-HEART RATE: RESTING, TRAINING, WHERE SHOULD IT BE?

What should be my Training Heart Rate? Is my Resting Heart Rate too High?

The heart begins working before you were born and continues to work until your death. It works faster and less efficiently when you give it little to do than it does when you make more demands on it. It is a remarkable engine, deserves major attention and it is directly affected by your physical condition. Both anaerobically and aerobically conditioned individuals who exercise regularly will have a resting heart rate of about 60 beats per minute or less. Someone who is not in a good physical condition, a person who does not exercise may have a resting rate of about 80 or more. Women tend to have a slightly higher heart rate than men, as do children. Obesity, stress and many other factors can, of course, speed your heart rate up considerably, even though you may appear to be in great condition.

Resting Heart is the number of times the heart beats in one minute - 72 beats per minute for the average adult.
Just as an example, suppose that you were at complete rest for a full 24 hours, a comparison might go something like this:
Sixty beats per minute, times 60 minutes, equals 3,600 beats per hour. Times 24 hours, equals 86,400 beats per day.
Eighty beats per minute, times 60 minutes, equals 4,800 beats per hour. Times 24 hours, equals 115,200 beats per day.
Even at complete rest, a deconditioned person who does not exercise his heart forces it to beat nearly 30,000 times more during every day of his life. But no one is at complete rest 24 hours a day, and for ordinary activity, like getting up from a chair, walking across the room, and climbing a flight of stairs, the deconditioned heart would beat proportionately faster than a conditioned heart for the same activity.
Conditioned hearts, as they grow larger and stronger, can beat more slowly because they are pumping more blood with each stroke. Almost of all of the great distance runners have had low heart rates. Some of them are reported to have a resting rate of 32 beats per minute.
To determine resting heart rate, sit still for five minutes in front of a clock, then take the pulse and count the beats for a full 60 seconds. If the heart rate is at 80 beats or above, then your health is not likely in good condition.
Maximum heart rate is the highest rate at which an individual is capable, you can estimate it subtracting your age from 220. Ex. 220 - 35 = 185 (maximum heart rate)
Training also reduces maximum heart rates, which is just as important. Healthy hearts will peak, without strain, at 190 beats per minute or less, while poorly conditioned hearts may go as high as 220 beats or more during exhausting activity, which is dangerously high depending on the age of the subject.
Finally, training can condition the heart not only to reduce its maximum rate, but also strengthen it so that it can hold near-maximum rates for longer periods before fatigue sets in.
What should be my Training Heart Rate?
Exercise intensity is a very important recommendation in Fitness. The prescribed level of intensity must be sufficient to overload the cardiovascular system, but not so severe that it overtaxes any of the systems of the body. For the apparently healthy individual who wants to develop and maintain an adequate level of cardiorespiratory fitness I recommend 55% to 85% of the person's VO2max.
There are different techniques for monitoring levels of exercise intensity. The most common used methods are target heart rate (THR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and metabolic equivalent units (METS). I think THR is the easiest one to figure out quickly, just by using the following formula: THR range = maximal HR x 0.70 and 0.85 - where 70% and 85% of maximal heart rate is equal to approximately 60% and 80% of functional capacity VO2 max.
For any Fitness matter please email to DavidSilva@DSFitness.com or visit www.DSFitness.com

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- OVERTRAINING - IT'S AS BAD AS NOT TRAINING AT ALL.

