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Training Suggestions Why do some people stick to a structured training schedule while others enthusiasm dwindle after a few weeks? One of the answers, is to have a training program that suits your individuals needs and objectives as well as finding it enjoyable. Objective - as previously discussed, we strongly recommend that you start by having a clear idea of your workout objective. These need to be specific, i.e. set certain times that you would like to achieve by certain dates. Your goals need to be realistic, do not set a standard too high so that you lose motivation or too low that you eventually become bored. Your objective will determine how hard (intensity), how long (duration), how often (frequency) and what type of exercise you do. To improve your fitness you need to stress your body beyond a level normally encountered in daily activity. That is you must overload it i.e. get your heart rate up in your required zone. Intensity is how hard you push yourself. This can be measured using heart rate or ones perceived effort of exertion. Low intensity is at a more comfortable pace, 50-60% of ones maximum heart rate or according to the Borg scale of Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) around 11/12. While high intensity is more strenuous 80-90% maximum heart rate or 18/19 on the RPE scale. Low intensity rowing is for longer periods of time + 10 minutes while high intensities is for shorter time periods - 10 minutes. Once you have a good base structure of endurance (after a few weeks of regular training), varying intensities during workouts help with variety and improving fitness levels. Duration is the length of time for your training session. Again over time the duration of a workout will become longer as you get fitter. The duration of a workout will be influenced by intensity and frequency. As already mentioned low intensity workouts will be for longer durations and vice versa. The frequency of the long low intensity or short high intensity workouts will depend on ones goals and fitness levels. Frequency is how many times a week you train. If you are a beginner then starting off 3x a week is the recommended frequency. Once this has been done on a regular basis for 3-5 weeks then increasing your number of workouts to 4-5 x a week is advised. To maintain a current state of fitness it is known that working out 3x a week for 20minutes at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate is adequate. How hard, how long and how often you train will depend on your current state of fitness, time available, your goals and type of exercise. For further information on training advice for your specific goal, click on your goal below:
Recovery is important to allow your muscles to repair the microscopic damage incurred during strenuous activity. The recovery period is the time your body adapts and therefore becomes stronger and ready for the next training session. As your fitness improves, so too will your achievements. The pleasure and benefit achieved by exercise is not realised by a single work out, but by a series of workouts over a period of weeks, months and years. Realising this will enable you to maintain motivation and fitness for life. If at any stage during exercise you feel dizzy or uncomfortable stop immediately, if the symptoms continue consult a physician. Keeping a record - It is always useful to keep a record of your workouts, including such details as how you felt during and after a workout. In this way you can monitor improvement. See monitoring your progress for details of weekly, monthly and yearly training logs. Hydration - Hydration is important, especially if conditions are warm. Drink water during your short stretching breaks in long sessions and ensure you re-hydrate after training. See nutritional advice for details of hydration drinks.
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