You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true

Rant and Tip for March 13, 2012

Quote: “You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.” Richard David Bach- writer

We all have wishes that we want to make come true. What you did not know is that you have the power to make them come true and they can only come true if you work for it. In terms of losing your body fat and getting fit this it true as well. Put a little work into getting fit and you will get there. Track your foods and even track your exercise. Make note of the gains you make and celebrate them!

I have been getting questions on interval training asking what it is and how it helps. I recently read an article in MedicineNet.com regarding the subject. Here is how they described interval training.

Interval training is a method of training where you increase and decrease the intensity of your workout between aerobic and anaerobic training. Interval training in Sweden, where some say it originated, is known as fartlek training (Swedish for "speed play"). The protocol for interval training is to push your body past the aerobic threshold for a few moments and then return to your aerobic conditioning level with the objective of improving your performance (speed, strength, and endurance). The aerobic threshold is the intensity where your body switches from burning a greater percentage of fat to a greater percentage of carbohydrate and is generally 85% of your maximum heart rate (train below 85% and it's aerobic; train above 85% and it's anaerobic).

The next thing you will need to know is what is your maximum heart rate, to calculate that:

Take 220 and subtract your age. This is your maximum heart rate. You can get a more accurate reading from a stress test at the doctor’s office but for our purposes this is good. Now we can get our target heart rates.

The following training zones were referenced above so I thought I would include what The Walkingsite.com had to say.

Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) --- 70 - 80% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.

Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) --- 80 - 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you'll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.

I try to work in the anaerobic zone for as long as I can and even ramp it up to the 90% to 100% percent zone.

 I get to train in my shirt tonight again and plan on hitting reps in it. Hopefully getting 380 to touch and go in the new shirt. I just have to remember to keep my shoulders tight. If I do that I should get it to touch. Getting it up is the easy part.

Have a great workout!

Tip: Before you jump into any interval training session be sure to warm up and stretch first.