Equipment - Do You Need a Heart Rate Monitor for Your Workout?

You want your cardio workouts to be effective. Whether it’s on a treadmill, elliptical trainer, or exercise bike, it seems like the only way you can really tell if you had a good workout is based on how you feel afterward. Yet, we all have our “good days” and “bad days” – and using a subjective measure based on how you feel might not be the best way to judge how good your workouts are.

But, there is a solution. If you want to get more exact with your precision cardio, you can use a heart rate monitor in addition to evaluating your rate of perceived exertion. The heart rate monitor will tell you exactly what your heart rate is as you're exercising, which means you can then increase or decrease your intensity to get a precise workout. Many types of cardio equipment have heart rate monitor programs, and you can also purchase your own heart rate monitor (which usually consists of a chest strap and wrist watch monitor) at many sporting good stores (not to mention at Fitness 4 Home Superstore!) And, one benefit of a heart rate monitor such as a Polar® Heart Rate Monitor is that you can also take them with you – perfect for travel, as well as those types you exercise outside.

The secret to fat loss with your cardio program is to work out within the proper heart rate range. Short of getting tested by an exercise physiologist, the best way to figure out the heart rate range you should be working at is by calculating your maximum heart rate and then calculating certain percentages of this rate to work at for your warm up and cool down, your moderate pace, and your interval pace. This will be a good starting point, though keep in mind that this calculation is based on the "average" person -- something that none of us is!

To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 226. (Men would subtract their age from 220.)

226 - your age = age-adjusted maximum heart rate

Now, take your age-adjusted maximum heart rate and calculate the following percentages for the various parts of your workout.

• 60 percent for your warmup and cooldown
• 65 to 75 percent for your moderate pace
• 75 to 85 percent for your vigorous or interval pace

For instance, a 40-year-old woman's estimated maximum heart rate is 186 (226 - 40 = 186).

• 60 percent of her max = 112
• 65 percent of her max = 121
• 75 percent of her max = 140
• 85 percent of her max = 158

Keep in mind, however, that this calculation can be off by as much as 15 beats, so use the rate of perceived exertion as well. Also take into account that your heart rate can vary depending on which activity you choose. Different activities use different skills and muscle groups, so an experienced swimmer will have a lower heart rate swimming than she does when running. Keep that in mind as you vary your cardio choices. Also, some exercises that you do while sitting down, like riding a recumbent bicycle, won't get your heart rate as high as those that you do while standing, such as walking hills outside. So use your heart rate monitor and evaluate your rate of perceived exertion, but also learn to listen to your body.

Lastly, one nice feature of many heart rate monitors is the ability to calculate the calories you’ve burned during your workout. Remember, the best way to lose weight, is to burn more calories than you take in. It can be pretty easy to figure out your intake, but getting an idea of what you’ve burned during the day can be more difficult. Wearing a heart rate monitor for a few days, can give you an idea of how much you burn during the day, as well as helping you calculate how much cardio you’ll need to do to burn off those pounds!

Exercise – Tips for Maintaining Sound Cardiovascular Fitness

Cardiovascular activity, referred to simply as “cardio,” should be as much a part of your body-sculpting efforts as hitting the gym and “pumping iron”. The one muscle group that seems to get missed when in a good weight-lifting workout – is your body’s most important muscle, and often as you’re pumping the iron, you should also be pumping your heart.

The 30 minutes per day that you should reserve for cardio work should always entail exercises that are enjoyable, manageable, and of course, safe. So if you’re ready to get sweaty, here are a few wise choices:

Running: Running is a fantastic way to get into shape and improve your cardiovascular fitness! Here in Phoenix, running through the park or neighborhood isn’t always possible. It’s just too hot outside to think about it! And, even when the weather is more conducive to outdoor running, running can be hard on your joints. Yet, the treadmill, because of its smooth rubbery conveyor belt, is a lot more merciful on your joints. It doesn’t wear and tear your body the way running on the tarred street will. There is no pounding-like effect. And, you get to avoid the smell of car exhaust as well!

