The benefits of human growth hormone and how to increase levels naturally

According to the Mayo Clinic Human Growth Hormone (HGH) can:

• 
  Decrease body fat
• 
  Increase exercise capacity
• 
  Increase bone density
• 
  Increase muscle mass

HGH levels are higher when we are young and growing and decrease with age. Raising HGH naturally is a good thing for most people. How to do that? One study, The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6 s and a 30 s cycle ergometer sprint looked at the different responses to sprinting six seconds versus 30 seconds on a stationary bike. They found that:

Metabolic responses were greater after the 30 s sprint than after the 6 s sprint. The highest measured mean serum hGH concentrations after the 30 s sprint were more than 450% greater than after the 6 s sprint.

Sprint work is brief, intense exercise training. It can be accomplished on aerobic equipment or by doing a series of high intensity strength training exercises. We can show you how to both at New Orleans Fitness Trainersand at Austin Personal Training Both are safe, effective, and efficient.

High intensity interval training produces metabolic adaptations in far less time compared to traditional methods

In a two week study ( Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance) researchers compared changes produced by sprint-inteval training (SIT) versus high volume endurance training (ET). Total training time 2.5 hours for SIT and 10.5 hours for ET, and total training volume was 90% lower for SIT versus ET

From the study: Brief, intense exercise training may induce metabolic and performance adaptations comparable to traditional endurance training....Given the large difference in training volume, these data demonstrate that SIT is a time-efficient strategy to induce rapid adaptations in skeletal muscle and exercise performance that are comparable to ET in young active men.

Brief, intense exercise training can be accomplished on aerobic equipment or by doing a series of strength training exercises. We can show you how to both at New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training Both are safe, effective, and efficient. You don't need to spend hours in the gym.

Less time exercising more fat loss

Exercises are performed in all sorts of ways. Expose your body to more work that it is used to handling, allow rest and recovery and the body will make a positive adaptation as a form of self protection. You can put in more time – do more reps, do more sets, run a little further, engage in whatever the activity is a little longer – and as long as you don’t overdo it the body will come back improved.

You can work a little harder – more weight on the bar, a steeper hill at the same pace, sprinting instead of jogging - and again as long as you don’t overdo it the body will come back improved. If you exercise in this way the workouts cannot be very long but they can be very effective. Just one benefit is fat loss.

From this study, High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss this quote:

The effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible; however, other forms of exercise may have a greater impact on body composition. For example, emerging research examining high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) indicates that it may be more effective at reducing subcutaneous and abdominal body fat than other types of exercise.

For my time and effort, I much prefer high-intensity intermittent exercise. Doing exercise in this way you continue to burn calories long after the workout is over. It is a workout you need to work up to. It can be conducted on all sorts of aerobic equipment. I use a recumbent bike. The workout consists of a warm-up followed by an all-out sprint and then a recovery period at a slower pace. The sprint and recovery are then repeated for
up to eight cycles. There is not set formula on how long the sprints should
be. I use the format laid out by Dr. Mercola on his web site – three minutes
of warm-up followed by a 30 second sprint with a 90 second recovery period pedaling at a slower pace the sprint and recover again. Doing it for eight cycles would mean four minutes of highly demanding work. I think it is worth it for the results.

All-out isn’t 80 or 90%, it is really all-out. The first time I did I did two sprints and I was really spent. I am up to six and it is difficult. The fat is coming off; one is less likely to be lured by comfort food when one putting out a lot of effort. It is taking me less time to get my pulse back to normal after a session. After a long hiatus from exercise I managed to get badly out of shape. The best part of getting back to exercise is that I feel much better.

At New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training we can show you how to work up to this workout and how to workout effectively and efficiently so you can spend less time in the gym and more time doing the things you want to do.

Fifteen Minutes Of Training In Two Weeks Remarkable Result

After two weeks of exercise totaling 15 minutes, the result from this study,Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males:

Insulin sensitivity, as measured by the Cederholm index, was improved by 23% (P < 0.01), while aerobic cycling performance improved by ~6% (P < 0.01).

They concluded:

The efficacy of a high intensity exercise protocol, involving only ~250 kcal of work each week, to substantially improve insulin action in young sedentary subjects is remarkable.

The subjects did four to six 30 minutes cycle sprints for 30 seconds each. It sounds easy, but it is not. You have to build up to it. The results are worth it. You can do this high intensity interval training HIIT on cardio equipment or you can do your strength training that way – strength training at maximum effort, followed by a short break and repeat with a different movement. Stop into our facilities at New Orleans Fitness Trainers or at Austin Personal Training, and we can show you how to do it effectively and how to build up to it.

