Heart Rate Monitor

My heart rate monitor is my most important tool, during exercise. The importance of the HR monitor is to evaluate my perceived exertion (how hard I think I am working on a scale from 1-10) versus my actual heart rate indicated on the monitor.

The American Heart Association Heart Rate Chart can help you determine your maximum heart rate.  The formula is 220 minus your age and multiply that by 85%.  That is the highest you want your heart rate to get.  (If you are in great shape, you can get your heart rate higher and feel well.)  The higher the heart rate, the more calories you will burn.  You cannot workout at your 85% for more than a minute or two.  For me, after I warm up, I like to stay around my 70-80%.  I feel good when I am working out around there.

Regardless of formulas, during exercise you want to be "breathy."  Meaning you can hear yourself breathe when you talk.  If you are breathy, you know your heart rate is up and you are exercising.

When your perceived exertion (7 or 8 out of 10) and your heart rate monitor "match" (give or take 75%) you know you are having a great workout.  Now, when your perceived exertion is very high and your heart rate is low (won't get high), it is likely that you are over-tired or getting sick. It is your body's way of telling you that it does not want expend energy on this.  You need to rest.  In my experience, if I take a day off, I will have a great workout the following day.  This is one of the more valuable uses of the heart rate monitor, for me.

The heart rate monitor keeps me honest.  When my heart rate is not where I think it should be, I know that I need to work harder.  Rarely, do I ever need to take my heart rate down.  If your heart rate is crazy high, you will know it and you will naturally back off, because you are so uncomfortable.

I have a Polar Heart Rate Monitor.  I have had one for many years now.  I like to monitor my HR and calorie burn.  When you setup the monitor, you input your height, weight, and age and the monitor does the rest.  Heart rate monitor functions vary from monitor to monitor.  Some monitors can download information to your computer, etc., etc. etc.  I'm not into that, but if it makes you motivated, do it!

I spent around $100 on my monitor.  I need to replace it (or choose to replace it) about every 4-5 years.  I workout, on average, 5x a week.  So, the cost-per-use makes the money worthwhile.

I HATE working out without my monitor.  I monitor my heart rate throughout my workout and it motivates me to keep honest and work out to the best of my ability that day.  As equally important to me, the heart rate monitor also allows me to back off, if my body is telling me via my HR monitor, that I need rest-- not exercise.

Remember, if you are in great cardiovascular shape, you probably feel comfortable exercising above your 85%.  If you are new to your exercise program, use the chart as a guideline.

If you don't have a HR monitor, get one!  You won't regret it and your heart and waistline will thank you, too.

Great Songs for Your Workout

A high school friend of mine, Casey, added a new feature to her blog from Playlist.  You can create your own playlists and share them.  I had to "steal" this idea.  (Thanks, Casey!) Because I teach Spinning classes, I get a lot of questions from people about my favorite songs to workout to.  So, I will start posting playlists to this blog.  The playlists will be featured at the bottom of the page.  Just scroll on down to listen to what I am currently working out to.

Check it out!

Lite Workouts

When I workout, I like to workout hard!  Sweat dripping off my body and through my clothes.  I want to push myself as hard as I can go.  I like to "ride my edge," as they say.

Recently, I was reminded by my doctor and an exercise physiologist that it is important plan a few lite workouts during the week.  The idea is that if every workout is a hard workout, you are adding more stress to your body. When your body is stressed, no matter what the cause (work, family, or a workout), your body produces cortisol.  Too much cortisol in your body CAN make you susceptible to illness, decreased libido, decrease in bone density, high blood pressure and increased abdominal fat.

Working out VERY hard puts your body in fight-or-flight mode, just like if you were in a life-or-death situation.  Limit these workout to no more than twice a week. 

If you are under a high level of stress, keep your workouts lite.  Your body does not interpret the hard workout as a stress reliever.  Your body interprets the hard workout as another stressor.

For your lite workouts, get your heart rate up (to where you can hear yourself breathe), but don't push yourself to your edge.  Your body will thank you for it.

If you have questions, find an exercise physiologist or doctor that you can consult with. 

Building a Team: Resistance Training

This is not Mark, but you get the idea! ;-)

I love working out with Mark, a personal trainer.  Mark pushes me.  Those that know me know that I love to workout and sweat.  I love being strong and having stamina.  I love to ride my edge, as they say.

As a Spinning Coach, I try hard to keep motivating my students to ride their edge.  As I have said before, in order to improve your cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance, you must train longer, faster and/or with more resistance.  Your efforts don't have to be drastic, but 10 second pushes/accelerations/sprints, a change on your tension knob (spin bike) or incline on the treadmill, exercising another five minutes, all count.

I know how to resistance train (weight lift, core work, etc.), but I work full-time, teach four Spinning classes and three abs/stretch classes a week.  I just don't have the MENTAL energy to plan my workout and do it.

The great thing about Mark, is that I just show up and do what he tells me to.  I work hard, push my limits, but it is still very relaxing to me.  Sounds strange, I know.  How can all that hard work be relaxing?  The answer is that for that one hour, some one else takes care of me.  I just go through the motions.  I don't think about any thing else.  I just connect with my body and let him lead me through the exercises. 

