5 Best Carb Sources For A Flat Belly

Why We Need Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential for life. The brain and nervous system require a continual supply of glucose. When dietary carbohydrate supply is low, lean mass will be used for energy. 


A good example of why you need carbs in your diet if you're working out is in the video below when I do my back exercises as I need energy when I'm breaking a sweat!

The American Dietetic Association established a minimum daily requirement of 130 grams of carbohydrates. Of course, size, activity level and other micronutrients intake will affect this daily requirement. Let’s look at a runner. If a marathon runner only ate 130 grams of carbs a day they would use their already low muscle mass for energy, becoming weak and sick.

130 grams for someone like me, petite, may keep them from obtaining a six-pack. Using the right amount of carbohydrates, at the right time and using specific carbohydrates are what will make you your absolute leanest. The best part is that the leanness is sustainable and if you add a couple of unwanted pounds on a bad weekend or vacation it will only take a few tweaks to get you back to bikini ready!

I believe most people, myself included, use foods for comfort instead of for energy. I love to eat and I often make food a social event. Many of us food lovers abuse the use of carbohydrates using them as a stimulant, rather than to fuel our brian and nervous system. When is the last time you felt sluggish and thought of a carb-loaded snack to boost your energy levels?

Truth be told, fat is a major contributor to sotiety and does an outstanding job at keeping you from hitting that mid-afternoon wall…more on fat tomorrow.

Your Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index is a measure of the effect of food on blood-sugar levels. If a food is high on the GI scale, it means that food will cause your blood sugars to rise quickly after ingesting the meal. With a spike in blood sugar, insulin is signaled and storage is inevitable.

Fruits and non-starchy vegetables will not be discussed today as these are vital for optimal health and wellness. Instead, we will discuss starchy complex carbohydrates that play a key role in energy and recovery. Use these foods for those two purposes around your workouts and you will have a very successful training and nutrition program.

My Top 5 Carbohydrate Choices For Stripping Fat
Quinoa
This grain-like crop is my absolute favorite food! Quinoa is appreciated for its nutritional value as a complete protein, dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Quinoa is also GLUTEN-FREE and can be used in so many recipes.
Magnesium - this mineral helps relax blood vessels, decreasing incidence of migraines and also helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Iron- Iron is an essential mineral that is required for human life. Not having enough iron can lead to anemia. The most common symptoms of anemia are weakness and fatigue — one reason people who are iron deficient get tired easily is because their cells don’t get enough oxygen. Pregnant women, young women during their reproductive years and children tend to be at the highest risk of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia in children is associated with poor neurodevelopment.

FUN FACT: this crop is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables and has recently been reported to be better for you than vegetables.

Sweet Potatoes
Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C and vitamin B6. Pink, yellow and green varieties are high in carotene. Sweet potatoes have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory qualities and have the ability to actually improve blood sugar levels.

FUN FACT: The softer, orange variety is often called a yam in parts of North America. The sweet potato is botanically very distinct from the other vegetable called a yam, which is native to Africa and Asia . In North America, both titles are displayed for the orange vegetable (Wikipedia Foundation, Inc)

Brown Rice
This whole grain is far superior to white rice as it still contains the germ and bran layer that contains fiber, magnesium, vitamin B1 and B3, and also iron. One cup of brown rice will provide you with 88% of your daily value of magnesium.

Oats
Oatmeal is rich in fiber, selenium, tryptophan, phosphorus, vitamin B1, magnesium and also contain protein. Oatmeal can lower blood cholesterol because of its soluble fiber content. Oatmeal is rich in soluble and non-soluble fiber.
Insoluble Fiber- absorbs water for easier passage through the intestines and allows for easier passage of stool.
Soluble Fiber- breaks down as it passes through the digestive tract, forming a gel that traps substances responsible for increasing cholesterol.

FUN FACT: Instant oatmeal is pre-cooked and dried, usually with sweetener and flavouring added.