Improved insulin action is just one of the benefits of this type of training. We will feature more articles on this subject in future article.

The Price Of Inactivity

In the last 35 years I have had about a half dozen times where I got out of the habit of exercising as a result of injuries or life just getting in the way. When that happened I had a greater propensity to eat more comfort food. I would even get up in the middle of the night to eat. Of course I gained weight, sugar levels went up, bad cholesteral went up, and my blood pressure was a little harder to control. What was more striking was how badly I felt. Old injuries came back to haunt me.

Last year I tore my Achilles tendon right in two. The recovery was slow. I stopped all exercise for months. I woke up one day with a pain in my shoulder that’s lasted for days. I further injured it playing around with my daughter. The pain, numbness, and restricted movement lasted for months. Because I favored one shoulder I slept on the other shoulder, and it soon began to hurt as well.

The pain and numbness just would not go away. I couldn’t reach over my head, reach out to close the car door, and had trouble putting on a shirt. I couldn’t sleep; the pain was persistent. Each night was constant struggle to find a position that would not hurt or make my arms numb. I began therapy with positive results. Massage helped too. I eventually got a shot of cortisone, and the pain subsided enough that I began strength training again, slowly building up.

The pounds started coming off and the pain totally disappeared. I was motivated to eat better. If I was going to all this effort of exercising I did not want to sabotage it with bad eating habits. Eventually I could move my shoulders effortlessly without having to be conscious of every movement.

At New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training we have extensive lines of Medical rehab equipment that can be finely adjusted to accommodate those with physical limitations to get you back to effortlessly doing the things you want to do and increase your quality of life. The time, effort, and price of price of exercising far outweigh the price of not exercising.

Strength training, compounding the benefits

Strength training enables you to engage in other activities more often and longer than had you not strength trained. You'll to enjoy life more and play longer and more often. Additonally, You will suffer less injuries. Engaging in activities longer and more often compounds the benefits derived from strength training creating a virtuous cycle.

Examples:

Carole lived with constant back pain. Her back pain disappeared shortly after she began strength training. Three years later she was still going strong attending dance classes with people half her age. The additional activity of dance classes contributed positively to her health as well.

Before strength training Marcus played golfed nine holes of golf every other day. He could not play on successive days as he was too drained of energy. He began strength training once a week. A year later he was playing 18 holes of golf and then 18 holes the next day. Those 27 additional holes redound positively to his health.

These changes do not require endless hours in the gym. Our personal trainers at New Orleans Personal Trainers and at Austin TX Personal Training and can guide you through an effective high intensity strength training program that will take less than an hour a week. Improve a little each week, go out and do the things you enjoy, and over time your life will change significantly.

Previous blog entries about the changes clients have experienced:
1. I love this workout

2. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good
3. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.
4. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer
5. Under no circumstances stop exercising because that is what is keeping you going
6. I saw a remarkable change in my body
7. A Radical Transformation
8. I don’t think I would be alive today
9. Amazing and remarkable
10.My doctor said it would not be necessary to start taking drugs to preserve my bone density

The best thing you can do for your brain - exercise

“There’s a lot of hype in this field in terms of brain improvement. I did set out to find out what actually works and what we know. What we do with our bodies has a huge impact on our brains. Our brains are more like our hearts in that everything you do for your heart is thought to be equally as good or better for your brain. Exercise is the best studied thing you can do to your brain. It increases brain volume, produces new baby brain cells in grownup brains. Even when our muscles contract, it produces growth chemicals. Using your body can help your brain.” From the NYT article, The Talents of a Middle-Aged Brain.

A strong body and a strong mind can be obtained through exercise. Prior blog entries dealing with cognitive decline and exercise:

Exercise Helps Increase Production Of Neural Stem Cells In Mice Brains And Helps Avoid Cognitive Impairment
Study: Exercise Slows Alzheimer's Brain Atrophy

At New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training we have designed our personal strength training sessions to have the biggest impact in the least amount of time so you will be stronger and have more time to do the activities you enjoy. It is worth considering that the strength training and the increased activity that results might have the added benefit of slowing cognitive decline. With the right exercise program your life can be transformed in just minutes a week.

High Intensity Interval Training Lowers Blood Sugar

[Lief, one of our clients' has gone from five insulin shots a day down to one. He has been training with us for about four years. His video testimonial is on this page.]

