2009 Resolution #3: Commence research into the psychological effects of heart rate training. Check. Yup. This week, I received official Institutional Review Board approval to launch my study -- and a few hours ago, I kicked off Phase 1 -- a short, 10-minute completely anonymous/confidential survey of HRM-wearers about their thoughts/experiences with wearing their HRMs.
YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN MY STUDY at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4byaM0cjQPKBwQqORKJ1ZQ_3d_3d
Self-efficacy -- that is, one's belief in one's own ability to navigate the challenges of one's world -- is my absolute favorite concept to think, talk, and/or write about. It's the basis of nearly EVERY ride I ever coach. It's the basis of nearly every conversation I ever have with a patient. It's what I think about when I wake up in the morning.
I credit -- in my own life -- my relationship with my heart rate monitor with the development of my own self-efficacy. What is more profound than appreciating your own power to control your own physiology? Learning and practicing -- improving -- techniques of breath and muscle recruitment/relaxation, and receiving immediate feedback on the efficacy of those techniques -- really, what can be more gratifying? Immediate feedback, being absorbed in the task of improving SOMETHING -- anything -- the joy of improvement for the sake of improvement alone. Being able to sustain, refrain, and... (oh, so close, I'm not cool enough to pull that off: but the fact that the rhyming dictionary suggested "renal vein" is pretty funny!) effectively exert supreme control over your heart's response to challenge -- my gosh, that's HUGELY empowering. And the skills I've developed over time through my fitness training-- turns out, they translate extremely well into real life. The way I coach myself and others to manage their heart's response to challenge, I encourage the exact same application to life off the bike. I've seen it in myself, and in scores of people I train. The experience of getting regular feedback for control-establishing mechanisms DIRECTLY translates into the experience of control, globally.
So I'm going to study this relationship, experimentally. That will launch in August or so. But this quick survey (again: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4byaM0cjQPKBwQqORKJ1ZQ_3d_3d) is a Phase 1 of the project, designed to capture the wide range of possible variables for which I need to control as I fine-tune my design. But this Phase 1 itself will be independently interesting, and I look forward to learning from a wide range of experiences from around the country. I'm so damned excited -- both about the project itself and, symbolically, because I actually *DID* this thing I said I was going to do. How's that for self-efficacy?
As it were, I just had the equivalent of a Self-Efficacy Cruise. Perfectly timed with my super-awkward post-Spinathon emotional void, I embarked upon a week-long immersion in My Former Life. With school on break for a week, I visited NYC to teach my old Spinning classes at NYSC, frolic with assorted "life characters," and reconnect with the experiences, faces, and "moments" that once gave me a sense of purpose amidst frantic urban chaos.
Turns out, it was everything I needed. It wasn't just an immersion in the energy/passion of what I once held dear; it was an immersion in nonstop opportunities for the development of self-efficacy -- accomplishing specific objectives/milestones, appreciating familiarity in unfamiliar ways, tapping into another layer of the way I impacted and was impacted BY my former life. It was everything.
As a driver: As many of you know, I just learned how to drive in August -- so as a friend pointed out today, I'm going through all these routine "milestones" later in life and making a much bigger deal about them, because they mean more with this different perspective. So was my first road trip. Joined by two classmates, yours truly actually operated a moving vehicle from A --> B, wherein A was absolutely NOWHERE remotely near B and involved treacherously scary pathways to get there. My first bridge, my first tunnel, my first 4-lane roadway. No joke. And I rocked it. There were times where I was scared out of my MIND -- but pretty damned quickly "walked the walk" of 'breathing my heart rate down' and recruiting the resources I needed to be successful ("GIVE ME MOLLY 4!" I called out to my front-seat passenger, referring to the label of a mix CD of calming instrumental tunes.). Throughout the week, I drove all over the place (including a ridiculous but absolutely well worth-it drive to take MI Anthony Musemici's class on Long Island) -- and then, today, drove back -- entirely by myself. I got lost several times and figured it on my own accord -- quite calmly. I truly believed that I'd be able to figure it out -- and, lo and behold, I did. I was also SUPER-CALM when I got pulled over by a NYS trooper and *PAINFULLY* ticketed. I was even too calm to launch any waterworks. My heart rate was "breathed down" before the dude ever reached my door. Oops.
As an athlete: On Tuesday, I had the privilege of taking MI Caroline Dawson's class in Manhattan. It was - no joke - one of the most empowering experiences I'd had on a Spin bike. I had been planning to just be there to soak up Caroline's awesome stylistic talents as a coach, spinning my legs nice and easy -- MAYBE breaking 65% MHR (I was teaching 7 of my old classes, after all...). But there was a bike shortage, and she drafted me to demonstrate form on the instructor platform. See also: I couldn't fake it. BAM: Strength profile -- 'couple loops of switchbacks at a steady heart rate-- and yours truly decides to do her first-ever 30-minute 85% MHR training session. I've NEVER tried to hold 85% that long. Why? I'd never motivate myself to do it -- and when I take other people's classes, I keep my HR super-low (since it's "extra" -- a rare treat). To hold 184 bpm for 30 minutes was a RIDICULOUS thing -- and, conceivably, made me even prouder than the week before after the 6-hour ride. I felt, seriously, like I could conquer the world. Talk about someone reaching you on an "it's all about what they take away when they leave the room" level.
As a coach: In a span of three days, I had more tear-jerking, life-altering dialogues (in-person or, more commonly, by email post-ride) with former "regulars" than I, practically speaking, could take the time to inhabit and reflect upon. It was the mindblowing "fusion"-type experience I described in my last post at the Spinathon -- except with people from whom I had absolutely NO expectation that they'd been having any of these lasting experiences with classes or blog posts or anything that I "just do" and continue to be shocked that people actually hear/read/process/in any way connect with it. I need to find a better word than "humbling" - but it's the one that comes to mind for now. All of this culminated on my last day in town, helping a former "regular" of mine (and now a dear friend) who got certified as a Spinning instructor last month, put together her first ride -- and then working through it with her. It was amazingly rewarding to have played a small part in starting her on her own path of the journey that has brought ME such rewards. She's such a natural!
Over the course of the week, I'd prepared three new rides to scatter throughout the week -- hoping that, even if people came out multiple days, there'd be enough material to avoid overlap. First ride was ok -- second ride was AMAZING. Every time I coached it, I got better at it. So I just stopped doing the others. I did this ride 6 times within a 2-day span... and then I came back to Burlington tonight and did it again with my class here. SMITTEN.
The concept is, of course, self-efficacy.
Two blocks:
1st block: Information Gathering. Taking stock of the way your body/heart respond to challenges. Experiment with changes in resistance, then speed, then change in position. Learn to experience the difference between 70%, 75%, 80%. Synthesizing this information to zero in on a target for improvement (ie, a heart rate to which to commit -- 70, 75, or 80%)
2nd block: Load up to target heart rate. Commit to it no matter what. (Will elaborate)
WARMUP
Progressive load to 65%
BLOCK 1: FACT-FINDING - How does your body respond to challenge?
Part 1 - Resistance
Progressive load to 70% -- then keep loading. Goal: how much work can you get done at 70%? Key phrase: "Loading so gradually that your heart cannot tell the difference."
Part 2 - Speed
2x seated accelerations (1 minute each) -- option to maintain 70% or increase to 75%. Use breathing techniques to maintain steady HR through the accelerations and, upon slowing down, progressively load to maintain same intensity.
