The Big Debate: Time vs Intensity

The Big Debate: Time vs Intensity

Alright everyone, we all have been there or know someone who has gone to work out and spent hours at the gym perfecting our fitness and not really getting the results we want. If you ask me that is a pretty raw deal!

What if I tell you that you can get the same, if not a better workout in half the time that you usually spend at the gym? Well here is the principle everyone, your body actually has a threshold if you were to call it for anaerobic and aerobic activity; this means your body has limit, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, for the amount of weightlifting and cardiovascular exercise you do! This said, your body does not truly benefit more or benefit less if you go past this threshold, so the idea is high, intense workouts.

Now that everyone understands our bodies’ threshold, let’s talk about intensity. I know most of us have been in the gym and have seen those people just flying through their workout, super-setting every set and using big multi-jointed sets. What do they all have in common? Well for one they are usually RIPPED and FIT! So here is the catch, cranking up your work out intensity with super sets and minimal rest in between sets will not only fire up your metabolism, but push your muscles to their limits.

So let us bring this all together, our body has a threshold of work capacity that can limit our success in the gym; along with a lower, drowned out intensity can really ruin our fitness as a whole. The idea is to have a game plan before you get to your workout and know exactly what you are doing so switching exercises is smooth and quick. The whole idea is to get in and get out. So everyone crank up that intensity and fire up those muscles because you will sweat to success!

ATROPHY is NOT A Trophy!

A recent poll was taken in 24 countries based on 4 categories: 
1. Television watching
2. Internet Use 
3. Aversion to Playing Sports 
4. Calories per day

Among these four categories America ranked first in calories per day and television watching placing us at the top the charts for the “LAZIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.”

It saddens me to know that with all of the privileges people think they deserve as far as cheaper health care, insurance, etc… That a great majority of you are so unwilling to put in the effort to make your lives a little bit healthier. Staying active increases your chances to avoid illness and live a longer more plentiful lifestyle. America has made it far too easy to not be proactive in our lives.

Atrophy: A wasting or decrease in size of a body organ, tissue, or part owing to disease, injury, or lack of use: A wasting away, deterioration, or diminution.

Atrophy is apparent in a great majority of Americans and as we grow older it becomes more difficult to avoid. Every year that we prolong taking any action towards improving our physical activity levels makes it that much harder to gain back the body that we may have had in our early 20’s.

“Lean muscle mass and bone typically decrease, while body fat increases.”(Maintaining Muscle) This can be avoided by committing to daily exercise routines (minimum of 20 minutes, 3 days a week). However some forms of atrophy cannot be avoided for example if it is neuromuscular disease.

Wouldn’t you rather see your family grow healthy and strong together, rather than grow into the couch or recliner in front of the TV? 

Get out and do something active! I want to help you get into the best shape of your life! Give me a call at 402-650-5761 or email me at corey@omahabootcamp.com. 

15 Ways to LIVE Healthier

15 Ways to LIVE Healthier
By: Trevor H. Davis


1. Adjust Sleeping Time - Life expectancy may be reduced by sleeping more than eight hours a night. A study found that people who get only six to seven hours sleep a night live longer than those who sleep eight hours or more, or less than four hours.

2. Drink Tea - Recent research studies reveal the antioxidants in tea may inhibit the growth of cancer cells, support dental health, increase bone density and strengthen cardiovascular health.

3. Drink Red Wine - One glass of red wine a day may have certain health benefits by protecting against certain cancers and heart disease, and can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

4. NO Smoking – No brainer here. Did you know, within one year after quitting, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker?

5. Relax – It helps reduce stress-related conditions such as depression. Try yoga or meditation.

6. Exercise Frequently - Exercise is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity. It keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, and contributes to mental well-being by helping treat depression, relive stress and anxiety.

7. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables – They can help ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, and prevent some types of cancer.

8. Be Optimistic - Researchers found that optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by 50%.

9. Take Vitamins - A good multi-vitamin contains a full assortment of vitamins with minerals, amino acids, herbal extracts, and other specialty nutrients.

10. Do More Crunches - A study of 8,000 Canadians found that individuals who could do the most sit-ups in 1 minute were also the least likely to die over a period of 13 years.

11. Eat Frequently - A study in the British Medical Journal found that people who eat six or more small meals a day have 5 percent lower cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large meals. That's enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20 percent.

12. Eat Nuts - Harvard researchers found that men who replaced 127 calories of carbohydrates--that's about 14 Baked Lays potato chips--with 1 ounce of nuts decreased their risk of heart disease by 30 percent.

13. Olive Oil!!! - Men whose diets include as much as 2 ounces of olive oil a day have an 82 percent lower risk of having a fatal first heart attack than men who consume little or none.

14. Eat Berries - Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all loaded with salicylic acid--the same heart-disease fighter found in aspirin.

15. Get Pricked - Acupuncture appears to trigger the endorphins that help the heart relax and fight off stress, researchers say.