Short, intense bursts of activity to mini workouts seemed better able to metabolize sugars – from this article Brief Brief, intense exercise lowers blood sugar:

"Small, new study found that 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise a week -- a total exercise time of 75 minutes a week with warm-up and cool-down included -- could lower blood sugar levels for 24 hours after exercise, and help prevent post-meal blood sugar spikes in people with type 2 diabetes.

"If people are pressed for time -- and a lot of people say they don't have enough time to exercise -- our study shows that they can get away with a lower volume of exercise that includes short, intense bursts of activity," said the study's senior author, Martin Gibala."

This interval training can be done on most aerobic equipment. Interval training can also be incorporating into strength training - perform a series of high intensity strength training exercises will little rest between the exercises.

This form high intensity interval strength training produces more Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) than any other form of exercise. This is the type of personal training we do at New Orleans Fitness Trainers and at Austin Personal Training.

Living without back pain or living with it

There are many changes that come from exercise - increases in strength, stamina, body leanness, speed, and flexibility – that can be measured. Changes that cannot be accurately measured include the decreased likelihood of injury and the attendant pain and how well you feel. The right exercise can result in an increase in one’s quality of life. In some cases it can be dramatically life changing. As trainers this is the most rewarding result we experience with clients.

One client: “ A year ago at this time I was experiencing frequent bouts of aches and pains in my neck, shoulders, and back. I figured it was just part of growing older. Since I started strength training last January, these problems have gone away. Amazing!”

This was the experience of Bill Milliken who trains with Timothy, one of ourAustin Personal trainers. Carole had a similar experience: “I woke up every day with back pain. Going up and down stairs was painful for me knees. I am now pain-free”.

Exercise can go a long way in relieving pain and decreasing the likelihood of injury if it is the right exercise and the right amount of exercise. We use exercise protocols that were derived from exercise studies and have been proven effective for all ages and levels of fitness. At New Orleans Personal Trainers and Austin Personal Trainers and we use MedX rehabilitative exercise equipment that can be adjusted to accommodate those with limitations and the equipment is easier on the joints. We also have many years of experience working with those with pain, so that they can avoid the trial and error and the possibility of additional injury that can result by doing it on their own.

Previous blog entries in the series What Clients Are Saying:
1. Under no circumstances stop exercising because that is what is keeping you going
2. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer
3. A Radical Transformation
4. I saw a remarkable change in my body
5. I don’t think I would be alive today
6. Amazing and remarkable
7.My doctor said it would not be necessary to start taking drugs to preserve my bone density
8. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good
9. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.
10. I was in tears walking on the Great Wall of China
11. I love this workout

12. More results in eight weeks than I had in three years.

Exercise and weight loss, how much?

From this article this quote: Exercise: The News You Don't Want to Hear

“A much better and more efficient way to exercise -- and one that research is clearly showing works a lot better -- is to do high-intensity circuit training. Put the beauty bells down and lift some iron. Shorten your rest periods. If you're doing "aerobics," do some interval training where you sprint for a while then jog to catch your breath.

And by the way, forget about "toning." It doesn't exist. You're either building muscle, maintaining the muscle you already have, or your muscles are slowly shrinking. The first two are accomplished with weight that's heavy to lift. The third is accomplished by doing nothing.

Please understand: No one believes in exercise more than I do. But trying to lose weight with exercise alone -- particularly the long, slow, arduous and generally not-fun method of running mindlessly on a treadmill -- is a doomed strategy if your goal is to lose body fat“

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the type of training we do at New Orleans Personal Trainers at Austin Fitness Trainers.

More results in eight weeks than I had in three years

Number sixteen in a series about what clients have to say about their workouts.

Barbi was an avid runner. She began strength training eight weeks ago. Barbi had this to say, “I have had more results in eight weeks than in three years working out with another trainer”.

With strength training in order to produce a change the body has to perform more work than it is used to handling. Then, given adequate time to recover and adequate nutrition, the body adapts as a form of self-protection by becoming stronger.

In Barbi’s case, she was happy with her change in appearance. Besides appearance there is a long list of positive changes that can take place. Clients will also see a change in their performance and a change in the overall feeling of well being.

For those who are extremely out of shape it will not take much to perform work that is beyond what the body is used to handling – even workloads of modest intensity will produce change. Our oldest client is 92, and she improves regularly. We move the bar a little higher each time – additional repetitions or additional weight. For those who are in great shape the bar is already high. To improve they will have to move the bar even higher.