Part 3 - Position
Acceleration as above (1 minute) -- seated or standing -- option to maintain 70, 75, or increase to 80%. Use breathing techniques to maintain steady HR through the accelerations and, upon slowing down, progressively load to maintain same intensity.
BLOCK 2: COMMITMENT
Loop 1
Return to 70%. Progressive load to individual target -- 70, 75, or 80%
Six surges (you know me and my surges...) -- I coached it as 2 sets of 3 surges (sounds different...). As always, option to accept each surge in whatever way one sees appropriate -- resistance, speed, change in position, or not at all. YOUR choice how to accept slightly more of a challenge to maintain that constant target. Between surges, make any adjustments you need to maintain the same level of intensity.
Loop 2
Return to 70%. Progressive load to individual target -- 70, 75, or 80%
No more surges. No more distractions. "It's all you." Option to change position, speed, resistance when they were so moved by the rhythms -- so long as you hold that heart rate. Take responsibility for that heart rate -- make any adjustments you need.
They held it 15 minutes. It was amazing. I finished with an 8 minute techno remix of "4 Minutes to Save the World" -- and I told them 2.5 minutes in that, if they could last 90 seconds, they were golden (obviously everyone feels good about that...) -- then at the first "YOU ONLY GOT 4 MINUTES TO SAVE THE WORLD," I bust out a: "YOU'VE GOT 4 MINUTES TO THE FINISH LINE."
Inspiring smirks = its own distraction, almost a resetting of the clock. They were 11 minutes down - but I didn't tell them that. All that mattered was the four minutes, their heart rate, and their promise to themselves to maintain it.
Use the rhythm any way that's helpful to you. If your mind starts to wander, close your eyes.
I know you're tired -- but this is where the mental part comes in. What did it mean to you to commit to that target? How did you want to feel when you were finished? What's it going to take to give you that feeling? How badly do you want it?
Ohhhh, they wanted it. When I told them at the end that they'd held that heart rate for 15 minutes... you should have SEEN the smiles, the glows. The pride. The acknowledgment of their own power. Control. Precision.
NOW what would make me glow is if you participated in my research ;-)
Spread the word!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=4byaM0cjQPKBwQqORKJ1ZQ_3d_3d
Showing posts with label heart rate training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart rate training. Show all posts
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Friday, September 5, 2008
Time for a Life Upgrade! Where to get a HR Monitor...
Just two classes into my tenure at the UVM Fitness Center, there've already been tons of questions about how/where to go about buying cheap Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs) to maximize the benefits of your training. LOVE it.
For those of you new to "Spintastic," new to Spinning, new to exercise, new to the concept of HR monitors, as a brief overview: HRMs consist of a transmitter (usually worn as a super-lightweight chest strap) and a watch that reads your heart rate while you train. Why do we care?
1) At certain specific HR ranges, we use different sources of fuel (i.e., stored fat vs. stored sugar... and when we run out of stored sugar, we start breaking down muscle; we do NOT burn fat unless we train at specific fat-burning heart rates).
2) We can tailor our training schedules for sufficient variety to help us accomplish our fitness goal - preventing undertraining (working at too low intensities) or overtraining (working at too high intensities), according to those fitness goals.
3) We can actually measure improvements in our fitness -- improved recovery rates, decreased resting HR, increased lactate threshold (the point at which we stop burning fat and switch over to sugar-burning)
4) Perceived exertion can be totally flawed! Sometimes we think we're working very hard, and we're actually not. Sometimes we think we're not working hard at all, yet our HR is through the roof -- and we get tired too quickly to sustain our effort and maximize our training.
In summary: Our heart is our most important muscle, and a HRM is the only way we get to see it! We can't flex it in the mirror like a tricep or a deltoid... HRMs are all we've got.
To catch you up on everything I've written over the past year on how HRMs work, why you should love them, and how they will change your life, click here!
Once you've decided to upgrade your life, here's what I recommend that you do:
Go to amazon.com and search for "polar heart rate monitor." Polar is the brand I recommend, since 95% of cardio machines ANYWHERE are Polar-compatible. You know when you see the hand grips that allegedly read your heart rate? They're inaccurate (it measures your pulse in your hand - which differs from sweat and how tightly you are gripping) - but if you wear your HR monitor, the machines will read from that and be accurate.
On Amazon, they have two main kinds of models: 1) chest strap transmitters + watches; 2) watch-only models. You should absolutely go for #1. Most models of the second type force you to hold your wrist to your chest while working out - it's absurd. The chest strap is totally light-weight and no big deal... and it works. I actually once accidentally wore it to a bar after a Spinning class I taught... it's so lightweight that I forgot I had it on!
You should get any model in your price range. I have the Polar F6, which is kinda fancy ($109-ish) and potentially overkill for your first monitor. The cheapest model they have will be fine, and will probably cost around $50 or $60. If you can afford it, look for a model with the OwnZone feature (which means that it doesn't cross signals with other people's monitors). It's not necessary, but I personally really like that feature. When I ride next to someone who is wearing a HRM, I get furious when I can't receive my own feedback (when my monitor reads the other person's transmitter). My current model has OwnZone - but there are cheaper ones that also have it.
If you find a model that you like within your price range and you want me to check it out before you buy it, feel free to email me a link to it at melspin@gmail.com. Always happy to help!
Questions/comments, just say the word.
For those of you new to "Spintastic," new to Spinning, new to exercise, new to the concept of HR monitors, as a brief overview: HRMs consist of a transmitter (usually worn as a super-lightweight chest strap) and a watch that reads your heart rate while you train. Why do we care?
1) At certain specific HR ranges, we use different sources of fuel (i.e., stored fat vs. stored sugar... and when we run out of stored sugar, we start breaking down muscle; we do NOT burn fat unless we train at specific fat-burning heart rates).
2) We can tailor our training schedules for sufficient variety to help us accomplish our fitness goal - preventing undertraining (working at too low intensities) or overtraining (working at too high intensities), according to those fitness goals.
3) We can actually measure improvements in our fitness -- improved recovery rates, decreased resting HR, increased lactate threshold (the point at which we stop burning fat and switch over to sugar-burning)
4) Perceived exertion can be totally flawed! Sometimes we think we're working very hard, and we're actually not. Sometimes we think we're not working hard at all, yet our HR is through the roof -- and we get tired too quickly to sustain our effort and maximize our training.
In summary: Our heart is our most important muscle, and a HRM is the only way we get to see it! We can't flex it in the mirror like a tricep or a deltoid... HRMs are all we've got.
To catch you up on everything I've written over the past year on how HRMs work, why you should love them, and how they will change your life, click here!
Once you've decided to upgrade your life, here's what I recommend that you do:
Go to amazon.com and search for "polar heart rate monitor." Polar is the brand I recommend, since 95% of cardio machines ANYWHERE are Polar-compatible. You know when you see the hand grips that allegedly read your heart rate? They're inaccurate (it measures your pulse in your hand - which differs from sweat and how tightly you are gripping) - but if you wear your HR monitor, the machines will read from that and be accurate.
On Amazon, they have two main kinds of models: 1) chest strap transmitters + watches; 2) watch-only models. You should absolutely go for #1. Most models of the second type force you to hold your wrist to your chest while working out - it's absurd. The chest strap is totally light-weight and no big deal... and it works. I actually once accidentally wore it to a bar after a Spinning class I taught... it's so lightweight that I forgot I had it on!
