Trainerdan
Mon, Jan-07-02, 16:17
For too long, there has been no real advancement in aerobic conditioning research.
You probably know the mantra in your sleep:
Jog, swim, walk, tread, stairmaster, bike, etc. at a sweat-inducing pace
Work out 3 - 4 times per week, for 20-40 minutes a session
But there's something missing. And that something will make the difference between burning fat (which is what you want) and burning precious, hard-earned muscle (what you don't). You see, you don't just do aerobics for the heck of it and hope for the results. You could be doing more than you should be doing, or not enough.
Do YOU know WHY you're doing aerobic training as part of your fitness routine? Are you getting the results you want? Are you getting ANY AT ALL? Just like your strength training, your aerobic conditioning program must have a strategy, too. What do you want to achieve, and how you're going to go about achieving it.
TEST YOURSELF FIRST - BY TALKING!
For best results, you must test yourself before you begin your aerobic program to make sure you're doing it at the right intensity. Get a stopwatch for more accurate results. Here's what you need to do:
1) Pick the exercise you're going to use for your aerobic training. If possible, find a partner who won't mind doing that activity with you for a few minutes.
2) Go out and do your chosen activity for at least five minutes to get your system up to speed. Carry on a conversation with your partner, if you have one. If not, talk to yourself, out loud as if you're talking to someone else. (That's why I recommend a partner, so you don't feel strange doing this alone.)
3) Slowly increase the intensity, i.e. speed up, until you begin having difficulty carrying on your conversation. At that point, take your radial (wrist) pulse for one minute. Memorize the number, then slow down so you're able to talk easily. Repeat this cycle two more times so you have three heart rate numbers. For best test results, visit one of my Success Partners at the end of this newsletter.
4) Add up the numbers, then divide by three. This is the ceiling end of your training zone.
5) Take the answer to #4, then subtract 10%. e.g. if your ceiling is 140, then subtract 14 to get 126. This is the floor end of your training zone. Your complete training zone is 126-140 beats per minute.
This zone takes into effect your muscular endurance relative to the exercise. If you go above it, you're burning more muscle than fat. If you're too low, you're wasting your time. Which means, you must monitor your heart rate every 5-7 minutes to make sure you're in your training zone.
YOUR STRATEGY
Like I said a moment ago, you don't just do aerobics. If you want results, you work out with a purpose. You know what you want from aerobic training. But you gotta train for them. There's more than one way to do aerobics. There's actually four ways:
1) for bodybuilders,
2) for general fitness,
3) for weight loss, and
4) for endurance athletes.
Each objective has its own training schedule. Decide which objective you want, then put together the program that'll get you there.
Bodybuilders
Want to get ripped to the bone, while preserving the muscle you've toiled for for months? Here's what you do: take 15% of your talk test heart rate result, and use that as the ceiling of your new training zone. Using the 140 bpm example, that would be 119. So your new zone would be 107 - 119. Of course, you need to eat a bit less, about 200-300 calories a day less. Aim for 1-2 lb. of fat loss per week. Sessions can range from 15 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on if it's off-season or pre-contest, 3-7 days a week.
General Fitness
Looking to just maintain a certain level of aerobic conditioning? Fine. This one's pretty simple. 3-6 days a week, 15 - 60 minutes per session within your training zone. As with any training, stay at the low end of your zone, frequency, and duration. Increase duration by 10-20% each week, so if you do 20 minutes this week, you'll do 22-24 minutes next week. But ALWAYS stay within your zone.
Weight Loss
If you're de conditioned, start with 3-5 sessions a week, 15-30 minutes a session. Stay at the LOW END of your zone. Increase the duration of each session by 10-20% each week. See General Fitness. After 4-6 weeks, increase to 4-6 days per week, 20 - 120 minutes per day. It sounds like a lot, but when it comes to losing weight, calories burned is the key here. You can break up your sessions in half, like a morning session and an evening session. Progress the same as above.
Endurance Athletes
I'll be very honest here. This could be its own article, so I don't want to get too involved. If you are an endurance athlete and want info on heart rate training, feel free to send me a private message.
LAST WORDS
Once you have a goal in mind and put a strategy in place to get there, you'll achieve the results you want from your aerobic training faster and easier.