These changes do not require endless hours in the weight room. Our fitness trainers at Austin TX Personal Training and at New Orleans Personal Trainers can guide you through an effective high intensity strength training program that will take less than an hour a week.

Previous blog entries in the series What Clients Are Saying:
1. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good
2. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.
3. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer
4. I love this workout
6. I saw a remarkable change in my body
7. A Radical Transformation
8. I don’t think I would be alive today
9. Amazing and remarkable
10.My doctor said it would not be necessary to start taking drugs to preserve my bone density
11. I was in tears walking on the Great Wall of China
12. Under no circumstances stop exercising because that is what is keeping you going

Getting to your target heart rate with resistance training

The client was 58 and very fit. She was wearing a pulse meter on her wrist. Ninety seconds into the workout her pulse was 148 which is approaching her maximum for a person her age.

One method of determining one’s maximum heart rate is to subtract one’s age from 220 bpm. Using this method this client’s maximum heart rate would be 162 bpm.

We began the workout with the leg press using a heavy weight and slow initial movements. The leg press involves large muscle groups and can get one’s heart rate up in short order. The slow starts minimize force associated with injury and allow one to warm up safely with the heavier weights. The warm up is in effect incorporated in to the first set using a challenging weight. After a minute she was breathing hard and I told her to move faster. At this point her muscles were warmed up and appreciably weaker. Warmed-up weaker muscles are unlikely to generate enough force to cause injury as long as good form is maintained. Her attempts to move fast did not amount to much at that point in the set, but it did allow her to keep moving and achieve a deeper fatigue.

One of the goals or strength training is to expose the muscles to more work that they are used to handling. Performing a set in the manner can safely achieve that end. In most instances there is really no need to sap one’s energy to do a duplicate set. Effort, energy, and concentration can be devoted to the next exercise or muscle group.

Upon completion of the set she quickly moved on to the next exercise. Everything is pre-set; there is no need to dawdle. There is often a lot of standing around in a gym. Often times there is more time resting between sets than there is actually exercising. Not so with High Intensity Interval Training, HIIT. This is the type of training we do at both of our facilities -New Orleans Fitness Training and PersonalTraining in Austin.

As self protection the body adapts to the demands placed on it if given adequate time to recover. In her case she came back stronger and more able to withstand the sustained cardio demands. People of any age can do this workout and can build up to at their own pace. Our oldest client is 93 years old.

More information on the subject of cardio and strength training:

Cardio, anaerobic, and aerobic exercise explained

Blog entries regarding the heart healthy benefits of strength training

Strength training for seniors - yes

The results from this study Once-weekly resistance exercise improves muscle strength and neuromuscular performance in older adults:

" A program of once or twice weekly resistance exercise achieves muscle strength gains similar to 3 days per week training in older adults and is associated with improved neuromuscular performance. Such improvement
could potentially reduce the risk of falls and fracture in older adults".

People of any age can become stronger, but it is the seniors who stand the most to gain. The personal training sessions conducted by the personal trainers at Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Trainerswas derived from a study working with osteoporosis patients. Researchers found that joints hurt less, bone density increased and muscles were stronger and more toned with minimal time exercising. This type of personal training has been shown effective for men and women of all ages.

Past blog entries related to anti-aging.

The health benefits of interval training - one study

A recent New York Times article How 1-Minute Intervals Can Improve Your Health reported on the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). The subjects exercised on a stationary bike. There were two groups of subjects, unfit subjects and cardiac patients Plus a control group. The results:

"Despite the small time commitment of this modified HIIT program, after several weeks of practicing it, both the unfit volunteers and the cardiac patients showed significant improvements in their health and fitness.

The results, published in a recent review of HIIT-related research, were especially remarkable in the cardiac patients. They showed “significant improvements” in the functioning of their blood vessels and heart, said Maureen MacDonald, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster who is leading the ongoing experiment."

Also noted were the benefits demonstrated in earlier studies:

“In unfit but otherwise healthy middle-aged adults, two weeks of modified HIIT training prompted the creation of far more cellular proteins involved in energy production and oxygen. The training also improved the volunteers’ insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation, lowering their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a study published last fall in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.”

The researcher concludes: “It’s very potent exercise,” Dr. Gibala said. “And then, very quickly, it’s done.”

HIIT using strength training exercises is the type of training we do at New Orleans Personal Trainers at Austin Fitness Trainers.