You should get any model in your price range. I have the Polar F6, which is kinda fancy ($109-ish) and potentially overkill for your first monitor. The cheapest model they have will be fine, and will probably cost around $50 or $60. If you can afford it, look for a model with the OwnZone feature (which means that it doesn't cross signals with other people's monitors). It's not necessary, but I personally really like that feature. When I ride next to someone who is wearing a HRM, I get furious when I can't receive my own feedback (when my monitor reads the other person's transmitter). My current model has OwnZone - but there are cheaper ones that also have it.
If you find a model that you like within your price range and you want me to check it out before you buy it, feel free to email me a link to it at melspin@gmail.com. Always happy to help!
Questions/comments, just say the word.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Analogue between "Rate of Perceived Exertion" (RPE) Scale & % MHR
I refuse to engage in 99% of physical activities without wearing my heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor is a tool that provides objective feedback of your physiological response to intensity/challenge. Just as I would never drive my car without a speedometer, I don't drive my heart without a heart rate monitor.
In my NYC classes, most of my students wear HRMs to class. In Burlington, this will not be the case. So I need to get more comfortable coaching to a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale to give those without HRMs a construct by which to gauge their intensity.
And truth be told, all HRM-wearers are best served maintaining an awareness of RPE even as they train with their HRM's. If there is a mismatch between HR and RPE, this is an important clue to an underlying situation: overtraining, fatigue, volume depletion, certain medications influencing heart rate. Don't ignore it. Under those conditions, RPE is actually MORE useful than your heart rate monitor.
Before I describe how I use a 0-10 RPE scale in my classes, I'd like to discuss a few issues on my mind:
1) Lack of proper usage
* "Resistance scales"
There are no scales of resistance level!!! Ever hear this one?: "Give me a 9 out of 10 of resistance" >> no, guys, there are NO scales of resistance. It is actually a "taboo" contraindication of the body that certifies Spinning instructors, in fact. Resistance loading is ENTIRELY arbitrary and subjective. Every bike is different, every person is different. We don't care about a specific amount of resistance -- we care about using enough resistance to achieve a certain intensity. The intensity is what we want to measure and monitor -- that's what impacts your training. Anyone who uses a scale of resistance is doing you a great disservice, and my professional opinion is that you should ignore them.
* Be skeptical. Since you are educated athletes (and you all are), think about it: Why would we want to hold what is described as a "10" for a long period of time to climb a normal, run of the mill hill?
* Be safe. Warming up is so key to not only safety but the efficacy of training. If you spike the HR too early, you will actually have trouble recovering throughout the training session. I experience this *all* the time: all those times that I say I'm coaching entirely off-bike (as in the case when I'm teaching 5 classes in a single day, for example) and then I randomly hop on the bike to do an anaerobic interval with you - my HR spikes without warming up, and I'm a cardiovascular mess all day long. That said, anyone who takes you from the warm-up effort to what he or she calls a "9" without any intermediate stops along the way: also doing you a great disservice. Our hearts, like our minds, prefer consistency -- we try to avoid dramatic change. We like change -- in fact, we love change -- but we are better able to cope with change... physiologically, not just psychologically... by doing so gradually.
2) Lack of consistency
Here is a chart that I made to help link RPE parameters with verbal descriptors, and heart rate parameters. Remember that most people have not and will not ever experience their MHR, and that MHR formulas are inaccurate. I recommend finding lactate threshold (8/10) through a lactate threshold/submax field test, and setting LT = 85% MHR. Reverse-calculate MHR and take percentages from there. Effectively, your training parameters will be anchored to LT -- which is measurable, and modifiable with training.
In my NYC classes, most of my students wear HRMs to class. In Burlington, this will not be the case. So I need to get more comfortable coaching to a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale to give those without HRMs a construct by which to gauge their intensity.
And truth be told, all HRM-wearers are best served maintaining an awareness of RPE even as they train with their HRM's. If there is a mismatch between HR and RPE, this is an important clue to an underlying situation: overtraining, fatigue, volume depletion, certain medications influencing heart rate. Don't ignore it. Under those conditions, RPE is actually MORE useful than your heart rate monitor.
Before I describe how I use a 0-10 RPE scale in my classes, I'd like to discuss a few issues on my mind:
1) Lack of proper usage
* "Resistance scales"
There are no scales of resistance level!!! Ever hear this one?: "Give me a 9 out of 10 of resistance" >> no, guys, there are NO scales of resistance. It is actually a "taboo" contraindication of the body that certifies Spinning instructors, in fact. Resistance loading is ENTIRELY arbitrary and subjective. Every bike is different, every person is different. We don't care about a specific amount of resistance -- we care about using enough resistance to achieve a certain intensity. The intensity is what we want to measure and monitor -- that's what impacts your training. Anyone who uses a scale of resistance is doing you a great disservice, and my professional opinion is that you should ignore them.
* Be skeptical. Since you are educated athletes (and you all are), think about it: Why would we want to hold what is described as a "10" for a long period of time to climb a normal, run of the mill hill?
* Be safe. Warming up is so key to not only safety but the efficacy of training. If you spike the HR too early, you will actually have trouble recovering throughout the training session. I experience this *all* the time: all those times that I say I'm coaching entirely off-bike (as in the case when I'm teaching 5 classes in a single day, for example) and then I randomly hop on the bike to do an anaerobic interval with you - my HR spikes without warming up, and I'm a cardiovascular mess all day long. That said, anyone who takes you from the warm-up effort to what he or she calls a "9" without any intermediate stops along the way: also doing you a great disservice. Our hearts, like our minds, prefer consistency -- we try to avoid dramatic change. We like change -- in fact, we love change -- but we are better able to cope with change... physiologically, not just psychologically... by doing so gradually.
2) Lack of consistency
Here is a chart that I made to help link RPE parameters with verbal descriptors, and heart rate parameters. Remember that most people have not and will not ever experience their MHR, and that MHR formulas are inaccurate. I recommend finding lactate threshold (8/10) through a lactate threshold/submax field test, and setting LT = 85% MHR. Reverse-calculate MHR and take percentages from there. Effectively, your training parameters will be anchored to LT -- which is measurable, and modifiable with training.
| RPE | Description – Standard Language with a Bit of Melissification | % MHR |
| 0-1 | 0 = in bed. 1-2 = Very easy – conversation not impacted whatsoever. Pre-warmup into beginning of warm-up | 50-55% |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | Easy. Conversing very very limited difficulty. Start of warm-up | 60% |
| 4 | Moderately easy – you can still carry on a full conversation but you're aware that you're actually riding a bike. End of warmup. Something you can hold *indefinitely*. Feels perfectly comfortable, literally able to sustain forever. | 65% |
| 5 | Moderate – carrying on conversation would require very minimal effort; a bit more concentration than at RPE 4. But you're very very comfortable. You're aware that you're riding a bike - and you can sustain your effort "all day, but not forever." Feels amazingly refreshing. You LOVE this. | 70% |
| 6 | Moderately difficult – conversation would require effort/concentration. You can do a lot more, but you’re working. Thinking that you don’t want to hold this all day. Feels good but not amazing. | 75% |
| 7 | Difficult. You can certainly talk - but carry a conversation? Unlikely. “Comfortably uncomfortable.” No burning in the legs; no tightness in the chest. You’re starting to think you not only don’t like this – but, in fact, you might actually hate this. | 80% |
| 8 | Very difficult. Lactate threshold = point at which lactic acid accumulation exceeds your body's ability to clear it. Burning in the legs might start. You HATE this. You truly hate this. Everything around you is telling you to stop -- but you don't. You can still track your breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth. All of your mental faculties are consumed tracking your breath and reminding yourself that you're not going to stop, even though you want to. Those new to training: can hold 1-3 minutes. Some conditioned athletes can hold as long as 30 minutes. | 85% |
| 9 | Peak effort I ever want you to hit in my classes. You have just enough wind to finish the effort (30 seconds max). Intense burning in the legs. Might feel breathless. You hate this SO much. By the 31st second, it HAS to be over -- so it is. (Make sure you recover back down to 4/10 before you hit this intensity again, for an effective anaerobic interval.) | 92% |
| 10 | Heart is going to explode out of chest. Might feel dizzy or nauseated. STOP. STOP STOP STOP. | 95-100% |
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
How to Become a Fat-Burning Machine
As many of you know, I continued my irresponsible jet-setting ways (for the woman supporting herself entirely by Spinning, that is) this weekend -- this time, down in Miami for the annual World Spinning & Sports Conference: a 4-day continuing ed conference attended by over 1,000 instructors from around the world. It was awesome!
