Walking Shoes Vs Running Shoes Vs Cross-Trainers

By Peter Boston

There was a time when the only buying choice for sneakers was white or black. Today's athletic shoes are the product of sophisticated science and engineering that have expanded consumer choices to precise details about athletic shoe cushioning, flexibility, orthopedic qualities, and the breathability of inner and outer materials. The distinctions between walking shoes, running shoes, and cross trainers from the same manufacturer may be small in some cases but they are real differences that will affect your walking experience, and not just a marketing gimmick.

Walking Shoes

Walking shoes have more flexible soles and are specially designed to promote the easy roll of the foot from heel to toe, your natural walking motion. Cushioning is designed to absorb about 1.5 times body weight for any shoe size. Walking shoes do not have to be as rugged so there is more opportunity for manufacturers to use mesh and other lighter, highly breathable materials on the shoe outers. Feet sweat and some walkers will really appreciate this feature. Tread designs are less deep and the soles and side walls provide all around grip. The best walking shoe is, in fact, a Walking Shoe, but you could certainly use the other types of athletic shoes in your walking program so long as the fit was right.

Running Shoes

Running shoes are designed to absorb impacts up to three times your body weight and provide sufficient lateral stability to control pronation. Heels are higher and more heavily cushioned. Treads and sides are designed for maximum forward grip. Trail running shoes have impregnated solid guards to prevent bruising from sharp rocks. Running shoes from the same manufacturer will not be as flexible at the ball of the foot as a purpose made walking shoe.

Cross-Trainers

Cross-trainers attempt to provide a versatile compromise between walking and basketball, tennis or other court shoes. Generally, cross trainers have more rigid metatarsal (side-to-side) support than running shoes, and do not have adequate heel cushioning for long distance running, Cross-trainers work OK if running is limited to a few miles at a time but a cross-trainer shoe would likely break down faster than a purpose made running shoe.


Learn how to select the best walking shoe for your foot type.

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Six Pack Abs - The Number 1 Abs Exercise You Can Do and How to Do It

By NJ Brighton

For many years, people have chased what is considered the holy grail of weight loss and muscle toning...getting a sexy six pack.

Whether it's to attract people at the beach, to make your clothes look great on you or to win back that lovely sense of self achievement and pride in yourself, there's always a need for a great looking body and a flat, well toned stomach.

However, along with our desires for a sexy six pack comes a great deal of pain and frustration...

Not only do we virtually break our backs trying to get that elusive six pack stomach, but we also spend far too much time down at the gym in our precious free time. Furthermore, we also waste our money on gimmicks that simply end up collecting dust. Ouch.

Sure, you're going to need to commit to physical work when aiming for a six pack. But there's a difference between working hard and working smart.

So with that in mind, let's look at how you can work smart and get those sexy six pack abs with the least amount of effort, ok?

How do we get a six pack with the least effort?

We simply focus on the six pack abs routine that burns the most fat in the least amount of time. That routine is the bicycle crunch.

Instead of wasting your energy with what other smug people tell you to do, why not do what recent studies have proved to be the most time and energy effective?

That's right, the bicycle crunch is the number 1 way to burn off the calories and shed the fat around the stomach.

How to do the bicycle crunch properly

1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.

2. Put your hands beside your head.

3. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion.

4. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.

5. Breath evenly throughout the exercise.

That's something you can do from now on, so make sure you add this to your routine and make a conscious effort to stick to the plan! Trust me, it will pay off.

However, I should mention that you could do bicycle crunches all day long and you're still not going to always lose weight and actually see the toned sex appeal of a six pack. Why not? Because the secret that lies behind a much desired six pack involves a very specific meal plan (NOT a diet) and also requires a certain pattern of exercises that go far beyond toning exercises.

You can shave years off your hard work by knowing the secrets to fast six pack abs. Because ab belts, ab-rockers, ab-loungers, and other infomercial ab-gimmicks...they're all a complete waste of your time and money. Visit http://www.secretsixpackabs.com/abs and you will discover how to get six pack abs fast. YOU CAN get your own sexy six pack abs, but only if you know our best kept secret.

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What is HITT Cardio Training?

By Jason Szova

HITT or high intensity interval training is an easy way to burn all those fat and calories in your body without exerting yourself much. This mode of interval training with much higher and intense cardio level has become a rage in bodybuilding industry, for its benefit of helping a body burn fat to a greater extent.