Legumes
Legumes have significant amounts of fiber and are also high in protein, complex carbohydrates, folate and iron. Beans have been proven to fight cancer, benefit people with diabetes and help to lower cholesterol.

FUN FACT: Legumes contain relatively low quantities of the essential amino acid methionine. To compensate, some vegetarian cultures serve legumes along with grains, which are low in the essential amino acid lysine, which legumes contain (Wikipedia Foundation, Inc).

5 Best Fat Sources For A Flat Belly

(Checkout Flavia's Superb Posture Doing Stiff Legged Deadlifts. One of the major requirements nutritionally is FATS! Unless you get the right ones after a hard and heavy workout, you'll be tiring yourself out needlessly).

So ... FATS, FATS, FATS! Does it make sense that we eat fats to shed fat? Well, it’s true. The only reason fat used to be ill-regarded was for marketing purposes. Of course we all ate it up, myself included. I used to stay away from fatty foods, yet I’d throw down artificial crap just to “save the fat”. No wonder I was getting anywhere.

Fats Have 6 Major Roles:

1. Manufacture and regulate hormones
2. Forms our brain and nervous system
3. Transports fat soluble vitamins A,D,E,& K
4. Provides energy
5. Forms our cell membranes
6. Supplies the body with 2 essential fatty acids: omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids

The term “healthy fats” are fats that have been shown to improve overall health with benefits related to blood cholesterol, blood vessels, inflammation and metabolism.

POP QUIZ: Is saturated fat a “healthy fat”?

ANSWER: Saturated fat found in cocoa butter and beef has been proven to lower LDL levels…this is good!

Saturated fats are harmful when saturated fat intake is high PLUS having a diet high in sugar & processed foods AND when saturated fat intake is out of balance with unsaturates.

We should strive to get all types of fat in our daily diets.

POP QUIZ: What is trans fat and is it harmful?

ANSWER:  Trans fat comes from industrial fat processing, meaning it is created (through hydrogenation). YES it is harmful, being linked to many diseases and cancers, including heart disease. ABSOLUTELY ELIMINATE TRANS FATS IMMEDIATELY.

Here are my 5 Best Sources For A Flat Belly that will keep your fatty acid balanced throughout the day.

Try to add all 5 throughout the day when possible:

Organic Eggs

I love eggs and can have them anytime of the day. With the protein found in eggs, it is no wonder so many people turn to eggs as part of their daily food sources. See chart below taken from www.eggs.ca.

Nutrient	Benefit
Iron	Carries oxygen to the cells, helps prevent anemia – the iron in eggs is easily absorbed by the body
Vitamin A	Helps maintain healthy skin and eye tissue; assists in night vision
Vitamin D	Strengthens bones and teeth; may help protect against certain cancers and auto-immune diseases.
Vitamin E	An antioxidant that plays a role in maintaining good health and preventing disease
Vitamin B12	Helps protect against heart disease
Folate	Helps produce and maintain new cells; helps prevent a type of anemia, helps protect against serious birth defects if taken prior to pregnancy and during the first 3 months of pregnancy
Protein	Essential for building and repairing muscles, organs, skin, hair and other body tissues; needed to produce hormones, enzymes and antibodies; the protein in eggs is easily absorbed by the body
Selenium	Works with vitamin E to act as an antioxidant to help prevent the breakdown of body tissues
Lutein and zeaxanthin	Maintains good vision; may help reduce the risk of age-related eye diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration
Choline	Plays a strong role in brain development and function

Avocado

Right alongside with quinoa, avocado has to be up there with my most favorite foods. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, potassium and more, avocado proves to be a powerful supporter of cardiovascular health. This anti-inflammatory promotes blood sugar regulations, fights cancer and is a good source of fiber.

FUN FACT: Did you know that avocados have more usable protein than a piece of streak?

