Aerobic Training
             courtesy of Kickboxing.com

Aerobic fitness is an integral part of your overall healthy lifestyle. By starting a well constructed program, you can expect positive changes in your fat burning capacity, respiration and oxygen transporting ability, muscle fibers, tendons, bones and ligaments, and the heart and circulatory system.

There is some confusion surrounding aerobic exercise in relation to intensity, duration and frequency. Your fitness level has a lot to do with these three factors and once that is established, you automatically reduce the confusion quotient. So, before intensity, frequency and duration can be prescribed, you should perform a fitness test to determine your estimated Vo2 Max. Your Vo2 Max is the maximal capacity to take in, transport and use oxygen. Otherwise known as your maximal oxygen uptake. I have included instructions and the formula to perform your own estimated Vo2 Max test, so you can start off at a level that will produce results and be manageable.

Fitness level
This test is performed to give you a base line assessment of your current fitness level. There are many tests you can perform to determine your estimated Vo2 Max. The one I have chosen is the easiest to do in terms of time, equipment and simplicity. It can be done in a gym or in the great out doors. The test requires you to perform a one mile walk as fast as you can with out causing any great discomfort. At the completion of this mile, you take your pulse and record the time it took to complete the work . For those of you who are unsure how to take a pulse reading, here are some instructions.

1. Place your index and middle finger on your carotid artery [ this is the artery in your neck, under your jaw bone, next to your wind pipe ]. Gently press this area. You will feel the pulse just under the surface of the skin.
2. Place your hand directly over your heart. For those of you who are not sure, it's over your left breast area.
3. Place your index and middle finger on your radial artery on the inside of your wrist. Gentle pressure is all that is needed.

You can either count for the full minute or for 15 seconds and multiply by four. You are also required to record the time it took you to do the walk. When you have these two figures, along with your age, you can apply them to the formula. For those of you that have a math phobia like myself, it's a good idea to have a calculator handy. The formula looks horrendous, but if you follow each step with patience and a positive attitude you will find the out come very rewarding. Here goes !

Vo2 Max = 132.853 - (0.0769 x your weight in pounds)
- (0.3879 x age in years)
+ (6.315 for males, 0 for females)
- (3.2649 x the time it took to do the walk)
- (0.1565 x heart rate at the end of the walk)
= estimated Vo2 Max

The figure you come up with is your estimated Vo2 Max. Next, you have match that variable to the different levels of fitness presented below. 1. Low [ under 35 ml/kg. min ] 2. Medium [ 35 to 45 ml/kg. min ] 3. High [ over 45 ml/kg. min ]

The next step is to know the importance of the three factors that can make or break your results. These factors are intensity, duration and frequency.

Intensity
The intensity of your aerobic training is dependent upon your fitness level and your desired outcome. There is a threshold or minimum level you must work at to make changes in fitness level, and body composition. For instance, if you are performing your aerobic activity for fat burning [long slow training that improves slow oxidative fibers to use fat as an energy source] and concurrent cardiovascular benefits, then choose regular moderate activity that involves large muscle groups commensurate with your current fitness level. This level is commonly referred to as the aerobic threshold. This intensity level is the level you will see the most benefits from. Your aerobic training level needs to be below the anaerobic [ without the presence of oxygen ] level. When you get into the anaerobic level, the improvements in aerobic fitness subside. How do you know when you are in the anaerobic level? You will feel a burn in the muscle group you are working and your breathing becomes increasingly more labored. This is due to the build up of lactic acid. This occurs when the intensity is high enough to impede the muscle's ability to produce energy in the presence of oxygen and the levels of lactic acid in the blood rise and accumulate. Low fit individuals will have a low aerobic threshold and high fit individuals will have a high aerobic threshold.

Just a word about the anaerobic or lactate threshold. High intensity and shorter training sessions recruit fast twitch [ fast oxidative glycolytic fibers] and increase the lactic acid threshold. The high intensity training will have more of an effect on your overall cardiovascular system. Using high intensity interval work outs can greatly improve your lactate tolerance. You need a fair amount of seasoned training to gain these improvements. If you want to make an attempt at increasing your lactate threshold, even at your current level, my suggestion would be to include short bursts of higher than normal activity . Work within your fitness level and strive to improve. It doesn't have to be painful to be good for you.

Common method used to calculate percent of maximal heart rate
The method commonly used to suggest intensity levels is a percentage of your maximal heart rate. This is calculated by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying that figure by a percentage. There are measurements your percentage of V02 max. that may be of interest when you place the two reading side by side. The % V02 max. is always lower than the % of maximal heart rate. It's good to be familiar with both as both terms are used frequently

This will give you a basic idea of what intensity you should be working at. You will have choices as to whether you wish to train at a fast pace or an easy pace. In fact, it's a good idea to mix up the intensity throughout the week. You do have to keep an eye on your pulse rate while you are working out to remain in the range you have chosen. You can do this one of two ways. First, you can invest in a cardio monitor that gives you a constant reading of your pulse rate at the glance of a watch, or you can simply take your pulse at regular intervals through out the duration of the exercise. After a while, you will become accustom to the "feel ' and won't need to be as diligent with your monitoring.

Remember, you will get fitter and you'll need to repeat this fitness test every so often to upgrade your fitness level. I suggest a re-test should be conducted when the work out becomes too easy. This may sound a little vague, but I am allowing for your individual improvement.

Duration
The duration can be recorded as the time it takes to perform the aerobic activity, the amount of calories burned or the distance traveled. Personally, I focus more on the calories burned in relation to my fitness level. The time it takes is relative to whether I train at the top of my aerobic threshold or at the bottom. Numerous studies have surfaced that suggest you should perform your aerobic exercise for no less than 30 minutes and no more than 60 minutes at a time to improve fitness and for weight control. As your fitness level improves, you can increase your duration or the number of calories you wish to burn to reach your goal.

My fitness level is 45, so that puts me in the medium category. Due to my weight gain diet, I will be on the low end of the scale at 200 calories to burn, 4 times a week. My percent of maximal heart rate is between 70% and 85%. I will be working with 70% and using the 220 minus my age formula, my heart rate will be 126. Next, I go to my heart rate and calories burned scale . At 126 beats per minute, I'll be burning about 6.96 calories. If I were to cycle for 30 minutes, I would burn just over 200 calories. There you have it!

Remember &..work within your fitness level. If you find you can't pass the talk test, then you are over doing it. The talk test is where you should be able to carry on a conversation with minimal difficulty. Another clue is if you feel a burn . Lower the intensity of the work out until your body adjusts.
IMPORTANT !!!!!!!
Start recording the duration when, and only when your heart rate has reached the desired level. You will need some warm up time before you start the clock.

There has been no conclusive evidence that has been produced to encourage extending the duration beyond 60 minutes, nor to burn more than 600 calories at the one time. In fact, to burn more than 3500 calories per week could set you back and start to undo the health benefits you are trying to gain. Endurance athletes that perform for longer periods of time are doing so to improve stamina and performance, not for health reasons. These athletes have to be careful not to over do it.

Frequency
Frequency seems to be the key factor in weight control or fat burning capacity. If you decide you need to burn off 1200 calories per week, the best solution is to divide the calories into days of the week. For example, you can train four days a week and burn 300 calories per session, or you can train three days a week and burn off 400 calories per session. The more frequent the better. Remember, you need to train at least three days a week to reap the benefits, so doing the whole 1200 calories at once is fruitless and not to mention dangerous. With every day you train, you are keeping your metabolic rate elevated. This is part one of a two part article. The next installment will cover aerobic training methods, the importance of warming up and cooling down and much, much more...continued next week.

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