Exercising-The Quickie Version

Surge Training, the New Work Out

Surge training is much like internal training, only the sessions are much shorter and more intense. It's done on a limited time frame, the entire routine taking between 6 to 12 minutes or less per day. The importance of exercise does not lay with the exercise itself, but rather recovery time between the exercise. The idea of surge training is to safely shock the system into responding psychologically so that the body is left in a better metabolic state afterwards. This results in the right hormones being produced for the right effect, that is, fat burning muscle growth.

After a maximum output of just 10 to 60 seconds, the body must rest. It is this equal amount of time rest period between the bouts of exercise which retrains our subconscious brains and hormone glands to respond the way we want them to. The body must respond, and it does, it adapts in-between the surges by altering hormone levels for optimum energy and muscle building.

Contrasting this with any other low intensity exercise, walking on a treadmill or jogging on a treadmill for just 10 to 15 minutes OR LONGER causes the body to begin producing cortisol. This nasty hormone interferes with fat burning hormones such as leptin, and muscle building hormones such as HGH. It also interferes with insulin and blocks receptor sites in the brain which are intended for hormones which keep us awake, energized, and happy. Thus, low and medium intensity long-duration exercise is counter productive to our health. Cortisol is a deadly hormone which causes allergies, inflammation, stomach disorders, and premature aging.

Comparing that to surging, which is just short burst training, and you get the idea why low impact and low intensity aerobics can make people fat. If you have been working out and find that you cannot lose weight, or that health problems are still creeping up, THIS IS WHY!

Put aside those old beliefs the doctors have been trained to tell you about exercise. Anyone can do surge training, it is 100% safe and approved for anyone. You can be unfit and lying in a hospital bed and still reap benefits from surge training. The simple fact that you won't be exercising for long enough periods to put a strain on any part of your body and that your maximum output is what is right for you.

Additionally, unlike regular aerobic exercise, you do not need special equipment, a gym membership, or the right weather to do this. It is perfect for someone who has weight to lose and will actually improve the performance of top athlete if they undertake it. You just need yourself, and enough space to work out.

Getting Started

First find our maximum heart rate using this guide. Then add ten to your maximum heart rate if you are a top athlete or subtract ten if you are just beginning to exercise or are recovering from health problems. (Do consult with your physician before starting any exercise or diet program, because the FDA tells you to.)

Surge training is so exciting because it can be done by anyone and they only need to exercise as hard as they can for few seconds. For a beginner they only need to work out for 10 to 15 seconds. (A top athlete may go for up 60 seconds.) Anyone can exercise for 10 to 15 seconds right? After a few sets of 10 to 15 second surges, your brain and glands will be doing exactly what you want them to do, preparing to fuel the body with its own fat and stored sugar.

The secret is not the 10 to 15 second surge session; it’s the break in between. These are equal to the duration of the preceding surge, or until the heart rate returns to a normal range. Then you surge again. Recovery is equal to effort. You will definitely be breathing more deeply and heavily, but you will only be engaging your body just enough to get the good for you hormones flowing, not enough to induce the production of cortisol.

THE Surge Session

You only need to perform this 2 or more times per week to reap maximum benefits. Here is an example of a surge session:

-20 second of warm up by walking around a room or moving about then start:
-20 seconds of full on effort to get your heart rate to training zone.
-20 seconds of rest or cool down to let the heart return to bottom of the training zone or lower

-repeat this cycle three times and then take a 2 minute rest period.

Repeat the entire above cycle a total of three times. This will take a total of roughly 9 minutes for elapse time of only about 3 to 4 minutes of exercise. Repeat this four times per week for a total of only 36 minutes of exercise per week!

What do you do when resting? Spend the rest time lifting some weights, using bands, or performing other low intensity muscle building exercise or simply move around a bit, to keep the body in motion.

Surge training is so versatile. You don't really need any equipment. Any kind of movement will work as long as the entire body is involved. You can do jumping jacks, use stepper machines, stationary bicycles, or anything.

(For more information on surge training please see our blog.) Next week we will cover part two of this series: Lean muscle building using burst training.

Build a Body you can be Proud Of In Just 20 minutes or Less Per Day!

Build a Body you can be Proud Of In Just 20 minutes or Less Per Day!

If you truly want to be in the best shape of your life, and stay that way, it takes long term commitments to health and a routine of activities YOU can look forward to. Just as we have different tastes in foods, music, clothing, work, and entertainment, so to not all physical activities work for everyone.

Here are ten simple steps for building a fabulous body:

1- Think long term, not quick fix. Rather than jumping into a set of activities and long duration routines, start with small steps and build your way up. Jumping into intense workouts doesn’t work, it just sets us for feeling like failures. Instead, pick something small and build on that.

2- Forget getting all the workout done in one sitting, how many of us have time for that? Four to eight short bursts of 5 to 10 minutes each can provide long term and lasting benefits. Start with two 5-minute sessions and add to that. A little something is better than nothing.

3- Do something upon rising. Even if it’s 2 minutes of jumping jacks or a few rounds up and down the stairs. Getting your metabolism up within the first 45 minutes of rising can keep it raised all day.

4- Use it as a mid-morning/afternoon pick-me-up. Instead of reaching for that donut, cup of coffee, or candy bar, take a hike. Plan two five minute breaks per day. Take a walk around, go into the break room and use bands or light weights. Do something different and get your blood, and brain activated.

5- Forget videos and equipment. Nature handed us the best equipment we can get, our own body. Learn isometric exercises. The most beneficial exercise takes light clothing, comfortable shoes, and your mind. If you do plan on investing, try inexpensive items such as stepper machines, bands, balls, and floor mats.

6- Find a buddy. If you’re at work, find a co-worker who can share in your twice daily trips around the complex. If you've got a significant other, invite them to take a brisk walk before or after meal times. Grab your pals and (leaving credit cards at home) hit the mall for a chit chat while walking.

7- Find refreshment in going solo. Got a hectic schedule, a bustling house full of people, need to get away? The easiest mini vacation may be a solo walk around your block. (in safe neighborhoods), those few quiet moments before the family gets out of bed, or in the evening as everybody moves onto TV and homework. Get out, get away, go for a 5-minute walk.

8- Check out our blog for tips on surging and burst training. Just 12 minutes per day and you could look like a super model in a year. Surge and burst training differ from walking, jogging, cycling. While those do burn some calories, if ill conditioned for the activity, they can raise cortisol levels, defeating the purpose. Surge and burst training effectively lowers cortisol levels and encourages the body to level off leptin and insulin levels naturally.

9- Pick a sport or hobby, any sport or hobby. Find something YOU enjoy doing which tricks your mind into thinking "hey, this is super fun" instead of "oh, so were going exercising again."

10- Of course, other methods work too, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther out and force yourself to walk farther to the grocery store door. Many little new and light activities, small changes done during the day, can help burn fat and calories and not even feel like exercise. After a few days, it may feel second nature to do things differently.