Beef and Salmon

Yes, I know…these are considered protein. But, I use them as a fat source and protein in ONE! I’ll give you one more to make up for these two (see 5 Best Protein Sources For A Flat Belly)

Mixed Nuts & Seeds

The protein content in nuts, along with every kind of fatty acids, making these delicious little wonders an absolute MUST HAVE fat source! Nuts and seeds also have an abundance of minerals and vitamins, including a healthy portion of vitamin E, thiamine, folate, selenium and magnesium.

FUN FACT: A nut is a hard-shelled fruit, having an opening that releases a seed (Wikipedia Foundation Inc.).

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

• a monounsaturate
• antioxidant, loaded with vitamin E
• prevention against cancers
• balances omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
• lowers LDL and total cholesterol
• lowers blood sugars and blood pressure.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil- if you see RBD, leave it on the shelf. RBD stands for “refined, bleached, and deodorized”. It is also important to ensure you are not buying hydrogenated coconut oil that is loaded with trans fat and if you are in Australia, stay away from Copha, which is hydrogenated cococnut oil disquised in many packaged foods. Look for VIRGIN COCONUT OIL.

**If you are cooking with fats, use unrefined or virgin coconut oil and/or organic butter.These can both be used at high temperatures.

5 Best Fruit Sources For A Flat Belly

Having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important for not only their anti-oxidant and fiber benefits but also for creating an alkaline environment in the body. Maintaining an alkaline environment is important for bone mass and muscle tissue. Acidic environments are noted in several diseases in the human body.
Are There Fruits That I Should Avoid?

All fresh whole foods have numerous benefits. They do vary slightly in glucose and fructose content. The ones to avoid are dried fruits, dehydrated fruits, canned and fruit juices due to their high sugar content and preservatives. Frozen fruits are good and fresh, organic fruit is best.

Are There Fruits That Are Better Than Others?
The darker the fruit the better it is for you. Dark fruits have thin skin, meaning they need to produce more antioxidants to protect themselves from the sun. This is also true for the glycemic load of dark fruit; the darker they are the lower the glycemic load.
Does Fruit Affect Blood Sugar Levels?

NO! Surprised? All food have an effect on blood sugar levels but not all have an effect on insulin levels. Fruit does not send your blood sugars sky-high but because it doesn’t effect your insulin levels the fruit is not getting into the muscle where it needs to be, to be used as a carb. It therefore is used to fill up your liver storage. If you eat too much, the extra fructose will be stored as fat.

What Is Fructose? And Is It Bad For You?
Fructose is a simple carbohydrate or sugar. In the liver, fructose is converted to glucose and stored as liver glycogen. The liver can only use and store so much fructose as glycogen at one time. The remainder will be stored as fat.

Research shows that getting a large portion of carbohydrates from fructose results in visceral belly fat gain, reduced insulin sensitivity, more bad cholesterol, less fat burning and a lower metabolic rate…NOT GOOD!

Another reason fructose is often frowned upon is for the simple reason that the liver prefers to use fructose as energy over glucose. What that means is our body will use fructose (fruit) to first replenish our liver glycogen stores before replenishing our muscle glycogen stores. Fruit can replenish muscle glycogen, it just takes longer because the liver will fill itself up first.

That is the reason bodybuilders and fitness competitors will cut out fruits, as they want to replenish their muscle glycogen first rather than their liver, to ensure fast delivery of nutrients for growth and repair to muscle tissue. The liver will steal the fructose in the fruit and store it, rather than use it in the body for repair. What people fail to understand is you cannot be completely depleted of liver glycogen and ‘top-up’ just your muscle glycogen.

FACT: Too much fructose can be converted to triglycerides and is for this reason you should limit your daily fruit intake.

How Much Fruit Should I Eat In A Day?
Some experts say 5-20 grams of fructose, which is around 1-2 servings a day and 20 grams for a very active individual. I go by 2 servings of fruit a day and that seems to work for me and the females I have trained, keeping in mind we are very active!

My Top 5 Fruit Choices For A Flat Belly
Grapefruit - an excellent source of vitamins and phytochemicals, rich in vitamin c, antioxidants and fibre. The reason I love grapefruit and have it daily is the effect on regulating blood sugars and it is theorized to help metabolize and burn fat.