In Spinning, we say that clipping your feet in the pedals is 99% of the workout.  Just getting yourself there is the hardest part.  When I work out with Mark, I am usually five minutes late---winded and rushed.  I rush home; change clothes; take the dogs out;  grab my water, heart rate monitor, towel, and mat.  Then I rush downstairs to meet Mark.  But, after a few minutes to center and warm up, I am present and in the moment and enjoying the torture.

Having a team of people to help you is natural.  I am slowly learning this concept.  I was very stubborn and giving myself grief about not doing the weight training on my own.  The chatter in my head went like this----I know how to do it, so you are just lazy if you don't do it yourself.  It is a waste of money,  if you can do it yourself....blah...blah...blah

I realized that this mental chatter doesn't serve me and needed to go.  I now view my work with Mark as a way that I nurture myself.  I work very hard in my Spinning classes, but my focus is still on giving my students a challenge and motivating workout.  My one hour with Mark is all about me.

I hope I motivate, push and nurture my students the same way Mark does me. 

The big question is, Who is on your team?

Build a Team

Even though I teach 4-5 Spinning classes a week, it is still hard to accomplish my fitness goals. Let's face it, every day life can be challenging. Full-time work, teaching, maintaining a home, raising two puppies, maintaining friendships, etc. take a lot of time and MENTAL energy.

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to start weight training again. Well, it hasn't gone so well. My intentions have been great, but I just haven't been doing it. I came to the conclusion that I just don't have the mental energy to add it to my life.

Ask For Help

I decided for my birthday that I would hire a trainer to HELP ME on a regular basis! You might be thinking---Don't you already know what to do? Yes, I do. Then, why are you paying some one to tell you what you already know?

The answer is simple, I want/need some one to take care of me and make my life a little easier. You see, I don't have to create my workout plan. I just follow his lead. I have some one that is invested in my progress. Some one to keep me honest. Some one to keep me motivated. TEAMWORK!

Don't be afraid to ask for help. From professional athletes to contestants on The Biggest Loser, they all have a team to help them. Lance Armstrong knows how to train his body, but he still has coaches to help. Overweight people know to "eat less, move more" yet they still can't seem to make a change.

Look at your life and assess where you could use some help. Ask for it. Get it.

Think Like An Athlete

Last night as I watched the Super Bowl, I was reminded that you always have to work harder than you currently are, if you want to continue to improve your fitness level. Athletes have to continuously train harder to compete with other athletes for a spot on the team, to beat the opposing team, to continue to be the best, to keep their endorsement deals, to compete with younger and less injured athletes, etc. They have to commit every day to diet and exercise.

If you stop working at your current intensity or quit exercising, it takes only two to three weeks for cardiorespiratory fitness to decrease. Muscular fitness appears to decrease after two to three months. The only time you can hold your current fitness pattern is if you want to stay the same.

If you want more results, you have to work harder and smarter--frequency, duration, intensity and/or change the type of activity you do. If you do the exact same workout exercise (running or spinning or elliptical machine) for the same amount of time, the same number of days a week, at the same level, you will not see continued improvement. Your fitness level will plateau.

Think like an athlete. Adjust your workout as needed to get the results you want. Change up the Frequency, Intensity, Duration, and/or Vary Your Exercise activity!

Need more motivation? The Olympic Games begin February 12!

February is Here. How are You Doing with Your New Year's Resolutions?

As 2009 came to an end, I encouraged my Spinning students to come up with some fitness goals for 2010. Every year millions of people make a new year resolution to lose weight. By February, most people have lost sight of that goal. Gyms are crowded in January, but back to normal in February.

Fitness goals do not need to overly ambitious. It is not reasonable for the average person to sign up for an ultra-marathon or triathlon or swim across the Atlantic. Small attainable goals help keep us motivated and moving towards our next level of fitness.

As a Spinning and yoga instructor, here are some goals I made for 2010:

1. Incorporate some weight bearing exercises at least twice a week. (Lift weights, take pump classes, practice Ashtanga yoga, etc.)
2. Be a student. Take group exercise classes.
3. Run the Big-D half-marathon in April. (My sister, Lisa, talked me into this one.)

So far, I am on the right track. I joined The Downtown Clubs and take classes during lunch. I am lifting weights and taking pump/sculpting classes, but need to be more consistent. I NEED to start running.

How are you doing? Are your goals attainable? What are the steps you need to take to achieve each goal? Is the timeline you set to achieve your goals realistic?


Daily Workout Goals
Think about setting a small goal for every work out. Setting an intention for a workout sets the tone for your workout. It keeps you motivated. Most importantly, you will work harder.

Here are some examples of daily cardio workout goals:
*Choose a song and add a 10-sec, 20-sec, or 30-sec pushes throughout the song.
*Choose a song. For up to two minutes, work at 90% of your maximum perceived exertion. Recover.
*Add a 20-sec or 30-sec sprint to the end of every song.
*Shorten the length of your workout by 5-10 minutes, but work at a harder intensity to make up for it.
*Add 5-10 minutes to your workout.
*Just finish. (If it took every thing you have just to show up, it is realistic to set a goal of just completing the workout.)

As February begins, take time to look back on your 2010 goals and adjust them as necessary.

Keep motivated. Keep focused.
Julie