Overtraining is the main reason most of the people in the gyms or health clubs look like they have never stepped into any workout facility before in their life. Its the reason most people don't see the gains they want, and give up after trying "so hard". It's what you should pay attention and AVOID to not just become one of them. It's the number one in "Weight Loss failures".
It isn't hard to identify the source of the "beginners logic" that produces this approach - an outsider looking in assumes that shaping an athletic or muscle body is all about how much time you put in at the gym. When the average person encounters an impressive physique he will say, "Man, I bet he/she spend a lot of hours at the gym, every day."
The truth is that DIET, TRAINING and REST are all critically important to improve and maintain your body in a healthy good shape. What you should say when you encounter an impressive physique is, "Man, he/she works out, eats well AND provides the body with sufficient rest."
It is not easy to convince someone who is excited about training that he/she can over train. Give an enthusiastic beginner a workout schedule of 1 to 1.5 hours a day, 3 to 5 days a week, and he/she has the tendency to assume that you are being conservative, that you simply don't realize how determined he/she is and how hard he/she is willing to work. Usually they think that if doubling or tripling the schedule the results will come in the same proportion.
Body shaping does not work that way. You must understand the importance of rest to the muscle building process and the importance of rest to re-energize the body in order to exercise it again and actively participate on the burning fat process.
Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) or "Burn out" can be very dangerous, it is when the body becomes overwhelmed by the demands being placed on it. It's clinically recognized condition characterized by feelings of fatigue and depression, increased cortisol levels (stress hormone that breaks down muscle tissue) and decreased blood-glutamine, testosterone and DHEA levels among other indicators. Over training occurs when the body incurs more damage than it has the opportunity to repair and rebuild.
If you do not allow the body the opportunity to adequately repair its condition by enough rest, you will begin overtraining. OTS is a progressive condition. If you continue to train beyond the body's repair capabilities you will progress into an increased state of OTS.
Common signs of overtraining are getting sick and getting colds more often then normal, feeling tired all the time, muscle and eyelid twitches and decreases on achieving their fitness goals as weight loss or muscle response.
If you are experiencing any or of the above symptoms talk to a professional in the field, and probably you will be advised to slow down on your schedule on even to take a week off.
Then come up with a new workout schedule and routine that will NOT cause you to over train, consequently you will feel away better and the results will appears in a more healthy and pleasurable way.
For any Fitness matter please email to DavidSilva@DSFitness.com or visit us at http://www.dsfitness.com/

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- JUMP ROPE.. DO IT ANYWAYS.

You can Jump Rope as a warm up, when cooling down or just make a whole workout of it. Just do it. It burns up to 1,000 calories per hour. It tones your entire body - arms, legs, trunk, butt, calves and back. It's easy to learn, you probably did it in your childhood, comes back naturally, even if you have never done it before you will get it just in a few practicing times. It improves your game, whether you golf, swim, ski, or play tennis. It's totally cheap and portable. Looks cool...check out those boxers at the gym who know what they're doing. Can be a solo or group workout. It's gender neutral, family friendly, give your kids a rope too! Can be a blast! Make up some jump rope tricks, and have fun with it.
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- GOOD POSTURE IS NEEDED FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

Good posture is important to health. It is needed to keep the organs in place and to allow them to work efficiently and effectively.

Posture affects how you walk, run, jump, lift weights, and execute other skills. For example, if you have rounded shoulders, your arms may be slightly in front of your body instead of hanging alongside your body. As a result, you may find that instead of lifting the arms sideways directly overhead, you are lifting them up and in front of the body. This changes the muscular movement and the movement pathway.

When you have good posture, your muscles are in balance and your body is symmetrical.
Good posture makes you feel good. Because of its many benefits, such as ease of movement, good balance of muscle strength and flexibility, proper positioning of the spine and proper functioning of the internal organs, your body “feels” good and you therefore feel good.
To evaluate your posture, stand with your back against a wall. Your heels, backs of calves, buttocks, upper back and head should comfortably touch the wall. If you must strain to make all points of contact, then you probably have some deviations.
The relative strength and flexibility of the spinal muscles play a role in the alignment of the trunk and pelvis. When there are imbalances, three abnormal conditions can result: lordosis, scoliosis and kyphosis.
The key to having a well-aligned and balanced body is to proportionally develop the muscles (agonists) on one side of the joint with the muscles on the other side of the joint (antagonists). Only in this way will the muscles keep your joints in the natural state and not allow any deviations to occur.
-The spine is the keystone of body structure. It must support the weight of your body.