The major benefit of HITT or high intensity interval training is that it lets you lose all the fat. HITT is also known as conventional form cardio vascular exercise, with better and efficient outcome for every workout lover or bodybuilder.

The very old form of cardiovascular workouts talked about losing weight by exercising at low intensity or low interval for a longer period of time, but high intensity interval training is a modern form of cardio that depends on the technique of working out intensely at an interval ranging from light to moderate level.

This very fact that HITT works opposite to conventional cardiovascular technique, makes it as the upgraded version of the latter form of exercise.

Since, high intensity interval training technique is based on intense workouts with low and medium pace in alteration, rather than a continuous pace, therefore it also tends to burn more fat and that too in less time span.

The major benefit of HITT or high intensity interval training is the fact that on a normal exercise routine your body gets accustomed to the pace and exertion and thus does not lose the amount of calories you wished for.

Also by becoming accustomed to the intensity of normal cardio exercise your body also starts conserving some calories, as it goes in a steady or stable mode. So when working with alternate and intense level of exercise, your body is not able to go into a steady or stable state and thus keeps on losing or burning fat and calories without getting a chance to store them.

HITT also has its cons which makes it 'not-suitable' for a particular category of people involved in workouts or cardio trainings. The very reason is the level of intensity involved in it, which makes it risky for people having medical constraints like those having heart or cardiovascular difficulties.

Another reason that makes some people stay away from benefits of HITT is the fact that not every one is capable enough to workout at the requirement of this high intensity interval training program, for it requires a greater physical input.

This form of cardio may sound tough and little too unreasonable, but there are techniques to make yourself accustomed to the intensity and level of HITT. The trick here is to begin at a low pace for 5 to 6 minutes, increasing the pace to high speed and then again coming back to 4 to 6 minutes of low pace workout, finally moving on to 2 to 3 minutes of low pace along with high paced workout.

The basic idea behind the high intensity interval training is of doing a cardiovascular exercise (ranging from cycling, brisk walking, running, and treadmill walking or elliptical training) with alternate level of pace including a half or full minute interval or break before change of pace from low to high or high to low. All this is based on the aim of progressive fat burn result in much quicker and faster way, therefore for every bodybuilder HITT or high intensity interval training makes a sense when indulge in a strict fat burn or weight loss regime.

You can always reduce your gym time by introducing high intensity interval training in your weekly exercise routine, as with HITT you need not spend regular amount of hours you do on normal level of training, also with HITT you need to workout only 4 to 5 times a week or may be even 3 to 4 times depending upon the level of intensity you are involved in.

HITT is easily disguised with the amount of huffing and puffing it brings to a person, so if you are sweating and breathing good then you are burning all your fat with high intensity interval training version of modern exercise.

General HIIT Guidelines which everyone should follow as they start practicing the HIIT regime regularly:

Prior to starting with HIIT training, always make sure you have the potential to work out for at least 20 to 30 minutes at no less than 70-85% of your expected maximum heart rate, without draining yourself to a limit.

Also, it is very important to warm up and cool down for 5 minutes, every time, before and after each HIIT session.

While recovery intervals, if your heart rate does not go down back to nearly 70% of your maximum heart rate, it means that you need to cut down your intense work intervals and extend your recovery intervals.

Always keep in mind that HIIT is designed for people whose key interests are enhancing their cardiovascular fitness, stamina and fat loss, on the whole, without losing the muscle mass they already retain.

Since it is an intense mode of workout, you are required to give your complete effort and intense level of output before you switch your pace level from high to medium or low. In simple words, exercise as hard and as intensely as you can and then go back to a 2 or 3 minute of low pace workout to recover. This is the very reason that makes HITT a faster and quicker form of workout.

For those involved in a routine high intensity interval training program, it is advised that do not ignore the importance of taking a minute or 30 second interval when changing the pace. Also, stop and calm down when feeling chest pain or having trouble in breathing. This is also why even those who are new to the muscle building routine tend to ignore HITT. Thus, the intense level of program in HITT is not recommended for any person who comes in the category of either having a health problem or being a newcomer, unless the physician or the doctor has given them a go for performing such level of cardiovascular activities.

This article has been brought to you by Jason Szova & Positive Body Real Results Magazine if you would like more free information on health fitness fat loss and bodybuilding please visit http://totalbodytransformations.com , http://positivebody.com

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