In
this Issue:
-
Insider Training Secrets
- Ease
Into Exercise With Walking
Insider
Training Secrets
By
Garrett J. Braunreiter, CSCS, The Energy Coach
You know
when you need food - your stomach sounds like it's digesting a
sick cow. But do you know when you need a more strenuous workout?
Your body doesn't have exercise "pangs" the way it has food cravings.
There is,
however, an unofficial "law of exercise science": Keep doing what
you're doing, and keep getting what you're getting. In this case,
congratulate yourself for keeping to a regular workout schedule.
But don't
you wonder if you couldn't work just a bit harder? If you couldn't
have a better body and get more of a health payoff by exercising
a little more efficiently?
No more wondering.
Yes and yes. All the things you want from exercise but don't yet
have - a better body, lower cholesterol, low blood pressure, more
people showering you with compliments of how wonderful you look
- will come only from pushing yourself just a little harder.
No, that
doesn't mean you ask your health club's manager if you can use
the storage room as your new residence. You just need to know how
to get the most bang for your buck with your workouts.
Aerobics
It's time
to work a little harder when...
-
You've been running, cycling, or skating the same dang route for
more than a month.
-
You never try to finish your route any faster.
-
You don't monitor your heart rate.
-
You choose walking/running/cycling partners for conversation,
not training.
-
You are a collector of local race entry forms, but you never compete.
Why work
harder?
Research
has found that there's a direct relation between distance covered
in a week and health benefits. The farther the distance, the greater
supply of HDL (good cholesterol), and lower risk of heart disease.
Those who ran distances faster had lower blood pressure and smaller
waistlines than those who covered the same distance in more time.
How to
do it:
Start with
a goal. A challenging goal. A goal you can't just go and achieve
it tomorrow. Enter a local race. Find a TRAINING partner (not conversationalist)
that'll make you both work hard.
COVER MORE
DISTANCE. Get on a program. A steady program, increasing your workload
gradually so that it's challenging, yet doable. Let's say you run
for 30 minutes, but you spend time at a good, brisk pace for you
for 5 minutes. Push up the time you spend at your brisk pace by
2 minutes a week for 8 weeks, without increasing your total time
running. You'll run faster and farther in the same amount of time.
Use for any aerobic activity where you can measure distance.
SPEED KILLS.
If you're going to get serious about speed, you'll have to set
aside training days to do just that. Here are a few techniques:
Interval
Training
Using running
as an example (any aerobic exercise applies), set your pace at
about 60% of your max heart rate. It would be an EXCELLENT idea
for you to invest in a heart rate monitor for accurate readings.
After about
5 minutes, increase your effort for 1 minute. Slow down to the
initial pace for 1 minute. Repeat 2-3 times for your first interval
workout. Each subsequent workout add 1 interval, using the 1 on,
1 off schedule. If you've never done intervals before, start with
1 interval training day for a few weeks. Never do more than 3 interval
training days per week.
Once you're
doing 15, 1 min on 1 min off intervals, start adding more "on"
time. Now you'll be doing 2 min on, 1 min off. Continue adding
more "on" time steadily until you're doing a single 15 min "on"
interval with 1 minute off.
HILLS. Using
hills in your aerobic training calls for the muscles in your legs
to work harder, making them stronger and more durable. Once a week
run a hill up and down several times. Use the interval training
principle so you're not killing yourself, and your body won't punish
you days later.
INTERVAL
SPRINTS. I used this sprint training program to get in the best
shape ever for my senior year of college football. Here's how it
works: you're going to do a 10 yd sprint, 20 yd, 40 yd, and 60
yd sprints. Sprint 10 yds, jog 10 yds, sprint 20 yd, jog 20 yd,
sprint 40 yd, jog 40 yd, sprint 60 yd, jog 60 yd. Do this only
once for your first workout, once a week. After 3 weeks, do the
drill a second time, and add another training day. Work your way
up to 5 drills.
Muscle
It's time
to work a little harder when...
-
You've been doing the same routine for more than a month - same
reps, same weight, same rest, same exercises, same order. ZZZzzzzzzz....
-
You haven't increased your weight for a month.
-
You can carry on a conversation when bench pressing (or any lift).
-
You never ask for a spotter, because you don't need one.
-
You never feel anxious before a set, because you no you'll have
no problem finishing it.
Why do
it?
Pushing your
muscles past their comfort zone, by manipulating weight, rest,
reps, and sets is what causes it to develop, build, and tone.