-Intradiscal pressure when seated is up to 11 times greater than lying down, since sitting is inescapable for most of us, the best advice is to limit time spent sitting as much as possible, and design your workplace according to correct ergonomics.
Your feet must be sufficiently strong to keep your body equally balanced and your shins in line with the feet, head, trunk and upper extremities.
Pelvic asymmetry results in a deviance of symmetrical action in the lower trunk muscles because of the torque in the pelvis and the compensatory curvature and torque of the spinal column.
For more info please email to DavidSilva@DSFitness.com (or DSFitness@aol.com)

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EXERCISES AND METABOLIC RESPONSES

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Exercises and Metabolic Responses:

Exercise will stimulate a series of metabolic responses that affect the body’s anatomy, physiology, and biochemical makeup.

Here are some of the changes that are stimulated by endurance exercise:

-Decreased body fat
-Decreased resting heart rate
-Increased muscle glycogen storage capacity
-Increased muscle mitochondria density
-Increased resting ATP content in muscles
-Increased resting CP content in muscles
-Increased resting creatine in muscles
-Increased aerobic enzymes
-Increased slow twitch muscle fiber %
-Decreased fast twitch muscle fiber %
-Decreased muscle size, when compared to strength training
-Increased cardiac output
-Increased Krebs cycle enzymes
-Increased capillaries
The magnitude of these changes is driven primarily by whether the exercise is anaerobic or aerobic. The type and duration of exercise will physically stimulate muscles to develop more fast or slow twitch muscle fibers, and in turn dictate the primary energy mix used. High intensity exercise stimulates fast twitch muscle fiber development, while low intensity exercise results in slow twitch muscle fiber development. There are also a series of hormonal changes that occur on an overall basis during exercise and non-exercising periods. These changes also are benefited and facilitated with a nutrient profile that matches the type of metabolic flux.
For matter related to fitness please email to DavidSilva@DSFitness.com
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- WORKOUT PLAN TO SUCESS

Often, the hardest part of getting into shape is taking the first step. Here are some simple steps to help begin your journey.

To make physical improvements, you need to work your body harder than usual. This is referred to as the overload principle. As your body becomes more conditioned, you need to increase the frequency, intensity, or time of your workouts in order to continue improving your fitness level.

- Frequency: how often you exercise. For beginners, consider starting with 2-3 sessions per week (cardiovascular + weight lifting)

- Intensity: How hard you exercise. For example, the pace you walk or run, the amount of weight you lift, or your heart rate count.

- Time: How long you perform an activity. "Time" can also refer to the number of sets or repetitions you perform in weight training.

- Exercise Component:

1-Aerobic ExerciseAerobic exercise increases the health and function of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. For maximum effectiveness, aerobic exercise needs to be rhythmic, continuous and involve the large muscle groups (primarily located in the lower part of your body) walking, jogging, cycling, aerobic dance, and stair climbing are examples of activities that use large muscle groups. Activities combining upper and lower body movements such as cross country skiing, rowing, and swimming can lead to even higher levels of aerobic capacity.

2- Strength TrainingStrength training is the process with progressively heavier resistance to build or retain muscle. Unless you perform regular strength exercise, you will lose up to one-half pound of muscle every year of life after age 25. Muscle is a very active tissue with high-energy requirements, even when you are asleep, your muscles are responsible for over 25% of your calorie use. An increase in muscle tissue causes a corresponding increase in the number of calories your body will burn, even at rest.

3- FlexibilityFlexibility is a critical element of an exercise program but it is often overlooked. Stretching is important for a number of reasons: increases blood supply and nutrients to the joints, increases neuromuscular coordination, reduces soreness, improves balance, decreases risk of low back pain, and reduces stress in muscles.

Outdoor Activities: Outdoor activities abound during all four seasons. Sample the variety of activities available to you. For example, take a hike to enjoy the fall colors (which doesn't happen much down here in Florida), learn to cross-country ski when Old Man Winter visits (once more Floridians get taste it somewhere else), walk among the flowers in the Spring, or dive into swimming during the months of Summer (in Florida it can be practiced almost all year around).

