Getting the most from your workout.
People want to exercise for a reason;
to get fit for sport
to loose weight
Recovering from illness or injury
General well being
Once you have decided why you want to exercise you need to know how to achieve your goal.
It is important to keep your heart working in the correct % range to achieve your goal.
Below is a guide to show which % range your heart rate should be in to make sure your workouts are effective.
Between 50-60% of maximum heart rate
This range is suitable for weight-watchers, convalescents and those who haven't exercised for a long time. Three sessions a week of at least 30 minutes is recommended. As your condition improves, you can train for an hour at a time. Regular exercise considerably improves your respiratory and circulatory performance and you will notice rapid improvement.
Between 60-70% of maximum heart rate
This level is perfect for improving and maintaining fitness. Even reasonable effort develops the heart and lungs effectively, training for a minimum of 30 minutes at least three times a week. To improve your condition still further, increase either frequency or effort, but not both at the same time! Training at this level is ideal for building stamina.
Between 70-80% of maximum heart rate
Exercise at this level is mainly used for increasing speed and should be combined with stamina training. These sessions are normally short as this is heavy workload for the heart.
You can easily work out your maximum heart rate by;
220 - Your age = Max heart rate.
This is very important when considering your fitness equipment. Many machines have ways of checking your heart rate during exercise to make sure you are working in the correct % range.
Look for equipment with consoles that offer heart rate controlled programmes.
What does heart rate controlled (HRC) mean?
Heart rate controlled means that the machine will measure your workout and adjust the resistance to keep your heart rate in your chosen range.
A heart rate controlled (HRC) machine allows to set the range you want to work within, If you start to work outside this range then the machine will adjust the resistance accordingly. For example if you are looking to burn calories you need to keep your heart rate between 50-60 % of its maximum. If your heart rate starts to go above this range you are working to hard and the machine will automatically adjust the resistance to make it easier for you, which will bring your heart rate down. This is to ensure that you spend as much time as possible in your specific range to get the most from your workout.
Checking your progress.
As your fitness levels increase the time it takes you to reach your resting heart rate after a workout will decrease.
This is a great way to chart your progress.
Take your pulse 2 minutes before your start your workout.
Once you have finished time how long it takes for your heart to return to this rate. (Most machines will have hand pulse monitors for you check your pulse, before during and after your workout).
Heart Rate controlled equipment