You probably know the mantra in your sleep:
Jog, swim, walk, tread, stairmaster, bike, etc. at a sweat-inducing pace
Work out 3 - 4 times per week, for 20-40 minutes a session
But there's something missing. And that something will make the difference between burning fat (which is what you want) and burning precious, hard-earned muscle (what you don't). You see, you don't just do aerobics for the heck of it and hope for the results. You could be doing more than you should be doing, or not enough.
Do YOU know WHY you're doing aerobic training as part of your fitness routine? Are you getting the results you want? Are you getting ANY AT ALL? Just like your strength training, your aerobic conditioning program must have a strategy, too. What do you want to achieve, and how you're going to go about achieving it.
TEST YOURSELF FIRST - BY TALKING!
For best results, you must test yourself before you begin your aerobic program to make sure you're doing it at the right intensity. Get a stopwatch for more accurate results. Here's what you need to do:
1) Pick the exercise you're going to use for your aerobic training. If possible, find a partner who won't mind doing that activity with you for a few minutes.
2) Go out and do your chosen activity for at least five minutes to get your system up to speed. Carry on a conversation with your partner, if you have one. If not, talk to yourself, out loud as if you're talking to someone else. (That's why I recommend a partner, so you don't feel strange doing this alone.)
3) Slowly increase the intensity, i.e. speed up, until you begin having difficulty carrying on your conversation. At that point, take your radial (wrist) pulse for one minute. Memorize the number, then slow down so you're able to talk easily. Repeat this cycle two more times so you have three heart rate numbers. For best test results, visit one of my Success Partners at the end of this newsletter.
4) Add up the numbers, then divide by three. This is the ceiling end of your training zone.
5) Take the answer to #4, then subtract 10%. e.g. if your ceiling is 140, then subtract 14 to get 126. This is the floor end of your training zone. Your complete training zone is 126-140 beats per minute.
This zone takes into effect your muscular endurance relative to the exercise. If you go above it, you're burning more muscle than fat. If you're too low, you're wasting your time. Which means, you must monitor your heart rate every 5-7 minutes to make sure you're in your training zone.
YOUR STRATEGY
Like I said a moment ago, you don't just do aerobics. If you want results, you work out with a purpose. You know what you want from aerobic training. But you gotta train for them. There's more than one way to do aerobics. There's actually four ways:
1) for bodybuilders,
2) for general fitness,
3) for weight loss, and
4) for endurance athletes.
Each objective has its own training schedule. Decide which objective you want, then put together the program that'll get you there.
Bodybuilders
Want to get ripped to the bone, while preserving the muscle you've toiled for for months? Here's what you do: take 15% of your talk test heart rate result, and use that as the ceiling of your new training zone. Using the 140 bpm example, that would be 119. So your new zone would be 107 - 119. Of course, you need to eat a bit less, about 200-300 calories a day less. Aim for 1-2 lb. of fat loss per week. Sessions can range from 15 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on if it's off-season or pre-contest, 3-7 days a week.
General Fitness
Looking to just maintain a certain level of aerobic conditioning? Fine. This one's pretty simple. 3-6 days a week, 15 - 60 minutes per session within your training zone. As with any training, stay at the low end of your zone, frequency, and duration. Increase duration by 10-20% each week, so if you do 20 minutes this week, you'll do 22-24 minutes next week. But ALWAYS stay within your zone.
Weight Loss
If you're de conditioned, start with 3-5 sessions a week, 15-30 minutes a session. Stay at the LOW END of your zone. Increase the duration of each session by 10-20% each week. See General Fitness. After 4-6 weeks, increase to 4-6 days per week, 20 - 120 minutes per day. It sounds like a lot, but when it comes to losing weight, calories burned is the key here. You can break up your sessions in half, like a morning session and an evening session. Progress the same as above.
Endurance Athletes
I'll be very honest here. This could be its own article, so I don't want to get too involved. If you are an endurance athlete and want info on heart rate training, feel free to send me a private message.
LAST WORDS
Once you have a goal in mind and put a strategy in place to get there, you'll achieve the results you want from your aerobic training faster and easier.