| Heart Rate Zone | Heart Rate Percentage | Energy Source | Example |
| Zone One | 65-75% | Muscle Glycogen and fatty acids | Walking or jogging |
| Zone Two | 80-85% | Muscle glycogen and lactic acid | Group exercise classes |
| Zone Three | 86-90% | ATP/CP and muscle glycogen | Sprinting |
To use high-intensity interval training, you first need to determine your max heart rate. One can easily calculate their max heart rate by using the following formula, 220-age. Therefore, if you are 20 years old, your max heart rate would be 200 because 220-20=200. Now, that we have an example, there are multiple heart rate zone training methods you can apply to your exercise program. Each zone is typically categorized by a percentage of your heart rate and uses different energy sources. In my personal experience, using high-intensity interval training while monitoring my heart rate has achieved the best results, especially when I implement these exercises with a heart rate monitor. These heart rate monitors come with a strap you place around the bottom of your chest and a watch. These devices allow you to input your information, determine your desired heart rate, and can also calculate the calories you expend. Some popular brands available at your local Best Buy or Academy Sports + Outdoors include Polar and Garmin. If you are using a heart rate monitor while on the treadmill or elliptical, you would be glad to know the cardio machine will read your heart rate automatically. There will be no need to wrap your sweaty hands around the heart rate sensors to know your heart rate. This is often seen as an inconvenience as it disturbs your cardio session. Using a heart rate monitor is more efficient and mitigates any disruptions during cardio. Now that we have this covered we can explore the three heart rate zones that can be used in your high-intensity interval training program. I have also given examples of how each zone feels just in case purchasing a heart rate monitor is unfeasible.
As you can see from the example, your heart rate increases as you progress through each stage. So, if you are 20 years old with a maximum heart rate of 200 then your Zone One heart rate would be 130-150, Zone Two would be 160-170, and Zone Three would be 172-180. If you know this information, then you can apply low, medium, and high-intensity interval training to your exercise program. Currently, there are various variations of interval training available; I will give you one example you can apply to your training regimen as well as an alternative.
First warm up for 5-10 minutes in Zone One, if you are wearing a heart rate monitor you will see your heart rate pop up on the cardio machine screen. Now, after you feel loose and are ready to go, you can increase your heart rate to Zone Two and keep it there for approximately two minutes. Bear in mind if you are out of shape you will notice your heart rate sky rocket, and if you are in the best shape of your life, you will notice how hard it is to increase your heart rate. Therefore, be self-aware and maneuver the resistance and incline settings to your cardio machine appropriately to meet your desired heart rate. Now, when the two minutes expire you will need to increase your speed or the resistance of the cardio machine to enter Zone Three. You will stay in Zone Three for one minute. At this stage, the level of difficulty is almost at a max; you will be working at an intense level which is not sustainable for the average person. After, this stage your goal should be to decrease your heart rate within one minute to Zone Two. This step will be difficult if you are not in shape. Take two minutes or three if needed. Your last step before you can repeat the whole process again would be to decrease your heart rate to Zone One. If you are having difficulty reaching Zone One after completing this interval, there are other training regimens you can apply to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness.
If you need an alternative running program, keeping the heart rate between Zone One and Two should be prioritized to build your foundation. Bear in mind the following example can be used for elite athletes who need a low to moderate-intensity interval day. Similar to the aforementioned example, a 5-10-minute warm-up under Zone One will start the session. Next, you will need to increase your rate to Zone Two for one minute then gradually decrease your heart rate to Zone One for another 5 minutes before completing the interval again. The number of intervals you will complete will be dependent on your cardiorespiratory fitness, keep in mind you should finish your cardio session at Zone One. On a side note, if you are an elite athlete this alternative running program can easily be applied to your endurance level by just increasing your heart rate to Zone Three at each interval rather than Zone Two.
Overall, using high-intensity interval training is a great way to add variety to your training program. However, it is not for everyone; there are alternative to this method such as the moderate-intensity interval example mentioned above. If you are not an elite athlete using this method should be prioritized before diving into advanced interval training programs. Doing so will improve your running form and mitigate the risk of orthopedic injuries such an ankle, knee, or hip injury. Therefore, be self-aware and prudent when applying these training methods to your cardio sessions.
Written by
-Robert E. Salazar, MS, RDN, LDN
]]>On the new video out today from Redcon1, IFBB Pro Dallas McCarver takes us through his day. Before most people are even awake, Dallas headed his chiropractor to get adjusted by Dr. Nick Ruggiero. Dallas has had a little bit of shoulder impingement and is finding that Active Release Therapy (ART) to be helping quite a bit. Then Dallas heads over to the Stretch Zone in Boca Raton, Florida to get further loosened up. Watch as he gets twisted and pulled into submission. Then he heads back home for a Meal #1 and then onto chest training at Busy Body Fitness Center. Watch the 335lb freak jump out at your screen in each scene, you won’t want to miss it.