I will be writing tons of posts over the next few weeks to share various training principles (nothing I haven't shared -- or attempted to share -- with you before... but perhaps more effective ways of communicating these principles in a way that better 'drives them home' for you?). For now, though, I want to share with you an experience I had for my own training that underscores the concept of aerobic base-building -- towards the end of becoming fat-burning machines!
As many of you know, we try to individualize our training according to heart-rate for purposes of making our metabolism work for us (instead of just fighting it... or even just complaining about it!). Exercise intensity relative to metabolism is truly what determines the effectiveness of all that time you spend in the gym. Scores of students tell me on a daily basis about how they've been training hard for years and years and "yet" are still not losing any weight, and they are tremendously frustrated. Very common, but very unsurprising.
Why do I say this? Because of how the body fuels itself. We tend to think "more" is always "better" - but it's actually not true. Below a certain heart rate, the body utilizes mostly fat as its main source of fuel. Above that certain heart rate, the body uses mostly sugar. By training above that point without having first established an "aerobic base," you are actually training the heart to prefer to burn sugar, not fat, at rest. So all those PsychoSpin instructors who have you doing crazy "sprints" (which are commonly not real Spinning sprints, usually -- but the word "sprint" tends to get people excited, so instructors toss the word around for mere accelerations) every day, this is not necessarily going to help you burn fat. At extreme high heart rates, you are mostly burning sugar (and if you run out of sugar, you'll start breaking down muscle), leaving you sore and feeling hungry (which then sets off a whole 'nother cycle...).
If, however, you can "re-boot" the heart by training it in that lower aerobic heart rate zone (below 80% MHR), you can actually re-set your metabolism. While you will burn fewer calories in a 45 min period, those calories will be coming from FAT instead of sugar.... and by re-setting that metabolic rate, your body will continue to work for you all day long. While you're laying on the couch watching TV or out sipping a glass of wine at an outdoor cafe... yup, you'll be burning fat the whole time. Love it.
How do we pull this off? First, get a heart rate monitor. Second, chat with me about how to use it (hint: your age-predicted target values are probably not entirely accurate, as they do not account for conditioning level). Third, commit to the following short-term sacrifice... towards the end of long-term fulfillment.
Behold, your invitation to burn some fat:
FOR 8 WEEKS
Discipline yourself to remain below 80% MHR (or, below your lactate threshold - if you know it) throughout all cardio exercise (not just Spinning). You will be improving your cardiovascular fitness, and you will see and feel this measurable improvement in a matter of weeks.
This may mean that you have to modify your usual efforts. In a Spinning class, if an instructor (including me) tells you to rise out of the saddle -- if you can't do that without crossing 80% MHR, don't do it. Whatever modifications you have to make to maintain that base-building plan, just make them. This is your body. Your training. You're calling the shots. Over time, however, you will start to notice that you're able to do more and more (closer to your former efforts) while still remaining below 80%. This is called adaptation, and it's very cool.
I've been talking about this for a looooooooong time (on the left-hand side of this blog, click the links for "endurance," "HR training," and "periodization" to start!), and many of my students have found great success with their base-building efforts in that they have started to lose weight, find themselves physically and mentally energized, sleeping better, and performing better in all of their recreational and competitive athletic activities.
But now I'm going to tell you how base-building worked for me:
In 2005, I started training with a HR monitor. I had been cycling religiously 3-4x per week for several years, and had not lost a pound. I was 40 lbs heavier than I am now. When I started training with a HR monitor and staying entirely below 80% MHR, I lost 20 lbs in two months (with no major dietary changes), and ultimately came to lose another 20 over another four months.
<<--- (Top & Bottom): 2003, even while Spinning 4x per week! Before training with a HR monitor and staying exclusively below 80%.
It was crazy -- and yet, not at all. It was just science. Above lactate threshold (for many people, this value occurs between 75-85% MHR), fat is not the predominant source of fuel. If we train above that point, we are mostly NOT touching our fat stores (Occasional anaerobic effort important to incorporate into any training plan, for other reasons --but it still does not burn fat!)
What I've been leading up to: this weekend, I had my aerobic base and metabolism actually measured to determine at what HR my body is still using fat as its dominant fuel. I rode a Spin bike while wearing a special piece of equipment that monitored my respiration and heart rate as I exerted myself at various degrees of intensity. For most people, they are burning the greatest PERCENTAGE of fat calories (below 80%, we burn fat and sugar) at very low heart rates (55-65%-ish). We very rarely train at those low rates when we're at the gym. But yet, it's training at these moderate intensities (for example, 70-80%) that ultimately helps us raise that aerobic base so that our greatest percentage of fat burning occurs at HIGHER heart rates... so we can burn more calories, get that endorphin "rush," and all that good stuff... but still be burning fat. Lance Armstrong, by the way, burns the greatest percentage of fat calories at his anaerobic threshold... he's essentially burning fat all the time. But Lance spends 12 weeks a year training at 60% of his MHR. All I'm asking YOU for 8 weeks of just below 80%!
Over time, the goal is to build up to being able to sustain the upper limit of that <80% range for entire training sessions.
Getting more work done, without working harder.
I will be writing tons of posts over the next few weeks to share various training principles (nothing I haven't shared -- or attempted to share -- with you before... but perhaps more effective ways of communicating these principles in a way that better 'drives them home' for you?). For now, though, I want to share with you an experience I had for my own training that underscores the concept of aerobic base-building -- towards the end of becoming fat-burning machines!
As many of you know, we try to individualize our training according to heart-rate for purposes of making our metabolism work for us (instead of just fighting it... or even just complaining about it!). Exercise intensity relative to metabolism is truly what determines the effectiveness of all that time you spend in the gym. Scores of students tell me on a daily basis about how they've been training hard for years and years and "yet" are still not losing any weight, and they are tremendously frustrated. Very common, but very unsurprising.
Why do I say this? Because of how the body fuels itself. We tend to think "more" is always "better" - but it's actually not true. Below a certain heart rate, the body utilizes mostly fat as its main source of fuel. Above that certain heart rate, the body uses mostly sugar. By training above that point without having first established an "aerobic base," you are actually training the heart to prefer to burn sugar, not fat, at rest. So all those PsychoSpin instructors who have you doing crazy "sprints" (which are commonly not real Spinning sprints, usually -- but the word "sprint" tends to get people excited, so instructors toss the word around for mere accelerations) every day, this is not necessarily going to help you burn fat. At extreme high heart rates, you are mostly burning sugar (and if you run out of sugar, you'll start breaking down muscle), leaving you sore and feeling hungry (which then sets off a whole 'nother cycle...).