Past blog entries about cardio health and HIIT

What clients are saying

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. Edward Stanley (1873)

Two people who have decided not to give in to the infirmities of age:

“A year ago at this time I was experiencing frequent bouts of aches and pains in my neck, shoulders, and back. I figured it was just part of growing older. Since I started strength training last January, these problems have gone away. Amazing!” - Bill Milliken

“After only five weeks on the program, I improved my military reserve fitness scores by two levels, achieving one of my best scores ever at age 50. I’m making gains in muscular development faster than any other program I have tried over the years. The mental discipline of this program carries over to day to day life. Anyone who has not experienced the results they wanted from a gym membership or home training owes it to themselves to give this method a try. You won’t regret it.” - David Savoie, CPA

Bill trains at Austin TX Personal Training, and David trains at New Orleans Personal Trainers.

It does not take much time. Your investment in time spent exercising will far exceed the costs associated with not exercising – injury, illness or declining abilities. Our program is one that people can stick to for life - a life where one feels better, looks better, is free to enjoy life more without endless hours in the gym.

A little strength training, an active lifestyle, and better eating choices can have profound effects on one's fitness and health. These changes do not require endless hours in the weight room. Our fitness trainers can guide you through an effective strength training program that will take less than an hour a week and achieve significant results.

Others who have achieved significant results: 

1. I love this workout

2. I saw a remarkable change in my body

3. A Radical Transformation

4. I don’t think I would be alive today

5. I was in tears walking on the Great Wall of China 

6. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good

7. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.

8. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer

9.My doctor said it would not be necessary to start taking drugs to preserve my bone density

10. Amazing and remarkable

11. Under no circumstances stop exercising because that is what is keeping you going

52 weeks and a new lease on life

Every new year we have great expectations of improvement in our well-being, but few achieve those improvements. One man did:

At 72 years old Marcus was slowing down; he could no longer play golf every day. He could play nine holes but lacked the stamina to pay eighteen holes. He began strength training at New Orleans Personal Trainers(our other location – Austin Fitness Trainers). He strength trained for about 30 minutes once a week for a year.

A year later Marcus would play 18 holes of golf, and the next day he would play 18 holes again. He was hitting the ball farther and enjoying golf again. Marcus had added quality years to his life, and it took just 30 minutes a week.

Marcus had increased stamina, flexibility, strength, and very importantly added protection from injury. He was playing a hell of a lot more golf creating a virtuous cycle of increasing well-being.

52 weeks of continuous improvement add up. Every time Marcus exercised he would do a little more. Each week he gave himself ample time to recover, and because of that, each week he would continuously improve. 

Significant strength increases occur exercising as little as once a week IF it's the right exercise program. A properly designed high intensity strength training program starts with the premise of not seeing how much exercise one can withstand but with just how little one can get away with doing and still have significant results.

Loss of strength ultimately leads to life compromising conditions such as arthritis, type-2 diabetes, herniated discs, osteoporosis, weight gain, and heart disease. Of all the bio-markers of aging the most important is the loss of strength. Strength training is by far the most effective exercise in addressing the bio-markers of aging that effect not only how young we look, but more importantly, how we young we feel. People aren't put in nursing homes because they're out of breath; it's because they're too weak.

Our program is one that people can stick to for life - a life where one feels better, looks better, is free to enjoy life more without endless hours in the gym. Is it worth 30 minutes of week? We think that it is.

Sometimes it not as simple as eating less and exercising more

Sometimes you can’t win for losing. One study found that those who eat less often are more likely to be overweight. Researchers found that:

“on average, the normal weight subjects ate three meals and a little over two snacks each day, whereas the overweight group averaged three meals and just over one snack a day”.

Overweight people who have lost significant amounts of weight tend to gain it back and gain it back quickly. These people experience a slowing metabolism and hormonal changes that increase their appetites. Perhaps if you can just persist and keep the weight off over the longer term, say a year, you’d be more likely to keep it off.

According to another study that unfortunately that does not appear to be the case. The discouraging result after a year of maintaining weight loss:

A year later, the researchers found that the participants’ metabolism and hormone levels had not returned to the levels before the study started.

Another quote:

The results show, once again, Dr. Leibel said, that losing weight “is not a neutral event,” and that it is no accident that more than 90 percent of people who lose a lot of weight gain it back. “You are putting your body into a circumstance it will resist,” he said. “You are, in a sense, more metabolically normal when you are at a higher body weight."

Instead of enduring the restrictions of a diet only to gain it back, start an eating plan you know you can stick to. Add a little bit of HIT strength training that burtns calories at a very high rate and live an active healthy life style. This is something that is doable for most people.