Ellipticals: These “sweat machines” are an excellent method of losing weight and shedding body fat. And, unlike traditional “steppers”, Elliptical machines work both your upper body as well as your legs, so you end up with a full body workout while you improve your cardiovascular health!

Stationary Bikes: Looking for a low-impact workout? Try a stationary bike! They’re an effective way to raise your heart level, and they also cause far less strain on the knees and back than other methods of cardio. Plus, they are excellent for toning up the quadriceps. And, if leaning over a bike seems like too much work for your back, there are also “recumbent” bikes available that let you sit in an upright position for your workouts!

Swimming: Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular activity, as it is considered a total body exercise, as swimming hits the various muscles in the body. The water provides an excellent form of resistance that will get your heart pumping in no time. The benefits for the heart and lungs are endless.As for the down side? There’s only one. Not everybody has a swimming pool!

Exercise - Lift Weight to Loose Weight!

In your quest to lose weight and stay fit, it’s pretty much common knowledge that cardio is a great way to burn fat while increasing your cardiovascular health as well. But, when you’re busy working out your cardio program, don’t forget to also include some weight training! Studies have shown that strength training plays an important role in ridding the body of extra weight.

Sure, aerobic exercise burns calories, but the body’s metabolism quickly returns to pre-exercise levels, usually within 30 minutes or so. Yet researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found that resistance training actually leads to increased calorie burning for up to two hours after the workout is over. In the study, research lead Carol A. Binzen and colleagues recruited 10 moderately trained women to perform three sets of 10 exercises at 10-repetition maximum with a one-minute rest period between each set. They found that fat burning was significantly higher after the strength-training session.

Why? Simple. If you lift weights, and eat healthy, you will increase your muscle mass. Which picks up your metabolism, burning fat! But, one thing to keep in mind is that weight training often results in a corresponding increase in weight due to increased muscle mass. While men usually don’t have a problem with that (since we’re suppose to have muscles!), unfortunately many women abandon their strength-training efforts, opting instead for strictly cardiovascular activities. There is this myth that as a woman, if you lift weights, you will gain muscle like a man. Those female bodybuilders you see – well, without either a bizarre hormone balance, or testosterone supplements, women won’t put on muscle like a man.

So, don’t give up your cardio workouts….just don’t forget to add some weights once in awhile! And, if you’re looking for help on finding weight lifting equipment, Fitness 4 Home Superstore can help!

Exercise – Cardio Tips

So, you’re either planning on starting a cardio program, or you’re wondering whether or not you’ve put together an effective cardiovascular exercise plan. Here’s some tips you can use to make sure you’ve build a plan that works best for you!

First, your goals and your body type will dictate how much cardio you need per week. If you’re trying to add muscle mass, and you’re naturally lean, you should keep your cardio sessions down to only one or two times per week. On the other hand, if you’re prone to storing fat, and one bite of carbohydrates seems to add inches to your hips – you might need 3 or more sessions per week to keep your figure! And, if your training for something like a marathon or triathlon – well, you should increase your frequency as you get ready for your event.

Also, if your goal is just general health, you might want to do long, slow runs on your treadmill. Keep in mind that if you’re not having fun, you won’t make it a habit, so make sure that you pick the type of workout that makes you happy! (And, if you’re not sure what type of workout you’d enjoy - a great way to figure that out is to stop by one of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s 3 Phoenix-area locations!)

Next – decide what your overall goal is – fat burning or cardiovascular health. If your goal is fat burning, you might want to do moderate cardio workouts. Those are the type of workouts where your heart rate returns to normal within a short period after you complete your workout. If fat burning isn’t your goal, but maybe your looking to improve your time for an event your planning on entering, you want a more intense cardio workout, where your heart rate might be elevated for a couple of hours after your event. A great way to tell the difference is like this – if you can carry on a conversation while working out – that ‘s a moderate workout. If you can barely speak two or three word sentences…well, that’s intense!