Mixed Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) – another excellent source of vitamins (rich in vitamin c), anti-oxidants, phytochemicals and fibre. I love berries for their taste, low GI scale and few calories.

Apple - an apple a day…you know the rest. This is made true for their high vitamin B-complex, vitamin c, phytonutrients and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

Orange - like all citrus fruits, oranges are high in vitamin C and also contain a rich amount of vitamin A. Oranges are high in fibre pectin which is known for it’s laxative-like quality that protects the colon and helps to lower cholesterol.

Cranberries – this fruit is wonderful as an anti-inflammatory and kidney protector; known for its protection against urinary tract infection.

FUN FACT: Tomato is a fruit but is often referred to as a vegetable. I do not include tomato as part of the 2 fruit rule because of its low sugar content.

FUN FACT: Avocado is also a fruit but I use it as a fat source rather than a fruit.

Bottom line is fruit has many benefits but it is crucial to keep fruit to a MINIMUM!


Any questions? Ask below, but before you go, have a look at how Flavia Delmonte keeps her body looking so trim! This is Chest Day with some expert help from Ryan Watson. Once you've had a look at this session you'll instantly change your chest day. 

Why Your Diet Should Be 100% Wheat-Free

==> Press play to watch the video

Why Your Diet Should Be Wheat-Free
Before talking to my friend Isabel, who is a nutrition goddess, I ate wheat often. I was one of those people who thought whole wheat bread was the way to go!

After Isabel opened my eyes to what wheat is capable of, I immediately turned from wheat and have stayed away since. This small change did incredible things for my figure. I was finally able to shed belly fat, something that was incredibly tough for me to do in the past.

Below are Isabel’s reasons why wheat should be eliminated from your diet and I agree 100%. Being an RN and having seen such conditions first hand, I can say that changing the way we eat can do numerous benefits for your inner and outer self.

For starters…
The gluten contained in wheat products can cause or contribute to digestive disorders and joint problems. If you suffer with these conditions, a wheat-free diet may be cure or relieve your uncomfortable symptoms.

Here’s where I may get your attention…
Cutting wheat out of your eating plan can also help you shed those unwanted pounds. Wheat often times causes inflammation due to sensitivity, which will in turn make your body retain water and will contribute to weight gain.

Fun Fact…
Eating the wrong food can actually produce a temporary high, as such found in opioid drugs like morphine. After this feeling wears off, you crave the same food in order to get another euphoric experience again.

WHEAT SUBSTITUTIONS
Millet is commonly used as a wheat substitute for both gluten-free and wheat free diets, as well as quinoa, brown rice, and sprouted grains. If you still want your carbs and who doesn’t, stick to these types of grains to see the best results in your health and weight.
    •    Millet
    •    Brown Rice
    •    Sprouted Grains
    •    Quinoa
    •    Buckwheat
A wheat-free diet is often confused with a gluten-free diet. Although wheat products contain gluten, these two types of diets are not the same.

When eating wheat-free diet, you simply eliminate all foods that contain wheat. When you follow a gluten-free diet, you not only give up wheat but you also eliminate barley and rye.

DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY WHEAT
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can cause abdominal pain, bloating, gas, changes in bowel movements and cramping. People with IBS may be constipated one minute and have diarrhea the next. The urge to have a bowel movement can get so intense and is sometimes hard to control.
The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome vary from person to person and they can come and go as they please. Gluten intolerance has been shown to produce or pronounce IBS symptoms. Since gluten is found in wheat, eliminating it from your diet can help reduce the symptoms.
You don’t have to have irritable bowel syndrome for wheat to cause digestive problems. Eating wheat can clog up the intestines and make digestion difficult. A wheat-free diet can promote a healthy digestive tract by allowing food to flow through easier.

