Man is it good to be back being busy again! Not too busy though, in case you are a potential customer there are plenty of openings available(call me). Still, driving down to the studio for 1 or 2 people was just not a very satisfying day of work. Now that school is back on, lake places are closed up, and vacations are done it's nice to have everyone back in and sweating hard.
Not too much else from me today so we'll get on to business.
Fit Topic of the Day - Heart Rate Training 101
Probably no single point of emphasis brings my clients better results than convincing them to workout in their target heart rate zones. Lunging is a fantastic exercise as is stability ball work, but neither of them will produce a consistent rate of fat loss and weight reduction. As with most training programs you can really go deep with zone training and the physiological relationship between the heart muscle and various sources of energy within your cells.
Here, though, we'll just cover the basics and the 'why for'. To begin with, start with 220 and subtract your age. The answer is the heart's maximum beating capacity per minute. Mine is 184 (quick....How old am I?). Eons ago, ancient Mesopotamian scientists, during rest breaks after inventing checkers, determined that the physiological peak capability of the heart muscle was 220 bpm and in order to evaluate human performance on an more human level established the 'minus 1 for each year of age' rule.
Traveling forward to medieval times and the corresponding invention of the treadmill we find that science says that at 60% of your maximum heart rate your body is utilizing mostly fat for fuel. Math time!
184(me) x 60percent = 11040...wait that's not right. Try 184 x .60 = 110.4 there we go.
SO, in order to perform exercise which will primarily burn from my fat stores I want to train at an intensity of between 110 and 120 bpm. This would be a fairly brisk walking pace. 30 minutes of work at 3 session per week would, over time, result in some significant weight loss. Now, what happens at higher levels of intensity?
184 x .75 = 138bpm
By increasing your heart's output 20 to 25% you will be burning almost twice as many calories per workout. It's much harder, but the results will come quicker too. Heart rate monitors come in all colors and flavors or you can just use the old two fingers on the wrist method too. If you can't find a pulse, you really shouldn't be reading my blog right now.
Ridiculously Fit Person of the Day - Jodie Gleason
Jodie is a triathlete and regular person with a day job. I read an interview with her here and find that she has some great insight on staying motivated and on target with her goals. It's a good piece about a person who is taking a healthy lifestyle to the next level.
Me and My iPod
30 min jog - an old mix I like from past Bloomsday training. Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Kid Rock and others
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