HIT is the type of fitness training we do at Austin Personal Training and New Orleans Fitness Training.

Diagnosed with osteopenia at age 43 - 22 years later osteopenia free

Carole was diagnosed with osteopenia at age 43. Her most recent bone scan, 22 years later showed no osteopenia. It is the nature of osteopenia to progress to osteoporosis; Carole certainly does not fit the mold.

While there is no cure for osteopenia, strength training has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment. Treatments can slow, or temporarily stop or reverse symptoms – in Carole’s case dramatically so.

Carole is a client who has been working out at our Austin facility for five years. Carole has significant scoliosis, and her past attempts to do weight bearing exercise invariably resulted in injury to her back. When she started our program she was living with daily back pain. She was able to do our program without further injury and her back pain soon disappeared. We use primarily MedX rehabilitation exercise equipment and an protocol that is gentler on the joints.

A little strength training, an active lifestyle, and better eating choices can have profound effects on one's fitness and health. These changes do not require endless hours in the weight room. Our fitness trainers at Austin TX Personal Training and at New Orleans Personal Trainers can guide you through an effective strength training program that will take less than an hour a week and achieve significant results.

Others who have achieved significant results: 

1. This affects all aspects of my life.

2. I saw a remarkable change in my body

3. A Radical Transformation

4. I don’t think I would be alive today

5. Seems too good to be true, but it actually is that good

6. After each session, I always felt better on all levels.

7. This would not have happened to me if I had a personal trainer

8.My doctor said it would not be necessary to start taking drugs to preserve my bone density

9. Amazing and remarkable

10. Under no circumstances stop exercising because that is what is keeping you going

11. I was in tears walking on the Great Wall of China

12. I love this workout

What is E.P.O.C?

The Wikipedia definition of EPOC : “Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is a measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity.”

Anaerobic exercise increases EPOC more than aerobic exercise does. Resistance exercise (strength training) is primarily anaerobic. Circuit resistance training produces the largest EPOC response.

According to Murphy, E. and Swartzkopf, R. 1992 (Effects of standard set and circuit weight training on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Applied Sport Science Research, 6(2), 88-91), circuit resistance training produces a larger EPOC response compared to the standard resistance training. At Austin Personal Training and at New Orleans Fitness Training circuit resistance training is one of protocols we use. 

Our aim is to safely increase exercise intensity over a period of weeks. We work muscles to a deep fatigue and then quickly moving to the next exercise. Each individual will go to an intensity level that will be appropriate for them, one the person feels she or he can reasonably handle. We will gradually increase the amount of weight lifted and at the same time, lessen the time between exercises. No time is wasted. 

You will be surprised how hard you will be breathing after such a workout. Such a personal training session will not take long, about 20 to 25 minutes. You will increase strength, flexibility, tone, muscle, cardiovascular ability, and produce a larger EPOC response – you will burn more calories during and after the workout. This is an efficient workout, as it affects so many factors of good health in such a short amount of time. If you don’t have time to exercise or if you hate exercise but know you have to do it this is the type of exercise that produces the most bang with minimal time in the gym.

MedX low back exercise

Arthur Jones the founder of MedX and Nautilus is said to have spent 100 million dollars on the development of the MedX low back machine. Arthur said that if everything in his life up to that point were evil this exercise machine more than made up for it. As one who has suffered serious back injuries I can attest to the positive results. Studies report amazing results, and our clients have benefited. 

Some of the advantages the MedX low back machine:

· The range of motion can be precisely confined to a pain-free range of motion.

· The resistance is variable – it becomes lighter in the part of the range of motion where you are weakest. This makes for a much safer exercise.

· The exercise can be performed through a full range of motion that supplies resistance even at the full contraction.

· Resistance is always at a 90 degree angle to the back regardless of where you are in the range of motion. There are no compression forces on the vertebrae. When you are in the finished position of a dead lift there are compression forces.

· The knees and hips constrained so that the lumbar is isolated and must do the work.

As we age we become less flexible. The lumbar becomes increasingly inflexible leaving muscles supporting the hips and knee to do much of the work. This machine done properly will give you more flexibility and strength plus an added measure of protection from back injuries. You’ll less likely have chronic back pain with strong flexible back muscles. 

You are not likely to find this equipment in most health clubs. We have extensive lines of MedX equipment at both of our locations: New Orleans Fitness Trainers and Austin Personal Training.