GO WHEAT-FREE AND DROP A FEW POUNDS
Wheat is found in bread, pasta, baked goods, cereal, ice cream, gravies and other processed foods. These types of foods have no nutritional value and they make it near impossible for you to lose weight. On top of the empty calories you get when you load up on processed wheat products, you also ingest all kinds of unhealthy chemical additives that once again cause, among many other things, water retention.
When you kick wheat out of your diet, there’s nothing left to eat but lean meats, fish, poultry, fruits, beans, nuts, legumes and vegetables. These foods are nutrient-dense and lower in calories than processed foods. When you opt for healthier foods, you automatically reduce your caloric intake, so you have an easier time slimming down.

ELIMINATING WHEAT CAN REDUCE JOINT PAIN
Gluten can hinder your body’s natural defenses against joint pain caused by osteoporosis or osteoarthritis. If you have either of these conditions, a wheat-free diet may help reduce discomfort. Also, when you suffer from joint conditions, being overweight will amplify the pain. The weight loss you experience from a wheat-free diet will take some of the pressure off of your joints and help ease pain.


GETTING STARTED
When you’ve been eating wheat all of your life, the thought of eliminating it from your diet can be scary. If going wheat-free is difficult for you, take small steps. Start off by cutting your intake by half. After you do this for a while, continue to reduce the amount of wheat you eat. Before you know it, you’ll be wheat-free and on the path to better health. You will feel much better in no time and this will make the wheat eating habit, easy to replace.

Want to get healthy through what you eat?  The Diet Solution Program can get you on the right path and keep you there. Isabel’s recipes are all friendly to a wheat-free diet.
Isabel is genius registered dietician that has helped over 25 000 struggling men and women lose the weight they thought they could never lose. Isabel’s cutting edge and completely different approach to nutrition is what sets her apart from all the rest. This approach has created results for so many once frustrated dieters. Her strategies work, hands down, as long as her simple principles are followed.
See here for yourself.
By Flavia Del Monte

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Weight Loss Programs - Finding A Weight Loss Program That Works

By Vince DelMonte. If you're currently on the search for weight loss programs, you'll need to consider a variety of things. All weight loss programs are not created equally; some will have a much higher rate of success than others.

Knowing exactly what to look for when searching for weight loss exercise programs will help enable you to make a decision that will get you the results you're looking for.

First, if you're like many people, you probably want a free weight loss program. The thing to keep in mind though is that these are free for a reason. They are targeted towards the general public and as such, give such broad suggestions that while it may work for one person, it will not work for you. For example, if you are a 200 pound man and the free weight loss programs you are finding are more geared towards a 140 pound woman; you can see why this would obviously be problematic.

The first thing to ask yourself when you see a weight loss diet program is how personalized is it. I'm sure you've heard the saying that "General programs produce general results," which is very true. The more personalized and targeted the solution is to your individual situation, the higher your chance of consistent weight loss.

Next, ask whether it allows for enough calories to keep you from completely starving. While it may be tempting to try a very low calorie approach to get the weight loss process over and done with, usually these end up backfiring on you, leaving you gaining more weight back after you go off them than you had when you first started. Your goal is to burn the fat, not starve the fat and the majority of weight loss programs force your metabolism to shut down which leads to muscle loss - a doubled edged sword contributing to greater fat storage on your body.

Another component that you'll want to factor in is exercise. A good weight loss exercise program will combine both cardiovascular training along with weight training. Those weight loss exercise programs that have you doing hours of cardio on end are not going to be all that beneficial at retaining your lean muscle tissue mass, nor time efficiency. Since, your lean muscle tissue is what keeps your metabolism the highest; it's what you really want to focus on the most. Neglecting this aspect of your workout is a huge mistake and does not maximize the 24 hours in a day you have to burn fat.

Finally, keep in mind that any weight loss program you go on you should be maintainable in the long run. A program that you're only able to maintain in the very short term is likely to not be overly beneficial as if lifestyle changes are not made with regards to how you're eating; chances are that the weight will be back at some point in the near future. Your ultimate goal is a lifestyle change, not a temporary change.

