Nevada Blogs

Continuing from my last post, it appears that longer rest periods between sprints burns more total calories compared to short rest periods (for the same number of sprints).  The "Run Now, Pay Later" paper I cited also shows how the evolutionary function of the longer rest periods is to increase endurance.  With longer rest periods ...

I have been digging deep into lots of sprinting and interval training studies, and found some neat things.  First, you can divide sprinting-type activities into three general categories:Aerobic Interval TrainingAnaerobic Interval TrainingSprint TrainingAerobic interval training usually consists of longer intervals (2 min or more), and can be used to improve performance in distance events like ...

Here's a nice LA Times article on how people are using sprint or interval training to lose weight.

I came across this new report that investigates a unique protocol for fat loss.  Researchers had two groups of overweight women perform different cycling routines.  The first group cycled for 40 minutes at a regular, continuous pace 3 times per week.  The other group performed a 20 minute workout (also three times per week), that ...

I came across this MSN site the other day that chronicles weight loss success stories.  Some of the stories are truly inspiring - people in very bad condition turned things around and got in shape.A few people chose surgery as a means to lose weight.  This is, in my opinion, a very dangerous and misinformed ...

Whenever I go out to exercise, I am amazed at the number of people who are not out doing the same.  Earlier today, I went out to do some sprints.  It's decent weather today, the sun is shining and it's not too cold.  But walking to my local park, the neighborhood looked like a ghost ...

One other thing I've noticed about walking is that continuous walking is more beneficial for me than intermittent walking - especially for fat loss.You would think that "on paper", the calories burned during 60 minutes of walking is the same as two bouts of 30 minutes walking.  But the two protocols do seem to have ...

I'm seeing more soy-based products in the marketplace.  In my opinion, this is an unfortunate event.  From an evolutionary viewpoint, soybeans are legumes(beans) and were not part of the diets of hunter-gatherers.The clues that soy is unhealthy are everywhere.  There's suggestive evidence in animal studies that soy consumed during infancy has effects on puberty development ...

Plush, green lawns are valued by many people.  Even here in the desert, homeowners struggle to keep small lawns of green grass watered and healthy.  Businesses have caught on too, as lawn fertilizers all promise their product will lead to soft, green grass.But why do we care so much about green lawns?  The first reason ...

As I've been looking more into sprinting lately, I've wondered what variables contribute to a fast sprint performance.  Obviously, there is a genetic component involved - no one can just "train" themselves to Olympic level speed.  But certainly there's room for improvement, and I was curious as to what factors are important.The first thing I ...

I've added a new "widget" to the side of the blog.  This one, courtesy of Plugoo, allows me to chat with site visitors when I'm online.  All you do is type in a message and hit send, and if I'm around I'll reply.  If you're new to the site, or if you have a health-related ...

I think one of the benefits of walking as a tool for fat loss is that you can do a lot of it "under the radar".  By this I mean that you can perform a large volume of walking without 1) stimulating hunger, and 2) overtraining and setting off the body's alarm system.For example, if ...

In response to the comments about sprinting, I looked further into the relationship between growth hormone(GH) release and exercise.  In terms of sprinting, I found that that the average peak serum GH concentration from a single 30 second sprint was between 10 and 20 ug/L.In terms of resistance exercise, I found that the average peak ...

"Lose 1 lb a day" sounds like a line from a bogus infomercial.  Yet this is exactly what one person apparently did in a wild experiment.I've mentioned before that if a person exercises (walks) 1 hour a day they will lose roughly 1 lb a week.  So what would happen if a person did all ...

I've been looking more into the routines of master sprinters, and what contributes to their leanness across the years.  I found some information here, where a few sprinters have posted their weekly routines.  What's amazing is that some of these sprinters do no types of endurance work, yet they remain lean.    This led me ...

Here's some research on how running relates to aging and weight gain.  The research shows that even in those runners doing high mileages, (50+ miles per week), there is still an increase in weight and waistline over time.Strangely, the author of this study recommends that people must do more running to stave off this weight ...

After years of experimentation, I've fine-tuned how much exercise is appropriate for me.  I don't think that any "formula" out there really works - everyone has different exercise capabilites and also different recovery abilities.  For myself, I've found that a lot of walking, moderate amounts of vigorous aerobic activity, and a bit of weightlifting works ...

Here's a good paper I came across, "Why Do Good Hunters Have Higher Reproductive Success?"  This paper reviews the research showing that the best male hunters in hunter-gatherers societies usually have better outcomes related to reproduction, such as more mates and more surviving children.  This paper looks at various hypotheses as to why this happens.  ...

As I've mentioned before, hunger has historically been a major factor in motivating physical activity.  Given that in the modern world food is plentiful, secondary sources of motivation are needed to stay active.I believe in getting motivation to exercise from wherever a person can.  This can include "tricking" oneself.  If you're scheduled to exercise 60 ...

When you look at research studies on weightlifting, you often see positive outcomes: subjects gain muscle mass, power, etc.  Yet this is all "on average."  If you dig a little deeper, you find that 1) some subjects dropped out of the study, 2) some subjects got no benefit from weightlifting, and 3) some subjects occassionally ...