort

 

The first part of the test is to gently run and walk the route reaching the end in thirteen minutes; you then have one minute rest, before running back to the start as fast you can timings are as below dependant on your age group.

 

Age	16- 30	30-34	35-39	40-45
Advanced	8m 15sec	8m 30sec	9m	9m 15s
Intermediate	8.16-9-45	8.31-10.10	9.01-10.40	9.16-11.05
Standard	9.46-10.30	10.11-11.00	10.41-11.30	11.06-12.00
Poor	11.16+	11.51+	12.21+	12.56+

 

 

 

 

2 Miler

 

 This is the start of the weighted runs; the test is normally performed in boots with a weighted pack of 45lbs. This is not a run but a fast paced speed march (walk) the aim is to complete the two miles in or around sixteen minutes. At no point should an individual run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Miler

 

This is a run and is over a 3 mile course the equipment required is as above and the course is required to be completed in 33 minutes

 

 

 

6 Miler

 

This is a weighted run/speed march with the same equipment as above and is conducted over a six mile course, timings can vary in the military owing to selection criteria, but you should aim to complete the route in around an hour.

 

 

 

8 Miler

 

An 8 mile course, the same equipment as before this test is normally at its standard level to be completed in 2 hours. The timings can and have been varied owing to different selection criteria for various units and courses within the Army.

I have included some alternative times below

 

 

1hr - Elite

1hr 15 minutes- Advanced

1hr 30 minutes- Intermediate

2 hrs —Standard

 

 

 

Now you have some alternative sessions for your programmes, these sessions will cut down on some of the mileage allowing you to concentrate on other aspects of your training and you will hopefully see an improvement in your speed and endurance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Fernie is a Master Trainer and founder and director of www.tod-coaching.co.uk Scotland’s Premier Personal Training Company. He served with both the army and police service and has a varied background in sports from martial arts to triathlon.

 

You have permission to use this article in its entirety as long as all clickable hyperlinks and accreditation are iven to the author.

Improve posture with muscle balance training

Muscle balance with the medicine ball

Ultimate aim
The ultimate aim of this workout is to establish balance in your body.

What do I mean by balance?

If for example, you run alot, you will develop and condition certain muscles in your body, you will not condition all of the muscles in your body. Whilst running is one of the quickest and most effective methods for improving fitness and losing weight etc, it is really important to understand that it is not a full body workout. By complimenting running with a muscle balance workout, you will prevent imbalances occurring in your body and prevent certain muscles becoming over dominant, which will almost certainly lead to injury and poor posture.

Secondary benefits
These will be the main reasons people download this workout!

Improve self esteem and feel good factor
Improve muscle tone and body sculpting
Weight loss and optimal fat burning
Comprehensive Core Conditioning
Improved posture and spinal health
Relieve back pain and stiffness
Reduction in waist and hip size

Whilst these are the ultimate aims for the vast majority of people, it is important that YOU see them as a bi-product of achieving balance in your body.

Why?

Because you can be fit, strong and slim, BUT NOT HEALTHY!
I have met a lot of people who are fit, strong and slim and relatively healthy. But they will never achieve optimal health until they have a body which is balanced, where their muscles work in synergy with each other and their structure is in the optimal position. If your body is imbalanced, you are continually fighting and placing excessive continual stress on your muscles.
For example, if you are kyphotic (rounded shoulders, slightly slouched forward), the stress on your body is tremendous. Gravity is a continuous force we cannot avoid, and if your head (which weighs roughly 2kg) is slightly forward and off centre due to your kyphotic posture, gravity continually pushes down and places stress on your muscles, which in turn are trying to resist this continual force and stress, your muscles will eventually give up, as it is virtually impossible to resist. Thus weakening the muscles of your back (where you find most of your postural muscles) which gradually forces you further forward leading to spinal damage, injury to muscles and you lose the mind-body link of these dysfunctional, over tight or weakened and inhibited muscles.

Bad news or what? Talk about scaremongering! In this case, I think it is better the devil you know.

If you have good spinal alignment and good muscle balance, the force of gravity will be absorbed by your muscles, as your structure is designed to be upright.

Why am I saying all of this?

Because I want you to understand that you can achieve all the secondary benefits such as weight loss and muscle tone, but, by making small amendments to your workout routine you can also achieve optimal health.

Be fit, strong, slim AND HEALTHY!

Download it here - www.edpersonaltraining.com

Eddie brown

www.edpersonaltraining.com

www.businessmonkeys.co.uk