So, if you want to get on a weight loss program that works, be sure to check out Your Six-Pack Quest. As you'll discover when you sign up for this plan you'll get 9 balanced meal plans, 84 days each, ranging from 1200 to 2800 calories. You have literally zero guess work because these plans include grocery lists, a wide variety of meals, tasty meals, and exact times to eat. Follow the plans to the letter and you'll have a ripped and sexy six pack 6 months tops.
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About the Author: Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found at www.YourSixPackQuest.com. He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals how to lose weight without gimmicks, supplements or dieting. © 2006-2008, Your Six Pack Quest All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package. 

Download the Build & Burn iPhone App - http://bit.ly/fU3XL3 or the Android App - http://bit.ly/hoAncm

Weight Loss Tips - Effective Weight Loss Tips to Help You Succeed

By Vince DelMonte. In today's world, almost everywhere you look people are looking for weight loss tips. Weight loss has become the primary objective of those who are going to the gym. They want to lose weight and they want it NOW. Luckily, there are some weight loss tips that will make this process a great deal easier, ensuring that you can succeed without feeling like you're putting your body through torture.

Calorie Intake
The first couple quick weight loss tips are number one, be sure that your calorie intake is not too extreme. Think about it. Put yourself on a starvation diet and you are just asking for a rebound binge. Sure, you may have great will power and will be able to withhold for a few days, but you will soon cave and when you do, chances are you'll eat a vast quantity of food in response to starving for so long.

If your caloric intake is too low to begin then where will you go when you hit a plateau? For example, a male will be far more successful starting with 2800 calories and dropping 200 calories every 2 weeks as he evaluates his progress instead of starting at 2000 calories and only having one direction to go - starvation which will eventually turn off his metabolism and stall his weight loss progress.

Gradual Progression
Secondly, keep in mind current "nutrition level." Do you really need a bodybuilder pre-contest diet or do you just need to start with the basics? If you begin with a meal plan that is too extreme then you will not be able to follow it and regardless of how well the diet is designed, if you aren't able to stick with it, it isn't going to work very well. My favorite line of mine is, "The best diet that works is the one that you follow." Adopting a more gradual nutrition approach, just like your training, would help with your adherence levels, which would then translate to you being better able to maintain it. One of the best weight loss tips I gave a client who was eating 2 double cheese burgers a day was to start eating one double cheese burger! Why didn't I recommend he eat a steamed chicken breast instead since that is the superior choice? The steamed chicken breast, obviously the mores superior choice would be too much of a change and not create adherence and eventually failure.

Celebrate With a 10% Meal
Another few fast weight loss tips are that you should always be incorporate a "victory meal" to reflect your accomplishment and progress. If you have gone a few weeks without any cheat meals and are dropping consistently then kick back and have a beer or do something that is "rewarding" - just don't get too carried away and don't get back on track. You won't sabotage weeks of dieting with one "victory meal" as long as you don't adopt a mindset that this celebration represents an "ending." The key is to not get carried away and to use this as a reward, refocus and get ready for another 4-8 weeks of hard training and dieting. Consider a "celebration meal" every few weeks and then get back on track!

Smart Exercise Program
Next up, when selecting the exercise program you'll go on, again, be sure not to choose something that's overly extreme. Too much cardio can actually hinder your results, so you'll want to avoid that as much as possible. Three to four sessions a week along with a properly planned out diet should be plenty to get you seeing results. If you are having to do hours a day in order to just lose a pound, something else is off with either your diet (most likely) or your weight training program.

Clear The Clutter
Finally, the last quick weight loss tip to keep in mind is that before starting any diet program, you should rid the house of any foods that could be problematic. If the food is not readily available, it makes it sort of hard to eat it. Consider you home a "haven" and that it's one thing to have slip ups occur outside of your home but not inside of your home where you can control what is coming in and out. Sabotaging your own weight loss success, in your own home, is embarrassing.

By clearing yourself of the problem foods before you start, you overcome a huge obstacle already.