If, however, you can "re-boot" the heart by training it in that lower aerobic heart rate zone (below 80% MHR), you can actually re-set your metabolism. While you will burn fewer calories in a 45 min period, those calories will be coming from FAT instead of sugar.... and by re-setting that metabolic rate, your body will continue to work for you all day long. While you're laying on the couch watching TV or out sipping a glass of wine at an outdoor cafe... yup, you'll be burning fat the whole time. Love it.
How do we pull this off? First, get a heart rate monitor. Second, chat with me about how to use it (hint: your age-predicted target values are probably not entirely accurate, as they do not account for conditioning level). Third, commit to the following short-term sacrifice... towards the end of long-term fulfillment.
Behold, your invitation to burn some fat:
FOR 8 WEEKS
Discipline yourself to remain below 80% MHR (or, below your lactate threshold - if you know it) throughout all cardio exercise (not just Spinning). You will be improving your cardiovascular fitness, and you will see and feel this measurable improvement in a matter of weeks.
This may mean that you have to modify your usual efforts. In a Spinning class, if an instructor (including me) tells you to rise out of the saddle -- if you can't do that without crossing 80% MHR, don't do it. Whatever modifications you have to make to maintain that base-building plan, just make them. This is your body. Your training. You're calling the shots. Over time, however, you will start to notice that you're able to do more and more (closer to your former efforts) while still remaining below 80%. This is called adaptation, and it's very cool.
I've been talking about this for a looooooooong time (on the left-hand side of this blog, click the links for "endurance," "HR training," and "periodization" to start!), and many of my students have found great success with their base-building efforts in that they have started to lose weight, find themselves physically and mentally energized, sleeping better, and performing better in all of their recreational and competitive athletic activities.
But now I'm going to tell you how base-building worked for me:
In 2005, I started training with a HR monitor. I had been cycling religiously 3-4x per week for several years, and had not lost a pound. I was 40 lbs heavier than I am now. When I started training with a HR monitor and staying entirely below 80% MHR, I lost 20 lbs in two months (with no major dietary changes), and ultimately came to lose another 20 over another four months.
<<--- (Top & Bottom): 2003, even while Spinning 4x per week! Before training with a HR monitor and staying exclusively below 80%.
It was crazy -- and yet, not at all. It was just science. Above lactate threshold (for many people, this value occurs between 75-85% MHR), fat is not the predominant source of fuel. If we train above that point, we are mostly NOT touching our fat stores (Occasional anaerobic effort important to incorporate into any training plan, for other reasons --but it still does not burn fat!)
What I've been leading up to: this weekend, I had my aerobic base and metabolism actually measured to determine at what HR my body is still using fat as its dominant fuel. I rode a Spin bike while wearing a special piece of equipment that monitored my respiration and heart rate as I exerted myself at various degrees of intensity. For most people, they are burning the greatest PERCENTAGE of fat calories (below 80%, we burn fat and sugar) at very low heart rates (55-65%-ish). We very rarely train at those low rates when we're at the gym. But yet, it's training at these moderate intensities (for example, 70-80%) that ultimately helps us raise that aerobic base so that our greatest percentage of fat burning occurs at HIGHER heart rates... so we can burn more calories, get that endorphin "rush," and all that good stuff... but still be burning fat. Lance Armstrong, by the way, burns the greatest percentage of fat calories at his anaerobic threshold... he's essentially burning fat all the time. But Lance spends 12 weeks a year training at 60% of his MHR. All I'm asking YOU for 8 weeks of just below 80%!
Over time, the goal is to build up to being able to sustain the upper limit of that <80% range for entire training sessions.
Getting more work done, without working harder.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Heart Rate Training & HR Monitors
FROM THE SPINTASTIC ARCHIVES...
Excerpts from my Spintastic listserv mailings of yesteryear... compiled by topic, for your convenience.
12/10/2007: SIGNS YOU MAY BE OVERTRAINING... AND WHY WE SHOULD KEEP OUR HEART RATES IN THE FAT-BURNING ZONE MOST OF THE TIME
1) Increase size/strength of your left ventricle of the heart, the part that pumps blood to the whole body
2) Increase blood volume pumped throughout the body
3) Increase fat metabolism - burn fat instead of stored muscle glycogen
4) Increase capillary density around working muscles - so more oxygen can be exchanged, and it's easier to stay aerobic... a circular pattern that keeps these benefits flyin'
5) Increased lactate threshold (the point where you switch from aerobic to anaerobic training)
6) Boosted immune function
7) Decreased blood pressure
Good stuff, right?
_______________________________________________________
10/4/2007: UPGRADE YOUR LIFE! GET A HR MONITOR!
This has been the best week EVER. Not only did I get my first med school interview invite but 15+ different people in my classes asked me about getting heart rate monitors! Best thing ever. Riding with a HR monitor will literally revolutionize your training. Among MANY other benefits, you'll be able to:
* Observe your progress in recovery time and increased lactate threshold (how high your HR goes before you leave the aerobic training zone)
* Balance your weekly training schedule to cycle between high intensity and more moderate intensity rides
* Meet whatever your fitness goals happen to be - whether it be weight loss, building cardiovascular endurance and/or strength, etc. (I'm happy to discuss a training plan with anyone interested in where their HR ranges should be, depending on your goal).
Amazon.com typically has great deals. I recommend anything by Polar with a chest strap model. Cheapest, lowest frills: Polar FS2
Next step up: Polar F4
One step higher: Polar F6
If you train in "close quarters" with other HRM users (i.e., Spinning classes with lots of beeping watches), I recommend at least the F4 (if not the F6) to prevent cross-feeding heart rate signals.
________________________________________________________
1/27/2008: WHAT DO I DO WHEN I GET MY NEW HR MONITOR?
______________________________________________________
3/2/2008: ENDURANCE TRAINING - WHY WE DO IT, WHEN WE DO IT
Why do we do Endurance work?
Because when we stay below 80% MHR, we burn fat the entire time... as soon as we cross that, we're burning sugar - not fat.
What happens when we don't do Endurance work?
When we train above 80% MHR without having established an "aerobic base" (accomplished for most people by staying below that mark for at least 8-12 weeks - without exception!), we teach the body to *prefer *to burn sugar all the time... instead of fat.
What happens when we burn sugar, instead of fat, for sustained periods of time?
We eat more. Our appetites are ravenous. We get fatigued... if not immediately after exercise, then we can almost certainly expect to crash at some point later in the day. We are prone to injury, compromised immune systems. We are irritable, anxious, and moody.
So why do we LOVE aerobic base-building work, through Endurance training?
Our bodies learn to accommodate greater effort (more resistance, faster speed, etc) -- and thus burn more calories -- while REMAINING aerobic... and thus, burning fat (not sugar) even at that greater effort!
How do we know when our heart rates are below 80% MHR? Can we just "feel"
it?
Uh, sure, go ahead... but you'll be wrong. BUY A HR MONITOR. Check out my archives for links to cheap, good ones on Amazon.com. I'll help you set it up, and it'll change your life.
Does this apply only to Spinning?