How to
do it:
STRIVE FOR
EXCELLENCE. Excellence is the commitment to completion. Every single
set of every single exercise must be done until you cannot lift
the weight again with good technique. Use a repetition range, like
13-15 reps, ONLY as a guideline. If you can do more than 15 reps,
GO TILL YOU CAN'T GO NO MORE! You'll know next time to start a
little heavier.
LIFT WEIGHTS
LIKE YOU MEAN IT. Rinky-dink dumbbells or barbells won't get you
anywhere. Lift as much weight as you can for the amount of reps
you're shooting for. Adjust for the next set(s) so that you can
do your reps. Tax those muscles!
HI-MED-LO.
At the beginning of the week, do high reps, like 13-15. Your weight
will be lighter. Then go 10-12 reps in the middle of the week with
moderate weight. Finally, do 8- 10 reps with heavier weight at
the end of the week. Use any rep scheme you like; you can go 20-25,
18-20, 13-15 if you want.
Put On
A Variety Show
When you
get to the gym, it's time to get creative. Stop being prisoner
to a specific routine - the same routine. Instead of ending your
workout with aerobics, start with it. Or vice versa.
Instead of
doing back, chest, legs, shoulders, arms, do chest, legs, back,
shoulders, arms. Then switch to a different order next workout.
Keep the same exercises for a few weeks, but switch the order each
workout. After a few weeks, create a different routine with different
exercises.
"Get Energized,
Inspired, and Encouraged to Achieve Life Mastery and Your Dreams"
High Energy
Coaching from The Energy Coach.
mailto:coachgarrett@worldpeakperformance.com
to get a FREE, 30 minute personal consultation. Just put "High
Energy Coaching" in subject.
Ease
Into Exercise With Walking - And You Might Get Hooked!
by Greg Landry, M.S.
If you're
having trouble getting your exercise program started, try just
easing into it by starting to walk. This won't take much of your
time or money and you can start today!
Half the
battle is just getting started. You can easily conquer that by
just going out for a ten minute walk - today! Don't put it off
because you don't have the time, or because you don't have the
money to buy equipment. Those excuses won't fly for this. Just
get out and take a walk!
If you haven't
exercised for awhile, start with just ten to fifteen minutes three
days per week. *Gradually* build up to 30 to 60 minutes, five to
seven days per week. If you're like most people, you'll start to
really enjoy this time and you'll love the way it makes you feel.
Around this
time of year there are lots of short (two to six mile) walking
and running competitions and also similar events for charities.
These are GREAT motivation for you to train (walk) on a regular
basis and it gives you a goal to work toward. Many of my clients
use competitions, one after another, to stay motivated and focused
on their goals.
Now, don't
think you have to be in great shape or be able to walk really fast
to do these. In fact, how you compare to others is not the issue
here. The issue is you working consistently toward a goal, and
getting fit and healthy as you do that.
Check local
sports and bicycle shops for fliers announcing upcoming walking
/ running events. Send in your registration now so that you're
committed to it. Start training for it (walking) and write down
what you plan to do each week to be ready for the big day.
Chances are
you'll get hooked on this stuff. Once you've achieved that goal
find another event and start training for that.
Here's what
Becky did…
At age 46
I was not going to let my weight consume my life anymore. I am
very goal oriented so you suggested that I set exercise goals of
participating in walking competitions.
I planned
to do a 3.1 mile walk that was almost three months away. I walked
daily following all the of your instructions on how to train for
it.
It felt so
good to finish that race even though I was still about 200 pounds
and came in third to last out of about 150 people. I knew at that
point that I would be successful at losing every pound I wanted
to lose.
My next two
goals were a 6.2 mile walk and my ultimate goal was to walk a marathon,
26.2 miles. I achieved the 6.2 mile race goal a couple of months
after the 3.1 and I was still almost last to finish, but that didn't
matter. A few months earlier I couldn't walk down my driveway without
huffing and puffing.
Last fall
I did it. I walked a marathon. My family is still amazed at my
accomplishments. It was so much fun. When I crossed that finish
line, the feeling was incredible. Oh, I lost over 100 pounds in
the process of all this training. Thanks again Greg for all your
help.
Becky
Houston, TX
Get Movin'!
Author and
exercise physiologist, Greg Landry, offers free weight loss and
fitness articles at his site… http://www.Landry.com