Replace these 'bad' foods with ones that are much healthier and will still taste good, so when you do get hungry, they are what you reach for rather than the old foods which caused your weight gain in the first place.
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About the Author: Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found at www.YourSixPackQuest.com. He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get with weight loss tips to get a six pack without gimmicks, supplements or dieting. © 2006-2008, Your Six Pack Quest All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package. 

Download the Build & Burn iPhone App - http://bit.ly/fU3XL3 or the Android App - http://bit.ly/hoAncm

Adaptations To Sprint Training

By Vince DelMonte. If you are looking to improve your physical conditioning, sprint training is one of the best ways to go about doing so.

Many individuals prefer sprint training because it takes a lot less time than traditional forms of cardio that have you going for thirty to sixty minutes at a time and there are a great number of benefits that will be seen when you do this more intense form of sprint training workout.

EPOC 
One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from sprinting is the EPOC effects it creates. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and is where the body will expend a great deal of calories returning the body back to its former state after the workout.

Because sprint training is so intense, this will contribute to a large calorie burn after you have finished the workout. To even further increase the EPOC that is seen, consider doing hill sprint training. Since this is even more intense in nature, it will further challenge your body.

Metabolic Adaptations 
Next, when you perform a number of sprint training workouts, the body will upregulate its ability to produce enzymes that are going to work at increasing the storage capacity of the muscle for energy substrates such as ATP.

This then has the corresponding effect of allowing you to work out harder for a longer period of time without fatigue setting in. Note though that this occurs when you are working more on the aerobic side of things, so while it is intense, you are still utilizing oxygen.

If no oxygen is present, you will only be able to last 5-20 seconds, regardless of how well conditioned you are (the better condition you are though, the harder you will be able to work during that time).

Phosphate Metabolism 
The next benefit you’ll get with sprint training is its effect on phosphate metabolism. Phosphate creatine stores comprise a major component of the body’s fuel source for muscular activity, so anything you can do to increase this is going to be beneficial.

Myokinase is an enzyme that is responsible for resynthesizing the energy from phosphate creatine, and with sprint training, it will increase its concentration within the muscle tissue by up to 20%.

Glycolysis 
The next adaptation that will occur after you’ve been doing sprint training for a period of time is that of glycolysis. This is the primary form of metabolism used during a 10 second all out sprint and contributes between 55 and 75% towards energy production during exercise.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK), an enzyme that catalyses the phosphorylation of the glycolytic intermediate fructose 6-phosphate), has also been shown to increase when sprint training is performed, along with the enzymes of lactate dehydrogenase and glycogen phosphorylase (other enzymes responsible for the glycolysis system).

Intramuscular Buffering Capacity
Finally, the last adaptation that’s seen with sprint training is the buffering capacity of the muscle. During glycoglysis, various byproducts are created such as lactic acid, and when these accumulate, it causes the extreme feelings of fatigue in the muscle tissues.

This then forces you to stop exercising as the fatigue sets in and often will be the end of your workout.

Overtime, sprint training will increase your ability to buffer these byproducts so that you can then workout for a longer period of time while maintaining that intensity.

So, next time you’re debating about whether to do a sprint training session or a moderate paced cardio session lasting for 40 minutes or so, opt for the sprint session.

The benefits you’ll receive are far more numerous and fat loss will be kicked up a notch as an added benefit. Keep in mind that for these type of benefits to occur, you want your sprints to last somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 seconds to 40 seconds, with a work to rest ration of about 1:2. Repeat this process a total of 6 to 8 times and begin and end with a five minute warm-up and cool-down.
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About the Author: Vince DelMonte is the author of Your Six Pack Quest found at www.YourSixPackQuest.com. He specializes in helping chubby guys and gals get six pack abs without gimmicks, supplements or dieting. © 2006-2008, Your Six Pack Quest All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package. 

Download the Build & Burn iPhone App - http://bit.ly/fU3XL3 or the Android App - http://bit.ly/hoAncm