Absolutely not! This applies to ALL of our training. When you're base-building, staying below 80% MHR is a requirement throughout EVERYTHING you do. Wear your HR monitor during everything... it's fascinating to see how your heart responds differently to different challenges. For example, I've recently taken up kickboxing as a cross-training mechanism (SO important for one's body to cross-train... not just when you're teaching 16-18 Spin classes a week, either!) -- turns out that, for me, kickboxing is the PERFECT aerobic exercise for me. I don't have to discipline myself to control my HR at all -- I'm square between 65-80% MHR the entire time with no special effort (whereas to remain in that zone on a bike, at times, takes
a lot of control) -- so, perfect base-building activity! So, wear your HRM and experiment to find what works for your body!
Did I have any intention of creating this Q&A list?
No. I'm just ranting now... I'm done. I definitely encourage you to visit the Spintastic homepage (link above) and read through the archives. I've written a ton over the past few months about the merits of training by heart rate.
___________________________________________
2/10/2008: PERIODIZATION -- WHAT IS IT, WHY SHOULD I DO IT, HOW DO I DO IT?
Cheers,
Melissa
Excerpts from my Spintastic listserv mailings of yesteryear... compiled by topic, for your convenience.
12/10/2007: SIGNS YOU MAY BE OVERTRAINING... AND WHY WE SHOULD KEEP OUR HEART RATES IN THE FAT-BURNING ZONE MOST OF THE TIME
Here are some warning signs that you may be overtraining:
1) Constant fatigue
2) Changes in sleep patterns
3) Irritability
4) Frequent illness/infection
5) Sugar cravings
6) Elevated resting heart rate
If that looks familiar, it's even more important to focus on building (or rebuilding) that aerobic base - specifically, staying below 80% max hr with NO exceptions - for a straight, consistent 4-8 weeks. If you want to do this right, get a monitor! (I often bring my extra one to classes as a conversion tool - ask to borrow it for a taste of just how enlightening it is). If you're still not sold, you can do a bit of guesswork: 80% is that "comfortably uncomfortable" point I talk about in class - can't talk much, but no burning in your legs.
1) Increase size/strength of your left ventricle of the heart, the part that pumps blood to the whole body
2) Increase blood volume pumped throughout the body
3) Increase fat metabolism - burn fat instead of stored muscle glycogen
4) Increase capillary density around working muscles - so more oxygen can be exchanged, and it's easier to stay aerobic... a circular pattern that keeps these benefits flyin'
5) Increased lactate threshold (the point where you switch from aerobic to anaerobic training)
6) Boosted immune function
7) Decreased blood pressure
Good stuff, right?
_______________________________________________________
10/4/2007: UPGRADE YOUR LIFE! GET A HR MONITOR!
This has been the best week EVER. Not only did I get my first med school interview invite but 15+ different people in my classes asked me about getting heart rate monitors! Best thing ever. Riding with a HR monitor will literally revolutionize your training. Among MANY other benefits, you'll be able to:
* Observe your progress in recovery time and increased lactate threshold (how high your HR goes before you leave the aerobic training zone)
* Balance your weekly training schedule to cycle between high intensity and more moderate intensity rides
* Meet whatever your fitness goals happen to be - whether it be weight loss, building cardiovascular endurance and/or strength, etc. (I'm happy to discuss a training plan with anyone interested in where their HR ranges should be, depending on your goal).
Amazon.com typically has great deals. I recommend anything by Polar with a chest strap model. Cheapest, lowest frills: Polar FS2
Next step up: Polar F4
One step higher: Polar F6
If you train in "close quarters" with other HRM users (i.e., Spinning classes with lots of beeping watches), I recommend at least the F4 (if not the F6) to prevent cross-feeding heart rate signals.
________________________________________________________
1/27/2008: WHAT DO I DO WHEN I GET MY NEW HR MONITOR?
I am thrilled at the recent surge of HR monitor converts! I come home every day and report to my boyfriend about all the new HR monitor-wearers who came to me to get their new ife-upgrades set up. It's seriously my favorite thing in the entire world. My second-favorite thing in the world is when people get cycling shoes. But that's for another post…
*BUY A HR MONITOR. DO IT. JUST DO IT.*
As Master Instructor Iona Passik says, "our hearts are the most important muscle in the body – and one that we cannot see!" Brilliant observation, really -- so true. The HR monitor is our only mechanism for observing our most important muscle, observing when it is strong, observing when it's not doing too hot, and observing its improvements over time. You can get a decent basic-function one for less than 50 bucks (ask me for shopping help! I look at web links students send me all the time…). For those of you who have never seen one, it's a light strap you wear around your chest, with a wrist watch that reads from the transmitter strap.
Without a HRM, you're going on perceived exertion – and perceived exertion is totally fallible. For example, I rode today at what I thought was REALLY REALLY hard effort (burning, pain, the whole nine yards). Looked down at my monitor: 118 bpm. Seriously. I wasn't working at all. This happens ALL the time.
*ONCE YOU GET YOUR MONITOR*
Step 1: Open box. Strap on transmitter.
Step 2: Gasp in shock that your HR is through the roof, even when you don't
think you're working that hard.
Step 3: After you chat with me, you discipline yourself to spend the next 4-8 weeks remaining completely below 80% max HR. You slow down your pace. You stay in the seat for most of the ride, no matter what the class is doing.
Step 4: You complain to me that you're bored, you feel like you're not working hard, you're miserable. You miss pushing really hard and getting that endorphin surge.
Step 5: After 4-8 weeks, you have so greatly re-built your aerobic base that you find that you actually need to push HARDER with MORE resistance to hit that even that 80% aerobic barrier than you were using when you thought you were going "all out."
This is called *adaptation*. When we let the body work in the heart rate zones that it's supposed to work at, it gets damned good at it. It just requires a little bit of patience – an investment at the front end – to be able to get to that point.
*"WHAT'S THIS 80% STUFF?": MAX HEART RATE & PERCENTAGES THEREOF*
Everything we do in HR training relies on taking percentages of our "max HR" – i.e., below 80% MHR is aerobic training. The problem is that most of us do not know our max HR!
Since it is the anchor point for *all *of our training, we at least need to take an estimate. We can do that in one of four ways: (1) actually get it measured in a laboratory setting (best way, but costly and inconvenient); (2) lactate field test (very good way, but requires a lot of self discipline); (3) sub-max HR test (pretty good way, requires a bit of self-discipline); and (4) age-predicted calculations (not ideal, but better than nothing!)
Of these, I will walk you through the ones we can do ourselves. *All of these should be done when we feel rested, and have not engaged in intense anaerobic exercise (both Spinning and non-Spinning – anything above 85% MHR – any BURNING!) in 24 hours.*
*1) Foster Sub-Max HR Test (developed by Carl Foster, Ph.D.)*
* **I have modified the descriptions to make more sense than I think the actual Foster scale instructions read:*
Step 1: Warm-up adequately for 5-10 mins
Step 2: Get yourself to 120 bpm. Recite the Pledge of Allegiance out loud.
* Ask yourself: Can you speak COMFORTABLY? "Yes" or "Uncertain"*
Step 3: Increase your exercise effort to raise your heart rate by 10 bpm (i.e., 130 bpm)
After 90 seconds, recite the pledge of allegiance out loud.