Determining Your Starting Point: To achieve cardiovascular benefits, the American College of Sport Medicine (ASCM) recommends exercising 3-5 times per week (frequency), with a training heart rate of 60-85 percent of your maximum (intensity) for 30 to 60 minutes (time).To attain muscular fitness benefits, the ACSM recommends weight training 2-4 days peer week (frequency) performing one to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions (time) of different exercises at approximately 70-85 percent of your one repetition maximum (intensity)

Staying Motivated: Only one-third of those who begin an exercise program are still exercising by the end of their first year. The good news is that with some strategizing and planning, you can beat the dropout odds and make a successful transition to a lifestyle that incorporates exercise. Schedule Your Workouts:Exercise must be a priority in order to establish it as a lifestyle practice. Make time for your workouts and schedule them on your daily calendar or planner.

Toss Your Scale: Ask yourself" How often has stepping on the scale in the morning ruined my day?" If you answer is "often," consider whether or not you should give that little machine such power over you. The fact is that exercise should not revolve around a number on scale. Exercise should be about making a commitment to your health and well being, weight loss is a natural side effect of that commitment.

Dress the Part: Wear comfortable clothes appropriate for exercising, they will help you feel like working out. Put your exercise wear in a bag and set it beside the door the night before, when it is time to head out the door, all you have to do is grab your bag on the way out.

Entertain Yourself: Enjoy performing the exercises, feel the muscles doing the work, ask your trainer what muscles are responsible for a specific range of motion as primaries and stabilizers.

Evaluate your Progress: It is a good idea to test your fitness level when you start and re-evaluate yourself every 5 or 6 months. Getting a body composition test is another great way to chart your progress and can be done every four to six months when on a continuous exercise program.

If you have any question related to Fitness: E-mail Us at:DavidSilva@DSFitness.com

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- WEIGHT LOSS TOOLS

Weight Loss needs planned work. A planned work is accomplished using tools. There are many aids to weight loss and key factors that make up the tools for weight loss.

The key factors in a weight loss are a regular exercise routine and a nutrition program. No weight loss program without these two key factors will have any effect on the weight reduction plans of a client. Other weight loss tools are in reality weight loss aids. These weight loss tools come in the form of weight loss trackers, goal settings, exercises programs and calorie counters. These are important in a weight loss routine because they give the measurements that provide the motivation to the client. There are also food plans with the nutritional content of each item of food to help the client to know what to eat and what food to avoid while in the losing weight program.

Any question question related to weight loss or any other fitness matter, please email to DavidSilva@DSfitness.com

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- EXERCISE INTENSITY x WEIGHT LOSS

THE MOST FREQUENT QUESTION I GET FROM CLIENTS & FRIENDS:

- Will I burn more fat if I exercise longer at a lower intensity?

+ The most important focus in exercise and fat weight control is not the percentage of exercise energy coming from fat but the total energy cost, or how many calories are burned during the activity. The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are just beginning or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very long at this level. It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your way up gradually. Checking your heart rate you can maintain it on what we call "fat burning zone".

- If am not going to work out hard and often, is exercise a waste of time?

+ This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or lifting light weight for as little as 2 hours a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

- If I exercise long and hard enough, will I get the results I want?

+ Yes. In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.

- Is exercise one sure way to lose all the weight I desire?

+ As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is impacted by many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful healthy weight management.

- If I want to lose weight, should I stay away from strength training because of bulking up?

+ Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscles mass and decrease body fat percentage.

- If I am overweight, should I starting doing cardiovascular exercises first and then after losing some weight going to a strength program (lifting)?

+No. You should start combining both (cardiovascular & strength training) at the very beginning, for the reason mentioned before.

- Are overweight people unlike to benefit much from exercise?

+ Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise program have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity.

For any other question, or anything related to Fitness, e-mail to DavidSilva@DSFitness.com
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