There
are many types of exercise and most all of them will produce results if
done correctly. So how do you decide which type of exercise is right
for you?
Always
think these things through because no matter what exercise plans you
make; if they don't help you achieve your goals, if they are painful, if
you can't physically do them, or if you just can't stand doing them you
probably will not be able to stay committed to your chosen types of
exercise. I can't stress this enough. No matter how effective your
exercise plans are if you can't continue to do them they will be
worthless. Be realistic and always remember....
Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic Exercises (not to be confused with
Anaerobic Exercieses) are key to your overall
fitness and health.
Not only can regular aerobic exercise help you....
obesity
type 2 diabetes
high blood pressure
heart
disease
stroke
some cancer
It also will
increase energy
make your heart work more efficiently
regulate proper cholesterol
levels
boost your immune system
maybe even help you live longer.
Aerobic
exercise has generally been associated with long continuous periods of
light loads such as
Jogging,
Bicycling or bouncing up and down at the gym but
that is certainly not the only way to get the benefits.
Yoga,
Pilates and
swimming are also great. New research has also shown that
interval workouts may be a better alternative to traditional aerobic exercise.
It is
very important that you start out slow with aerobic exercising depending
on your fitness levels and age. I personally do 45 minutes of aerobic
activity at least twice a week but usually 3 times a week. Of course
I'm not trying to run a marathon or anything so you need to adjust that
based on your personal goals.
Heart Rate
(To take your heart rate use 2 fingers, never your thumb, and find the
pulse in your neck or wrist. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and
multiply by 6 OR for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.)
Target Heart Rate
: Minimum and Maximum heart rate you are trying to achieve during
exercise.
Resting Heart Rate : Take your heart rate first thing in
the morning before getting out of bed and definitely before food,
caffeine, cigarettes or physical exertion of any kind.
Maximum
Heart Rate : Highest number of beats per minute that a person could
safely reach. You may or may not ever reach this number.
Minimum
Heart Rate : Lowest number of beats per minute you can achieve and still
achieve aerobic benefits.
Target Heart Rate
There are multiple theories on target heart rate zones usually 60% - 90%
of your resting heart rate but my personal opinion is 60% - 80% of your
resting heart rate unless you are in very good shape.
EXAMPLE based
on a 24 year old person.
1: Maximum workout heart rate =
(220 -
age) X percent of max. heart rate
(220 - 24) X .60 = 117
(220 - 24) X .80 = 157
You should maintain a target
heart rate between 117 and 157 bpm
2: Maximum workout
heart rate, (adjusted for resting heart rate) =
(220 - age - resting heart
rate) X percent of max. heart rate + resting heart rate
(220
- 24 - 65) X .60 + 65 = 144
(220 - 24 - 65) X .80 + 65 = 170
Here
you should keep your heart rate between about 144 and 170 bpm.
SPEAKING TEST:
If you're like me and you don't like math too much you can always do the speaking test. It's not as accurate or scientific but generally it's a
good evaluation.
1) If you can't speak
at all without getting completely winded then you are going too hard.
2)
If you can say a few words and then have to catch your breath for a few
seconds and then you can speak again you are probably at a good pace.
3)
If you can talk the whole time you are exercising then you are NOT
going hard enough.
Anaerobic Exercise
Basically
speaking, Anaerobic Exercise happens when there is not enough oxygen in
your blood to process energy Aerobically so your body has to break down sugars to
produce energy. The byproduct of this process is lactic acid which is
responsible for the soreness you feel after some workouts.
Anaerobic
training develops short, intense, powerful movement that lasts from a
few seconds to around 2 minutes and takes place between @85% - 100% of
your maximum heart rate. (See Target Heart Rate) Some of the more common workouts
are heavy weight lifting, sprinting (running, biking, swimming),
interval training and isometrics.
The most important benefits areincreased muscle size and strength, a stronger heart and lungs and
increased stamina which helps you overcome exercise fatigue better
during peak physical exertion.
It's not completely necessary but I
highly recommend interval training and Plyometric as part of any well balanced workout
routine.
Circuit Training Workouts
Circuit Training Workouts have been around for many years and they
are a great way to get a Total Body Workout in the shortest amount of
time possible. The basic principle in circuit training is to quickly
move from one exercise to the next so your heart rate does not slow
down. By
doing this you can not only build strength but you can get a great cardio workout at the same time and burn calories.
I like to apply
this theory to my lifting exercises. Usually I will alternate upper
body and lower body exercises so I don't burn out any one muscle group
and can continue the workout for longer periods of time.
If you
are strictly interested in the cardio side of circuit training then do
longer sets (1-2 minutes) with lighter weights; however, if you are
wanting to build larger muscles then you can do shorter sets (30-45
seconds) and lift heavier weights.
Circuit Training is a great way
to not only build muscle and burn fat but it provides relief from the
boring routine of traditional cardio workouts.