*Ask yourself: Can you speak COMFORTABLY? "Yes" or "Uncertain"*
Step 4: Repeat this every two minutes until your answer is "Uncertain." *Record your HR (in bpm) at the point where you answered "Uncertain."* **
Step 5: Cool down adequately for 5-10 minutes
Step 6: Calculations/mathematical adjustments:
If you are in poor shape, add 50 bpm
If you are in average shape, add 40 bpm
If you are in excellent shape, add 30 bpm
If you are in competitive athletic shape, add 20 bpm.
Step 7: *Arrive at your calculated estimated maximum heart rate*.
This is the number we then multiply by 70%, 80%, 85%, etc. for our various
training zones.
*2) Lactate Field Test* ***Requires a HR monitor that records average HR!*
Step 1: Warm up adequately for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Get on a tough seated climb. Accelerate until you are pedaling as fast as you can while sustaining that resistance, keeping all your weight toward the very back of the seat. NO BOUNCING. If you're bouncing in the seat, slow down. Think: MAX EFFORT WITHOUT BOUNCING. *Start your HR monitor.*
Step 3: Hold this for 30 minutes. Yes, 30 minutes! *Stop your HR monitor*.
Step 4: Look at what the HR monitor reports as Average HR. That is your field-measured 85% MHR value (otherwise known as "Lactate Threshold" – when we start to go anaerobic). If we then want to reverse-calculate your max (to then calculate the other percentage numbers), take Lactate Threshold divided by 0.85 = Max HR. Then we can work with that number further.
*3) Age-Predicted… with a new twist that I just learned today!*
You've heard me (or others) talk about age-predicted Max HR values. In the
fitness world, we use the age-predictive formulae as follows:
For men: 220 – age = Max HR (then we multiply by percentages)
For women: 226 – age = Max HR
This of course does not account for fitness conditioning level, body composition (fat vs. muscle), or the phase of the moon. It's just a starting point, when we have nothing better.
There's a standard reference chart where one can find their age and then see all their percentages pre-calculated. I have the one for men posted on my website, http://spintastic.googlegroups.com/ under "Features." Women are a bit different, since it's based on 226, not 220 – age.
I took a Spin instructor continuing education workshop today and learned the COOLEST trick ever in the entire world, to adjust the numbers to make them more accurate.
I'd like to credit NYSC instructor (and Master Spinning Instructor) Iona Passik for this absolutely friggin' brilliant amazing technique. I'm obsessed with it, and I want to do it for all of you who have HR monitors. And it's just so amazing that the rest of you NEED to go out and get HR monitors, *just* so that I can do this for you (in addition to that whole "change your life" thing).
Here's how it works. You tell me the highest HR number you've ever seen on a HR monitor during what you call your most intense, ridiculous over-the-top effort. I ask you if you felt like your heart was going to explode out of your chest and you were going to throw up. I add 5-10 bpm to that, perhaps a few beats more if you tell me that you didn't feel like you were seriously going to be sick. That imagery is *fantastic* to recall that feeling of feeling utterly maxed out. We don't do that in spin classes – we don't go higher than 92% in our classes. That's why I add a few points higher. I've been there. For me, it's 198 bpm and I've had it on psychotic explosive runs (when someone else is teaching, of course. I never run at max effort with you guys… I can't talk at 198 bpm!).
We call that your max HR. We then find that number on the standard reference chart, regardless of what age that number is associated with, and read off the other pre-calculated numbers. Starting tomorrow, I am bringing these charts with me to every single class I teach.
*If you have a HR monitor and need help calculating (or re-calculating) your heart rate percentages** per this estimated max HR, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME. I'm seriously so excited to do this for all of you. I'll spit out your numbers to have in front of you, and it'll be fantastic. *
*REMINDER: "ONLY GO ABOVE 85% ONCE PER WEEK"*
From my previous posting from Dec 16th:
*Overtraining is NOT reflective of frequency of exercise - it's reflective of intensity. The Spinning program was actually designed to be done 7 days a week... but properly distributed by HR range:
1-3 days Endurance: 65-80% max HR
1-2 days Strength 75-85% MHR
*1 day Interval*: 65-92% MHR
1 day Recovery (or completely off from cardio exercise): 55-65% MHR
See that? One day a week when you're going "all out" - that's it! For many of you, you're doing 92% far more often than that. Overtraining is totally counterproductive. I did it for years, prior to commencing training with a hr monitor. So let's just... not.
Here are some warning signs that you may
be overtraining:
1) Constant fatigue
2) Changes in sleep patterns
3) Irritability
4) Frequent illness/infection
5) Sugar cravings
6) Elevated resting heart rate**
______________________________________________________
3/2/2008: ENDURANCE TRAINING - WHY WE DO IT, WHEN WE DO IT
Why do we do Endurance work?
Because when we stay below 80% MHR, we burn fat the entire time... as soon as we cross that, we're burning sugar - not fat.
What happens when we don't do Endurance work?
When we train above 80% MHR without having established an "aerobic base" (accomplished for most people by staying below that mark for at least 8-12 weeks - without exception!), we teach the body to *prefer *to burn sugar all the time... instead of fat.
What happens when we burn sugar, instead of fat, for sustained periods of time?
We eat more. Our appetites are ravenous. We get fatigued... if not immediately after exercise, then we can almost certainly expect to crash at some point later in the day. We are prone to injury, compromised immune systems. We are irritable, anxious, and moody.
So why do we LOVE aerobic base-building work, through Endurance training?
Our bodies learn to accommodate greater effort (more resistance, faster speed, etc) -- and thus burn more calories -- while REMAINING aerobic... and thus, burning fat (not sugar) even at that greater effort!
How do we know when our heart rates are below 80% MHR? Can we just "feel"
it?
Uh, sure, go ahead... but you'll be wrong. BUY A HR MONITOR. Check out my archives for links to cheap, good ones on Amazon.com. I'll help you set it up, and it'll change your life.
Does this apply only to Spinning?
Absolutely not! This applies to ALL of our training. When you're base-building, staying below 80% MHR is a requirement throughout EVERYTHING you do. Wear your HR monitor during everything... it's fascinating to see how your heart responds differently to different challenges. For example, I've recently taken up kickboxing as a cross-training mechanism (SO important for one's body to cross-train... not just when you're teaching 16-18 Spin classes a week, either!) -- turns out that, for me, kickboxing is the PERFECT aerobic exercise for me. I don't have to discipline myself to control my HR at all -- I'm square between 65-80% MHR the entire time with no special effort (whereas to remain in that zone on a bike, at times, takes
a lot of control) -- so, perfect base-building activity! So, wear your HRM and experiment to find what works for your body!
Did I have any intention of creating this Q&A list?
No. I'm just ranting now... I'm done. I definitely encourage you to visit the Spintastic homepage (link above) and read through the archives. I've written a ton over the past few months about the merits of training by heart rate.
___________________________________________
2/10/2008: PERIODIZATION -- WHAT IS IT, WHY SHOULD I DO IT, HOW DO I DO IT?
Now let's chat about Periodization -- a training concept that requires a great deal of discipline and planning, but from which we can derive a rich host of rewards. As an overview, periodization is the concept of dividing the calendar year into different "periods" where we focus on different types of training - recovery, aerobic base-building, cardiovascular strength development, and anaerobic training. Research has shown that this is the most effective way to train for athletes -- which you all are -- of all conditioning levels.
