Cardiovascular Training

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Aerobic exercise is a vital part of any training program.

Yet many of us aren’t sure of what type to do, for how long, or how often. As a personal trainer, I apply the FITT principles to any kind of physical activity – Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.

Most of us should aim to do aerobic activity between three and five times per week, for 30-45 minutes per session. This means getting your heart rate elevated for a sustained period of time, and you should feel tired, but not flat-out exhausted, at the end of it. This brings us to the intensity of your cardio workout.

People new to exercise may want to stick to a moderate pace, still getting to fatigue, until these workouts become easy, and they notice that their results – cardiovascular endurance, weight lost – are plateauing. At this point I encourage clients to vary their cardio workouts both in intensity and duration, or time. First, I get the client’s resting heart rate, and determine the range of elevated heart rate we’re going for. Then I set them up into different types of cardio challenge, varying the type within the week. The client may be doing up to four types of cardiovascular challenge: Long Slow Distance, Continuous Interval, and Supramaximal Training. Here’s what such a program might look like (the bpm – heart rate – is a suggestion and will change for each person).

AEROBIC FITNESS STRATEGY

Let's define a few things:

• LSD (Long Slow Distance)  refers to 60-80 minutes: continuous aerobic exercise at moderate intensity, and bpm = 121-146
• Continuous Interval Training refers to  30-60 minutes: alternate 3 minutes bouts of low and high intensity.  Low bpm = 51-67,  High bpm = 134-152
• Tempo Training: refers to 30-60 minutes continuous aerobic exercise at high intensity, bpm = 159-177

Supramaximal Training: refers to 15-20 supramaximal exercise bouts for 1 min., with 2-5 min. active rest between bouts (walking briskly to next cardio station or going much more slowly on the same cardio exercise). Supramaximal = your top speed

Let's get to the workout!

WEEK 1:

WARM-UP: Stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical, low to moderate pace, for 7 to 10 minutes.

AEROBIC ACTIVITY: Get 150- 200 minutes, total cardio (not counting warm-up time) per week

• Session 1: LSD (Long Slow Distance) for 60-80 min: Bpm = 121 to 146
• Session 2: Tempo Training
• Session 3: Continuous Interval Training
• Session 4: Supramaximal Training

WEEK 2:

• WARM-UP: Stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical, low to moderate pace, for 7 to 10 minutes.
• AEROBIC ACTIVITY: Get 150- 200 minutes, total cardio (not counting warm-up time) per week
• Session 1: Supramaximal Training
• Session 2: LSD (Long Slow Distance) for 60-80 min: Bpm = 121 to 146
• Session 3: Tempo Training
• Session 4: Continuous Interval Training

WEEK 3:

• WARM-UP: Stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical, low to moderate pace, for 7 to 10 minutes.
• AEROBIC ACTIVITY: Get 150- 200 minutes, total cardio (not counting warm-up time) per week
• Session 1: Continuous Interval Training
• Session 2: Supramaximal Training
• Session 3: LSD (Long Slow Distance) for 60-80 min: Bpm = 121 to 146
• Session 4: Tempo Training

As for the type of cardio activity to do, it’s important to vary your challenges. If you enjoy cycling classes, recognize that this works the quadriceps and hip flexors particularly, and choose other activities, such as swimming, aerobic classes, kickboxing, elliptical, treadmill, snowshoeing or skiing to round out your cardio workouts. This is a good way to avoid overuse injuries of any particular muscle group.