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Compound Exercises
Compound exercises, sometimes called multi muscle exercises, are a
great way to move your workout to a whole new level without spending more time working out.
Basically you are using more than one and hopefully as many muscle groups as possible
in a single exercise.
For instance: if
you perform a leg extension on a
machine at the health club you only work your quadricep muscle;
however, if you spend the same amount of time doing squats you will work
virtually every muscle in your lower body and work your core and back
at the same time. lets face it, we all have those days when it is hard
to find time to work out. These compound exercises will help you stay on track and use your time most effectively.
1)
Instead of just doing a squat hold your dumbbells in front of you with your palms facing out. As
you start your squat, curl the dumbbells to your shoulders
and then do a
military press. Do this action slowly so that you reach the top of
your squat just as you are finishing the military press.
Sometimes I do
this exercise with light weights during my cardio days and other times I
use heavy weights to really build muscle and give my whole body a good
workout with this all in one workout.
2) Push Ups are one of the best multi muscle exercises
ever. They're simple, safe and very effective at building your upper
body in a short amount of time.
3) Virtually every Yoga pose will work multiple areas (if not every
area) of your body. I know I continue to say this but if you haven't
tried Yoga or Pilates I would strongly suggest you consider
trying them.
My motto is always "Work Smarter Not Harder" If you
want to get the most of the time you have then you should definitely
consider working multiple muscle groups at the same time.
Interval Training
Plain and Simple, Interval Training is just exercising as hard as you
can for a certain period of time followed by a period of minimal
activity or rest. The
great thing about this type of workout is it not only increases your
overall fitness level but it actually helps your body burn fat more
efficiently during normal exertion and it increases the amount of
calories your body burns after your workout, even during periods of
inactivity. A recent NY Times Article shows some of the results.
I
use interval workout routines at least a couple of times a week and
sometimes more depending on how hard I want to work that day. Some of
my favorite routines are...
1) 100 yard sprint as fast as I can go
and then walk back to the start and repeat for 10-20 sets. (You can
also alternate 100, 200 and 400 yard sprints to further confuse your
muscles)
2) Alternate squat jumps as high as you can and then as
far as you can for 10 repetitions of each exercise and then walk back to
the start and repeat. Repeat for 10-20 sets
3) Perform a light
jog for 10-20 steps followed by a quick, all out sprint for 5-10 steps.
Repeat this exercise for 20 minutes or alternate it with one of the
workout routines above.
Recent studies have showed that it is
possible to burn more fat in 20 minutes of interval exercising than with
45 minutes of traditional cardio workouts. I personally choose to do
both forms of exercise because I think cross training is the number 1
method of becoming the best athlete you can be.
If you want to
increase your fitness level and help your body
burn fat more efficiently
then I definitely suggest including Interval Workouts in your exercise
routines.
Plyometric Exercises
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Basically, plyometrics train your muscles to contract as quickly and as
forcefully as possible. You do this by performing movements as fast and
as powerfully as you can.
This concept can be applied to almost any
movement from bench pressing and other
weight lifting exercises, sprinting, pushups, and most popularly jumping.
I have only added Plyometric Exercises to my workouts in the last
year but I would recommend you try to incorporate them into any workout
routine. If you want to have a complete, well rounded workout routine
then plyometrics are a great place to start.
Plyometric workouts are hard on the body,
Stretching afterwords is key to staying injury free
CAUTION
Plyometrics definitely put stress on the joints
including the tendons and ligaments. Since cartilage and other
connective tissues do not develop as quickly as muscle tissue you will
want to
ease your way into plyometric workouts.
Plyometrics are NOT for beginners.
for more great plyometric workouts
Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises are one of the most overlooked part of
most workout routines. When we are young are bodies are very flexible so
skipping stretches before and after a workout doesn't really seem to matter
much. Unfortunately over time the effects of injuries and gravity start
to catch up with us and we begin to reap the consequences of our
actions.
Having taken martial arts when I was a teenager showed me how
proper
stretching can , and will drastically improve your physical
abilities. In a few short months I went from struggling to get half way
down in the splits to being able to fall into a full split anytime I wanted.
This not only helped me to kick higher but it
improved my quickness and
overall speed in the other sports that I participated in.
Not only did those stretches help me in my younger
years when I was playing sports but now that I am older I have noticed
that it has helped keep me MUCH more flexible and injury free than most
all of the people I work out with.
A few years ago I discovered
Yoga and
Pilates which I feel are one of the best
ways to not only develop overall muscle tone but they also stretch your
entire body at the same time. I would definitely recommend these
activities as an all in one workout that will make the most of the time you
have.
The sad part of it is
proper stretching does not
really take that long to do. A few minutes before and after your
workout is plenty to keep your body flexible and injury free.
I also recommend taking a few minutes when you get up and
before you go to bed to relax and focus your mind and body.
Make stretching a
priority in your life and you will see the rewards well into old
age.