]]>Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that is one of the four fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin K comes in different forms (vitamers) that are either phylloquinones (vitamin K1) or menaquinones (vitamin K2 which is abbreviated as MK-x.) The three forms of vitamin K that can be utilized by the body are vitamin K1 and dual forms of K2 (MK-4 and MK-7.) The health benefits of vitamin k seem endless and include regression of preformed arterial calcification, maintenance of bone density, and promotion of a healthy heart and vascular system. As with all of my articles, I do not feel making claims on a product or ingredient is good enough. Instead, we must dig into the research…and luckily for us. vitamin k has well over 400 studies that I have personally read over the years. The first one I wish to look at is from Knapen et al and looked at a three-year low-dose menaquinone-7 supplementation and how it helps decrease bone loss. The results were that MK-7 intake significantly improved vitamin K status and decreased the age-related decline in BMC and BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, but not at the total hip. Bone strength was also favorably affected by MK-7. MK-7 significantly decreased the loss in vertebral height of the lower thoracic region at the mid-site of the vertebrae. This lead to their conclusion that MK-7 supplements may help to prevent bone loss (1.)
But even more importantly that aiding in bone mineral density is its ability to fight atherosclerosis (as this is my main reason for recommending this vitamin to bodybuilders that are using potentially harsh supplements that can cause atherosclerosis over time.) Jennifer Ming has talked extensively on this topic stating that “numerous studies have demonstrated that people with higher intakes of vitamin K2 have a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. Intrigued by this connection, Polish researchers from the Medical University at Lodz teamed up with researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and Poland’s International Science and Health Foundation to determine if vitamin K2 supplementation could reduce the progression of existing atherosclerosis. The scientists evaluated the progression of atherosclerosis in a group of 42 patients with chronic kidney disease. These patients were ideal for this type of study because they are known to experience a rapid reduction in bone mineral density (a measure of bone strength) as a result of calcium losses from bone. They are also subject to equally excessive deposits of calcium in tissues where it doesn’t belong—particularly in the walls of major arteries. For the study, the subjects were divided into two groups. One group received vitamin K2 (90 mcg per day) plus vitamin D3 (400 IU per day). The second group received only vitamin D3 (400 IU per day). After nine months, it was already evident that the subjects taking the combination of vitamins K2 and D3 experienced a slower progression of the Common Carotid Intima Media Thickness, which is a good indicator of atherosclerosis, as well as a predictor of cardiovascular episodes and death. Specifically, the thickness of the carotid (major neck) arteries increased by 13.73% in the group taking vitamin D3, but in the group taking both vitamins, it only increased by 6.32%. Remember that the group of subjects in this study have a tendency for an increased carotid intima media thickness as a result of calcium losses from bone. In addition, subjects taking the combination of vitamins K2 and D3 showed a reduction in carotid artery calcification score in all patients except those with the highest scores at baseline. This indicates that calcium was staying in the bones, where it belongs, and out of the arteries. These results clearly indicated that vitamin K2 does indeed reduce the progression of atherosclerosis” (2, 3, 4.)
Vitamin K clearly has a place on everyone’s health supplement shelf and has more than enough literature and actual application to back that statement up. In terms of practical application, we need to look at a few different minimum effective dosages for the various forms of vitamin k. For phylloquinone (vitamin K1), the minimum effective dosage is 50mcgs. For short chain menaquinones (MK-4), the minimum effective dosage is 1500mcgs. For the longer chain menaquinones (MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9), the minimum effective dose is around 100-250mcgs. So be sure to purchase a vitamin k product that contains the effective forms of vitamin k and in the proper dosages.
Alex Kikel
MS, PES, CPT, Speed and Explosion Specialist Level II
Owner of www.theprepcoach.com
References
Kidding. But really, this is more of a personal post on where I’m at in my pregnancy and some things that have crossed my mind.
I am currently at a couple days over 37 weeks. That puts me over 9 months pregnant…yes, there are actually 10 full months, technically. At a little over 9 months, I am absolutely slowing down. Physically and mentally. This is when I tend to want to go into hibernation mode after 1pm. I’m up by 6:30 every morning with my [almost] 5 year old, beat by the time I drop him off at the bus at 8:15am, come back home to my [almost] 2 year old and finish getting him ready for the day.
I force myself into the gym because I know that will at least buy me a few more hours of energy. No matter how tired I may feel, getting to the gym (specifically getting my heart rate up and blood moving) will always give me some energy and make me feel better. Fellow gym-goers comment on how I’m carrying the pregnancy either physically and/or mentally, and I always credit it to getting in the gym. As run down as I’ve been feeling, I know it could be a lot worse and I just could not imagine not having some sort of exercise regimen worked into my daily routine.
At this point in the gym I’m more “going through the motions” versus trying to maintain anything…except my sanity. I still choose to challenge myself for one or two exercises, meaning keeping the weight at a number that only lets me do 8-10 reps. Even with all of the benefits proven with exercise during pregnancy, I am still finding on many websites talk of “light weight training is aloud.” No one is mentioning if you were weight training at a higher level pre-pregnancy, then [with your doctor’s permission] you can continue weight training at that same level. This is where lots of women are scared off whether they are advanced or not. Pregnancy is a whole new game, and proper guidance is required.