Over time, your goal should be to move up to more intense workouts. Here’s why – in a moderate workout, your body will burn fat DURING the workout, but not after. In an intense workout, you won’t burn fat during the workout, but your body will burn fat AFTER the workout for hours! The reason for this is as your body gets more accustomed to intense workouts, your metabolism becomes more efficient at burning fat – so even if your treadmill or elliptical is set for cardio workouts, make sure you “up” the level of those workouts over time to help your body “learn” how to pick up your metabolism! But, always throw in a moderate workout once in awhile – it’s always good to keep your body guessing (and, the variety helps you stay motivated to keep working out!)

Your heart rate can provide you a lot of information about your training. Over time, your resting heart rate should decrease. By tracking your heart rate, you can monitor your effort. If you train today at 160bpm then have a lousy day and don’t feel like you’re receiving any benefit, use your heart rate as a guide. As long as you are pushing hard enough to hit that 160bmp mark again, you know you are getting at least the same intensity from your training as the time before.

One last thing – make sure you keep your workouts interesting by injecting variety into your plan. If you always use the treadmill, your body will become so efficient at using the treadmill that you will begin to burn fewer calories doing the same workout. On the other hand, if you perform treadmill work one session, elliptical on your next another session, then go for a bike ride, you will continue to see the benefit of increased calorie expenditure. This will keep the fat melting off and continuously improve your cardiovascular conditioning. And, don’t let yourself think that cardio isn’t necessary, since even when you’re in peak condition, a little cardiovascular exercise is always necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Just make sure you change the style and frequency of cardio to suit your lifestyle and fitness goals. Consider various styles of training, different terrains, and new types of equipment to train on. Learn what your body needs, keep a good journal, and find out what works for you!

Exercise – How To Avoid Boredom When Running

We’ve all had that problem when running, whether on a treadmill, or outside on our familiar running route. Boredom. And, if it happens often enough, that boredom can translate into an acute lack of motivation for our exercise program! But, how can you avoid getting bored?

Belgian researchers have discovered that if you can keep yourself distracted while running, you’ll exercise for up to 20 percent longer! New treadmill designs coming out take this into account, offering video screens and iPod connections. So – if you’re looking to buy a new treadmill for your home, visit Fitness 4 Home Superstore, and take a look at some of the newest equipment designs that can help you stay distracted – and motivated!

But, for those of you that aren’t ready yet to buy a new treadmill, there are a few tricks you can do to help stay motivated.

1. Buy an iPod, or other type of mp3 player – and load it with content that will help keep you distracted. And, it doesn’t have to be music – also consider audio books from Audible.com, or learn a new language with language tapes.
   
   
2. Get a flat screen TV and put it up in front of your treadmill. Watch your favorite show, or hook a DVD player up to it, and put in travel videos – and imagine running a different route through a foreign country!
   
   
3. Speaking of running a different route – do that! It’s easy to get into a routine, so break up that routine! Get up early on a Saturday morning, drive across town, and run a route you’ve never run before!

In the end, just by refocusing your mind on something different, you can not only keep yourself motivated, but you’ll go longer & farther – which will help you get that much closer to achieving your fitness goals!

Exercise – How Much Cardio Do I Need?

So, you’ve got your treadmill, your exercise bike, or elliptical trainer, and you’re wondering how often you should work out? Well, recent studies have shown that it only takes two workout sessions per week to improve your heart health, as long as you train hard during those workouts. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should only do two workouts per week. But, we all have those weeks where it’s hard to get our workouts in, so as long as you get your “two a week” in, you’ll be doing what you need for “good heart health”!

One way to make sure you maximize your cardio training is to stick with interval workouts. What this means is – treat you cardio workouts like you would your weight lifting workouts. Do your cardio workouts in sets – for example, do 30-45 seconds of near all-out work, then go as a slow pace for 60-90 seconds – and repeat this for a “set”. Do multiple sets, just like you would a weightlifting set. When you’re first starting out, your second interval may shorten by as much as 25 percent – and you can build it up from there. And, the benefit of doing intervals extends to weight loss burns three times as much fat as doing cardio at a slow, consistent speed.

Exercise – Starting your Cardio Program

by Bob Lachniet
President - Fitness 4 Home Superstore

Whether you’re new to exercising, or you’ve just never really put a plan together for your existing cardio workouts, the best way to make cardio exercise a habit is to put together a plan that you can achieve.