I initially became acquainted with Periodization whilst preparing for my advanced Spinning certification last year - and I started on this training path (and truly started to see its effects in my own fitness!) then got distracted when I quit my day job and started teaching so much. I always wished that I could somehow adjust my life to be able to commit to it - and I've even successfully started a few of you on a periodization plan as you've begun to get HR monitors. Well, now I'm doing it, too! Starting tomorrow. I welcome you to do it with me!
Here's how it works, as an average plan based on a 6 or 7 day training week (not just Spinning - ANY cardio, this applies to). If you're interested, I will be happy to tweak this for you to your own time-availabilities and needs.
*WEEKS 1-8: AEROBIC BASE-BUILDING PERIOD* - *below 80% MHR the ENTIRE TIME
*- 4-5x cardio sessions per week - 50-80% MHR
- Every 2 weeks, try to ride a bit longer... arrive to class 15 or 20 minute early to make it a full hour (1-3 hours is what we're shooting for), all below 80% MHR
*WEEKS 9-12: STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT*
- 2-3x/week: 75-85% (don't drop below 75% either!)
- 2-3x/week: 50-75%
- Every 2 weeks, as above, 1-3 hours all below 80% MHR
*WEEKS 13-15: ANAEROBIC FOCUS*
- 1-2x/week: 85-92% MHR intervals (~ 80% inbetween... remember, this is just ONCE per week)
- 2-3x/week - 50-80% MHR
- Note that we exercise fewer times per week during these two weeks
*WEEKS 16-17: RECOVERY*
- Either "active" (train between 50-65% for the entire two weeks)
or "passive" (off all-together).
- I swear to you, you will not lose your fitness. I had to do this after my surgery over the summer, and I didn't lose an ounce of what I'd gained in my training before surgery.
*AFTER THAT....*
You can repeat the cycle just as above - 8 weeks base-building, 4 weeks strength, 3 weeks anaerobic focus, 2 weeks rest. Or, you can do what is called "microperiodization" - where we shorten each phase as follows:
*4 weeks: micro-aerobic & strength combined
*- 2-3x/week: 50-80%
- 2-3x/week - 75-85%
- Every 2 weeks, like before, 1-3 hours <80%>
*3 weeks: micro-anaerobic*
- 1-2x week/ 85-92% intervals
- 2-3x/wk - 50-80%
*2 weeks: rest*
.... then repeat the micro-periodization cycle all over again
Micro-periodization is not effective until you've completed the first cycle with the full base-building period. I know, it sounds rough. But it works. And your body will thank you for it for the rest of your life.
If you feel like reading more, here's an article written by Johnny Goldberg ("Johnny G")- founder of the Spinning program:*
http://media.godashboard.com/spinning/periodization.pdf*
*Just to clarify some of the terms he uses: The Spinning program uses "Energy Zones" to correspond with different HR ranges. When Goldberg refers to the "Endurance Energy Zone," he means " staying under 80% MHR the whole time."
___________________________________________________
3/9/2008: AEROBIC BASE-BUILDING PERIOD... NO "CHEATING" ALLOWED!
Remember, to be able to get the effect of what I've been promising you about staying below 80% MHR (re-setting the body to prefer fat-burning over sugar-burning) for 8 weeks, there can be NO exceptions (on the bike or off the bike!) -- no matter how good it feels to rip into that explosive sprint or monster climb out of the saddle. *8 weeks of pure discipline.* Adaptation will occur -- but only if you truly commit to it. To that end, I am starting over tomorrow. Not allowed to cross 80% MHR until May 13, and that's final. Do let me know if you want to start with me, and I'll do my best to personally discipline you to stay on-track. Science works... if you
don't obstruct it!
When we train anaerobically before building that aerobic base, we actually teach the body to *prefer* burning glucose instead of fat. *This leads to sugar cravings, irritability, fatigue, sleep problems, and all sorts of other bad stuff.
__________________________________________
Hope your 2008 is off to a fantastic start -- at *least* as fantastic as mine (on Thursday, I was officially accepted to medical school! Ahhhh!).
I'd like to begin this week's posting with two comments from students this week that really struck me:*
1) "I can't keep my heart rate down and do what all the instructors tell me to do!"
2) "I can't be over-training... I *only* spin 4 times a week... and besides, I haven't lost any weight."*
I'll take them one at a time.
*1) "I can't keep my heart rate down and do what all the instructors tell me to do!"
*The Spinning program was founded upon the belief that training is personal and individualized, with riders modifying in both speed and resistance according to their a) fitness levels; b) training program/schedule; c) any other reason they damn well please.
Right now, commit to a training schedule. *Always be "in training" for something*. It doesn't have to be a Century or an
Give yourself permission to accept that you know your body better than anyone else. If you're climbing steady, even hills at 75-80% for 30 minutes and then, BAM, your instructor (myself included) throws in a full-throttle push.... even a short one.... *don't do it*. Modify your effort. If you're in an aerobic base-building period (*which *all* new Spinners should be... and many seasoned riders as well!)*, and I coach you through those six 30-second accelerations to Kelly Clarkson and Pink at the end of a ride... *don't do it*. That 3.5 minute speed run to the finish line? Slow it down. *This isn't my ride; it's yours.* *Once you get your heart-rate monitor and can properly gauge where you are, commit to your training program and stick with it.
*Many of my students approach me before class and tell me things like, "Hey, just so that you know, I'm going for Endurance today... didn't want you to think I was ignoring you!" Nothing makes me happier in the world to hear stuff like that. That's *fantastic* when people have HR parameter goals carved out for themselves. *** If you want me to set you up with a plan for your training week/month/year*, I'd be happy to do so -- but you have to stick with it..*. *even if it's tempting to go all-out sometimes. *
You will be happy, later, that you did this. *When I first started wearing a HR monitor years before I became a certified instructor, I was shocked that I was averaging 95% MHR effort during what I thought were "easier" rides. I was further shocked to see that I could not stay below 80% anytime I got out of the seat -- no runs, no standing climbs, no jumps. I stayed in that seat. To give myself a challenge, I'd increase the resistance as much as I could while remaining aerobic -- and it was a completely different ride I was on than that my instructor was coaching. But that's what I needed then. After 1-2 months of aerobic base-building, you'll be able to do all of those runs, standing climbs, jumps, etc. at 80% MHR. And those seated climbs you plowed through? Those will be your recharges.
*2) "I can't be over-training... I *only* spin 4 times a week... and besides, I haven't lost any weight." *
Remember, over-training is not only a function of frequency of exercise! It is also a function of intensity. Even if you train three times a week - but you're pushing so hard to the point of post-exercise exhaustion (because you think that compensates for working out fewer days per week) - you run the risk of over-training. *Elite competitive cyclists do the majority of their training between 60-75% MHR for endurance, advancing to 85% a few days per week for a short period of their competitive year to build cardiovascular strength and get their anaerobic system geared up, then up to max effort leading right up and through Race Day*. *Why would we work harder than competitive cyclists?
*
As for this student's remark about "not losing weight," this is precisely *because* she was pushing so hard. *We do not burn much fat during anaerobic training. If your legs are burning, you are not burning fat as your primary source of fuel.
I'd also like to take this time to re-introduce the concept of proper Recovery. *Recovery can be both passive (total rest, taking a day off) and active (riding at 50-65% max heart rate with light speed and juuuuuuust enough resistance to feel that pull in the back of your leg).* Those active recovery rides can be quite energizing, indeed -- and it's actually quite effective in flushing out accumulated lactic acid from the body and improving oxygen circulation to tired muscles, ligaments and tendons.
Cheers,
Melissa
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