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Lead Stories: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

HIIT: The Ultimate Workout

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 5:45 PM by Shannon Clark

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

man_running_on_treadmilll If you aren’t a stranger to the gym, you’ve likely already heard of something called high intensity interval training (HIIT). Whether it was between two trainers discussing their training techniques or someone complaining about the brutality of the workout, it may be something you’ve avoided up until now.

There is no doubt that high intensity interval training (HIIT) is something that will give you a run for your money. It definitely is not - by any means - easy, but it will get you results.

Not only is it more conducive to retaining your current muscle mass then longer cardio sessions, but it is also far better (in most cases) in terms of promoting fat loss and increasing the metabolism. The thing about HIIT is that it does not expend an extremely large amount of calories while you are performing it.

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TFS Review: MotionLingo’s Adeo GPS Fitness Trainer

Posted February 12th, 2007 at 10:00 AM by Paul Petersen

Section: Gear & Apparel, Gadgets & Acces., Product Reviews, Special Features, TFS Reviews

MotionLingo’s Adeo has garnered much attention this year as an innovative GPS-based fitness trainer that not only tracks your speed and distance, but also accommodates full integration with any mp3 player.

I have run with many other GPS products, but the Adeo is the first to provide workout feedback via audio messages rather than a visual watch interface. This sounded like a great idea to me right off the bat and I enjoyed putting putting the Adeo to the test.

Product: MotionLingo Adeo Fitness Trainer
Price: $149.95
Rating: Good 7.1/10.0
Pros: Hands-free GPS updates; Works with all mp3 players; Lightweight; Considerably more affordable than other GPS units, Easy to configure workouts and view data; Rapidly-evolving online training log; Affordable cost compared to other fitness GPS units; Multisport support; Excellent, frequently updated software package
Cons: Often takes several minutes to connect with satellites; Unstable, GPS connection could be improved; Small, unresponsive buttons
Overall: The Adeo is a very innovative and exciting concept; one that true audiophiles will want to immediately add to their running rig. However, others may want to wait for the next generation of Adeos (to be released later this spring) because like most first generation products, there are a few issues (i.e. - GPS performance) that could use an upgrade.

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Endurance training techniques for runners of all levels

Posted January 5th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Emily Hoskins

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Unlike many recreational activities, training for a marathon is serious business. If you fail to train properly you not only run the risk of not finishing, but you could seriously injure yourself.

There are several types of endurance training out there, so finding the right one for your personal goals and needs is crucial. The types of aerobic endurance training differ in duration, frequency, and intensity which will lead to different physiological adaptations within the body that improve your overall fitness level.
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Slope on treadmills

Posted January 3rd, 2007 at 4:00 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Running & Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise

Good treadmills have a lever that raises the front end to simulate running up hills, because running on level ground does not do much to strengthen your upper leg muscles. Running strengthens primarily your lower leg muscles.

You stress your upper leg muscles significantly only when you run up hills. Each one percent increase in the elevation angle on your treadmill requires four percent more energy.
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What is interval training?

Posted December 29th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Health & Fitness, Exercise

To become stronger and faster, athletes use a technique called interval training, in which they exercise very intensely, rest and then alternate intense bursts of exercise and rest until their muscles start to feel heavy. Intervals are a fixed number of repeats of a fixed distance at a fixed pace with a fixed recovery time.

There are two types of intervals: long and short. A short interval takes less than 30 seconds and does not build up significant amounts of lactic acid in the bloodstream, so an athlete can do lots of repeat short intervals in a single workout.
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Ultimate speed workout for marathon training

Posted November 14th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

runner seawall1.gif I think the consensus of most experienced marathoners is that a balanced training program that includes a mix of lactate threshold (LT), hill training, VO2max, anaerobic, and marathon pace (MP) sessions is the best way to improve and optimize marathon performance.

Most also agree that the emphasis in such a program should be on LT and hill work, although a growing number also advocate extensive MP training. Except for novice programs, most “cookbook” marathon training programs include all of the above in one form or another and to one extent or another. In fact, most training programs for distances shorter than the marathon also include the same “speedwork” ingredients, except for MP runs, but the mix of them changes for the shorter distances.

However, I believe there is a specific “speed workout” that is superior to all of the above. It provides more training benefit, with little or no additional risk of injury, than the “standard” speed workouts. Run correctly, it is a “balanced” workout within itself that includes all of the speedwork elements, except for MP running. And it is much more fun than any of the other speed training workouts.

So, what is this “ultimate” speed workout? It’s 10k racing. Not 5k racing. Not half marathon racing. But, specifically, 10k racing. Read the rest of this entry »

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How to Start a Running Program

Posted October 14th, 2006 at 1:03 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

This post contains very pertinent and wise advice for true beginners. It is written by Dr. Gabe Mirkin and was originally published on his blog: “Fitness & Health with Dr. Gabe Mirkin”.

If you think you would enjoy jogging or running, here’s how to get started. First, check with your doctor and get a good pair of running shoes. Start out by jogging slowly until your legs feel heavy or hurt or you feel tired. Then stop for the day, even if you have taken only a few steps. Do this every day or every other day. You should be able to work up to the point where you can jog slowly for at least 20 minutes. If you’re happy with this program, you don’t have to go any further. However, if you want to improve, follow the training methods that competitive runners use.