Creating a schedule of regular times that you’ll commit to your cardio exercise program is important – in fact, it’s just as important as what kind of cardio exercise you do. So, here’s how to put that plan together.

1. Remember that the best time to exercise is when you CAN exercise. Choose a time that works best for you, whether it’s in the morning, over lunch, or at the end of the day.

2. Write them down – treat them as an appointment! And, if you write it down, you’ll find you’ll be more committed to following through with your workouts!

3. Now, choose your exercise. If you just purchased a treadmill, maybe start with a walking program (you can always advance to jogging or running as your fitness level improves).

4. If you have any reservations so far about the plan you’ve built – now’s the time to talk to your doctor and get their final approval –BEFORE you put your plan into action!

5. Now – time to start your workouts. Make sure you start each workout with at least 5 minutes of stretching for your warm up – and at the end, at least 5 minute cool down and stretching as well.

6. Start slow. If you find that you can only start with 5 to 10 minutes, start there. And, once your workout is done, write down your results!

7. And, finally – add a couple of minutes to every workout!

What to watch out for

Now that you’ve got your plan in action, remember that your goal is to improve your health. If you feel like your resting heart rate is higher than usual, you feel tired all the time, you dread your workouts, or you can’t sleep, you might be overtraining.

If that happens, take a couple days off and ease back into a light program. Maybe try a different exercise routine. And, don’t be afraid to stop for a couple days and concentrate on something else. You’ll find yourself re-energized for your workouts – just don’t forget to start back up again!

Exercise – The Benefits of Cardio Workouts

Cardio workouts are an important, if not indispensable piece, of any effective exercise regime. High-intensity cardio training is a wonderful way to speed up your metabolism – as your metabolism stays revved up for some time after your workout. Cardio workouts can be just about any exercise, such as jogging, running, swimming, biking, elliptical machines, even jumping rope. Your goal is to raise and maintain your heart rate for a set amount of time.

Cardio workouts help strengthen your heart and lungs, and they also help lower your resting heart rate, which means over time, the same effort that would have produced a 10 minute-mile, now might result in a 9 minute-mile.

By doing cardio workouts, you burn fat. But, just as important, you strengthen your heart. As you work out, your muscles require more blood to remove waste byproducts as well as carbon dioxide, as well as additional oxygen for fuel. Sustained cardio workouts over time train your heart, like any other muscle, to produce the same effect with less effort.

Other benefits of cardio are an increased metabolic rate (which leads to your body burning excess fat that much better), and increased growth hormone secretion (which helps fuel additional muscle growth which helps speed up your metabolism). And, you also will feel more alert (since cardio workouts increase blood flow to the brain). Not to mention that you’ll reduce stress!

Finally – a consistent cardio training program helps you build endurance – which helps you persist in not just sports, but in life as well!

Exercise - How To Guage If Your Workouts Are Making Progress

Sure, maybe you've been working out for a little while. But, how can you be sure you're making any progress? What are the signs that you're doing things "the right way"?

If you asses your progress exclusivly on the basis of lost pounds, or on inches, you might be missing out on other important signals that could be fueling your motivation. Here are a couple other measures to consider:

Pace - As your fitness improves, you should find that the time it takes to run a mile, either on the road, or on the treadmill, will gradually decrease, And, you should also find that you can maintain speeds that used to be a challenge, with less effort and heart rate than before.

Heart Rate Recovery - Remember your first workout? Remember that feeling that your heart was going to keep beating fast - forever? Well, as your workouts improve, you should find that your heart rate will now drop or return to normal much quicker than before. A good post workout heart rate recovery of 25 to 30 beats in one minute is considered good, and 50 to 60 beats per minute is excellent.

Strength and Endurance - If you can run three miles now, where before you could only run two, or lift a weight more easily than before, it's a sure sign your becoming fit.

Getting fit is more than just loosing weight, or loosing inches. It's about improving your endurance, your stamina, your strength. As you replace fat with muscle, your weight may not drop, but as muscle takes up less space than fat, you'll feel slimmer, toned, and stronger - and those are the measurements that truly help keep you motivated!

