Some of you choose to work out at home, others participate in fitness classes, and then there are those who love the gym environment. Regardless of where you decide to work out, the following information might help provide a framework for your training routine. I will continue this article with a second piece that will include some practical suggestions for getting the most from your routine.
It is important to understand some basic principles of exercise, especially if you are not working with a trainer or someone who can guide your decisions about how to structure your routine. I am going to focus on simplifying for you the types of exercise, the duration and intensity of your routine and the results you can expect.
There are two types of energy expenditure, aerobic and anaerobic. To simplify things for our purposes, we view these types of exercise as “cardio” or cardiovascular (aerobic) and “weight training” (anaerobic). Cardiovascular training includes walking, running, jogging, and the use of machines such as the treadmill and elliptical. These activities require a sustained level of fuel which comes from burning mostly fats and carbohydrates and some protein. Weight training involves a slightly different process, involving the need for more immediate energy to fuel a more rapid process of burning and replenishing the energy stores. These anaerobic activities use carbohydrates. A comprehensive workout plan will include both and will be influenced by your goals.
If your goal is burning fat, for weight loss, then you will want to incorporate cardio with a target heart rate between 40-60% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). MHR can be calculated using the following equation: 220-AGE=MHR. If you are looking to increase your endurance you want to work aerobically at 65-85% of your MHR. A target heart rate above 85% is usually reserved for the elite athlete. To calculate your target heart rate (THR), use the equation: 220-AGE x %=THR or 220-AGE x% X 1.15=THR. Don’t be thrown off by the use of these calculations, they are pretty straightforward and are a good way of evaluating the efficiency of your efforts.
If your goal is to build muscle tissue, then your emphasis will be on weight training which will allow you to burn or breakdown fat tissue and build muscle tissue. Weight training involves intermittent, shorter bursts of energy, which does not support the sustained heart rate of cardio. The two processes are complementary so incorporating both will give you greater results.
The cardiovascular activities in your plan involve a sustained calorie burn and should last at least twenty minutes with your heart rate in the target zone. This will result in decreased blood pressure and heart rate, increased oxygen utilization and increased release of fatty acids. Incorporating weights or weight resistant machines/exercises into your routine is complimentary to your cardio and should last no more than 60 minutes for maximum impact. Benefits of this aspect of your routine include an increase in lean body tissue and a decrease in body fat, an increase in joint and bone integrity, and an enhanced immune system as the muscle contractions positively impact the lymphatic system.
So as you think about how to spend your time at the gym it is important to consider the benefits of both types of exercise. Many people begin with cardio to get the body ‘warmed up’ and then move to using weights. Just remember that both are needed to have a well-rounded workout.
Stayed tuned for some practical suggestions and routine ideas for work outs that will leave you feeling challenged yet prepared for whatever life throws at you. Be sure to make good food choices to support your workouts and continue to make healthy choices for better lifestyles!
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