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Hittin' the HIIT | The Great Balancing Act

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Original post by healthhabits

Hey Mark,
I’m in the Army National Guard. I would really like to follow your workout guidelines, especially with regard to cardio (I actually hate running and I’m not very good at long distance), but with regard to the Army Physical Fitness test, which I have to pass, I have to run 2 miles in a set amount of time, less than 16 minutes essentially. I feel like the only way I can maintain this is to do sustained running sessions about 3 times a week for about 20 minutes a shot (Again, I hate running, haha). Do you think if I follow all of the workout advice in the Primal Blueprint, I can still pass this test?

Great question, and I’m glad you asked. The endurance training question presents a conundrum that plagues many of my readers, I’m sure, no matter how often I sound the drum against Chronic Cardio. […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

You’re on your own today folks. It’s my birthday and I don’t like to work on my birthday.
Talk to you next week
Doug

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Original post by healthhabits

In part one of this article series I covered the basics of water retention. This time I’ll list a few effective tricks that will help you deal with it when and if it occurs. Don’t worry, you won’t be sweating it out in a sauna and sucking on ice cubes. These are all simple and non-intimidating strategies that don’t require a whole lot of thinking. They can be used in isolation or in combination.
Reduce sodiumThe most common reason people hold water is due to shifts in sodium balance. Going from a low baseline intake of sodium to sudden and high intakes can have dramatic effects on your visual appearance (which any bodybuilding-competitor can attest to). Conversely, reducing sodium can have the opposite effect and cause water loss. This is all about relative and not absolute numbers; it’s not high sodium per se that cause water retention/water loss, but deviations from […]

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Martin Berkhan)

The message has been circulating for a few years now: trans fats = bad. It’s one of the rare times I find myself in alignment with conventional nutritional guidelines. (Of course, it’s not so simple, but I’ll unpack that one in a moment.) The fact is, manufacturers have done a better job sending the anti-trans fat message than public health agencies. Everywhere you turn in the grocery store the “No Trans Fat!” tag leaps out at you, complete with manic font and exclamation point, from hundreds of boxes, bags, and packages. (“Well, it must be healthy then!”) Unfortunately, the marketing push has crowded out the real science when it comes to the public’s engagement with the real issue. As you can guess, there’s more to the trans fat picture than the self-congratulatory manufacturer claims.
Dear Mark,
I know trans fats are unhealthy and I avoid them like the plague. But like […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

People will often feel inclined to explain to you why the numerous constraints in their lives has prevented them to achieve the their goal. They have so much else going on in their lives. A job, a girlfriend, social events to attend. Time-consuming hobbies. A car that needs fixing or some other project of critical importance. Those are the reasons why they’re out of shape or have attained only mediocre results.
For them, the idea of losing bodyfat or attaining some degree of muscularity is about time. The notion that you have to spend hours in the gym and meticulously plan your diet every day is accepted as a truism. They think that if they could just free up enough time, they’d easily get a physique comparable to a front cover fitness model. But see, life gets in the way.
When a conversation reaches that point, and in my experience it often […]

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Martin Berkhan)

I get a lot of questions about supplements even though I’m not a big proponent of them. That being said, there are some supplements that you might find useful depending on your goals. The first four on this list are supplements most people could benefit from. I’m not a great cook and once I find a few meals I like, I’ll go for long periods just eating the same foods in various combinations – a pattern which is quite common among my peers as well. Adding these supplements is an easy way to safeguard against any potential shortcomings of a monotonous diet.
The other ones are supplements that may help with fat loss, performance or just makes life easier some days. They are not essential by any means.
I’ve linked to some products. These are either ones I can vouch for personally or the cheapest ones in their category. I’ve used bodybuilding.com’s […]

Original post by noreply@blogger.com (Martin Berkhan)

This inspiring Primal Blueprint Fitness Video was sent in by reader Tom Greenwald. Let Tom know what you think in the comment board.
The Fitness Video contest has ended, but there are still ways to win prizes and be part of the Primal community here at Mark’s Daily Apple. Enter your best recipes (current theme: Primal Snacks) to be included in the Primal Blueprint Reader-Created Cookbook Contest, and submit your New Year’s Resolutions video by Jan. 15. In both cases you have a chance to win hundreds of dollars in Primal gear and be featured on MDA. Grok on!
Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox
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Contest Video: Primal Blueprint Bodyweight Exercises
Contest Video: Primal Blueprint Upper Body Workout
Contest Video: Bodyweight Basics

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Original post by Mark Sisson