Exercise - Ignite Your Metabolism!

The harder you work out, and the closer you come to achieving the leanness you're looking for...the harder it seems to be to loose the last bit of fat you're looking to burn off. As frustrating as it is to try to loose weight, keep in mind that this is your body's way of self-preservation - your body is designed to protect your fuel reserves from running too low, just in case food becomes scarce. This was a nice biological feature in the past, but here in the 21st century, this "feature" is hardly necessary! How do you get around this problem? By igniting your metabolism! Here's some ways to make that happen!

1. Skip the long runs. Distance running doesn't enhance your fat-burning. It's much more effective to do short sprints of thirty seconds, interspersed with a slow jog.

2. As time goes on, the same amound of activity burns fewer calories - your body adapts to your level of work, causing you to keep "upping" the workout to achieve the results you were having before. For example, University of California at Berkley scientists found that to avoid age-related weight gain, runners needed to "up" their weekly mileage by 1.7 miles each year. So, think beyond your last workout - and think about what you can do on your next!

3 When weight training, do eight to 15 repititions of each set. This stimulates an increase in fat-burning hormones, compared to less or more rep's. Just make sure you use weights that challenge you. If you do eight repititions with a weight you could do 15 rep's with - you're not having an effective workout. Try to give 90 to 100 persent of your full effort for any given repitition range. If you struggle on your last repitition - you're in the zone!

4. Do two to four sets of each exercise. Yes, the more you do, the better...but only up to a point. Beyond 4 sets, you might be increasing your strength, but for fat burning, the extra sets above 4 don't really help! So, start with two sets as you start working out, and work up to four as your conditioning improves.

5. Keep your rest periods between sets no more than 75 seconds. Keeping your rest periods shorter builds lactate in your blodstream - and high lactate levels are associated with an increase in the release of fat-burning hormones. Resting too long lets your body process out the lactate in your bloodstream, negating the positive benefits.

6. Lift slow, not fast - and alternate between two exercises. Taking your time puts the stress on your muscles (which burn fuel) and off your tendons (which not only don't burn fat, but also can become injured from that stress). And, follow with a set that works a different muscle group. Not only does this help you limit your rest periods (keeping your lactate levels high), but also helps you offset fatigue!

7. Work your whole body. Work multiple muscles, rather than isolate specific muscle groups. And, the bigger / more muscles you work, the greater the benefit. For example - doing squats will elevate your metabolism far better than working your biceps - and working all your muscle groups in a workouut means more muscles burning fuel. And, as your muscles keep burning fuel even after a workout - up to 39 hours afterword! Plus, a University of Wisconsin study found that doing a full-body workout with just three big-muscle exercises (bench press, power clean, and squat) - you'll burn a greater percentage of calories from fat compared with only targeting a couple of small muscle groups.

Fitness - My Aching Lungs

If you've just started a running program, either out on the open road, in the gym, or at home on your treadmill, have you had a tight feeling in your chest? Sometimes, after a hard workout , your chest might feel sore, and there is a simple reason for this pain that is more than likely nothing to worry about.

What you're probably feeling is the result of oxygen dept. Your body, during your workout, isn't getting enough oxygen, which causes the muscles surrounding your lungs (especially your diaphram), to become flush with lactic acid.

Every time you exercise, your body produces lactic acid. Lactic acid is the waste product your muscles produce during a workout. Normally, much of the lactic acid is removed rapidly when the exercise session is done, usually with in 20-30 minutes, with your muscles and liver metabolizing it either as lactic acid or lactate.

Your lungs and diaphram work closely together. Your diaphram separates your chest from your abdominal region, and expands your lungs so that they fill with air. If you're not used to aerobic exercise, just like any other exercise, your diaphram might be out of shape for this type of exertion. And, like the rest of the muscles in your body - this muscle can be trained too!

How do you train your diaphram? Simple. Keep exercising! Just like any other exercise program - start slow, and build up to longer and harder workouts. Keep exercising to develop your aerobic conditioning - and the "burn" should dissapear. And, at any time you feel that you might be feeling something more than just "burning muscles" - seek medical care to make sure everthing is OK.