There is nothing wrong with continuing to train at a “heavier” load IF you were training that way prior to pregnancy.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ll move on to more life at 3 weeks out of having a baby. I am at the official point of countdowns and checklists. Although with number 3, the countdown isn’t quite as in my face as it was the first two times. I’m just over here trying to balance my already existing mom life of 2 rambunctious boys, taking shorts naps, making trips into our office, taking more short naps, doing something for myself (gym), being awake for the hubby, more naps and more “momming”. Somehow I’m not even sure how I’ve gotten to this point so fast! But it’s here, in my face, with lots of check marks next to my to-do list. Here are some things to consider having done in the last month of pregnancy, that made it to my list:
These are really the main things you’ll want/need in the very beginning and the hospital will even provide things like diapers, pacis, formula bottles to take home and get you going. Of course as days go by, there are many more items to add on but these will give you a good start. So don’t start freaking if you haven’t gotten your baby bullet blender off your registry for making food in 5 months!
Once these are checked off, you’ll go through the standard “nesting” phases which can include anything from deep cleaning your cabinets to finishing off the nursery details on a ladder way too high for your own good. I’m having fun with this last month, as exhausted as I am, because now I’m really feeling it, and it’s really getting real!
One thing you realize once you have kids is time goes by quick. As absolutely cliche as it is, it is so true. It doesn’t seem so long ago at all that we were surprised by the news of our first pregnancy. The emotion, the wonder, the shock of it all was all too real. In a month that little boy will be 5, following our second little man turning 2. Now I can barely even remember life before these guys. So if you’re in a rush to speed this time up, because of discomfort or whatever your reason may be, just remember how quickly the time will actually come and cherishing certain moments is the best we can do!
-Darielle Singerman
]]>Recovering from a brutal workout relies heavily on proper nutrition and rest. Once those two factors have been accounted for, the cherry on top would be incorporating excellent supplements. A protein source, such as Isotope, and an amino product like Breach, or Breach Ballistic (Caffeinated) are excellent examples. These products would be most beneficial post-workout. After intense activity, this is when our body is most in need of nutrients. Breach is fantastic, as it incorporates the three EAAs I previously described as being the most valuable when it comes to recovery. Each has a unique job, and together they form the perfect package.
Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine play the biggest role of all aminos when it comes to muscle growth/recovery. They stimulate protein synthesis, regulate blood sugar levels, and even give a slight boost in energy. Leucine is the biggest player of the three in promoting protein synthesis. For this reason, you will find Breach packs a phenomenal 2:1:1 ratio of these aminos (2 parts Leucine, 1 part Isoleucine, and 1 part Valine). Think of your muscles as a “building” you are looking to construct. You have all of the materials to build your idea, now you just need someone to put it all together and oversee the project. We can view these three EAAs as being the team for the job. They signal for the muscle to grow/repair, and help you maintain an anabolic environment throughout your body. Anabolic means “muscle building state”, whereas if we were to be lacking the described EAAs, we would more often than not find ourselves in a catabolic situation, or “muscle loss state”. Being anabolic is ideal for not just men, but women too! Both can benefit from taking these EAAs. With Breach, you will get all of the benefits from these aminos, and, a little extra.
Muscle recovery is critical, but so is proper hydration. As an added bonus, Breach also contains coconut water powder and electrolytes to help you stay adequately hydrated. This makes it a perfect product for not just post workout, but all day long! Many successful bodybuilders and athletes drink amino acids throughout the day. This ensures a constant muscle building and properly hydrated state. This solves one of the biggest complaints in the fitness industry; muscle soreness.
I absolutely love being sore. That is my sign that I had a killer workout the day prior. For those of you that have tattoos, think of it like when you are in the process of getting inked. Yes, it hurts, but it is a “good” hurt! I feel that same way about muscle soreness post workout. Not everyone feels the same, and they need a solution to help ease their troubles. There really is no absolute, orthodox solution to being pain free after an all-out lift or sporting event (like a football game). This being said, if you are looking to help alleviate this in any way possible, an amino acid product like Breach will undoubtedly help. When we put our bodies through strenuous activity and put tension on our muscles for long periods of time, our muscle fibers will literally tear. For those of you new to the gym life, do not be alarmed. These are tiny breaks in the muscle tissue, nothing that is going to need medical attention. Over time, these rips in the muscle fiber fill back in with NEW muscle, and this is where we experience muscle gains, and more strength! Adding Lecuine, Isoleucine, and Valine into our diet in order to help facilitate this growth and repair is crucial. With the added hydration/electrolyte benefits, this also allows for optimal function within our muscular system. If you are still on the fence on incorporating aminos into your regiment, allow me to introduce a not-so-good hormone, Coritsol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone, and it can be very destructive to our body, particularly our muscles. This nasty hormone actually binds to receptors in our muscles, and can cause the dreaded catabolic environment to set in. Additionally, cortisol actually breaks down amino acids. To make matters worse, cortisol levels elevate during stress. This includes both mental and physical stress. Essentially, we are fighting an up-hill battle when we go to the gym when it comes to cortisol. With an EAA product like Breach, we can stop trying to walk “up” the “down” escalator and get back on track to providing our bodies with the proper environment needed for maximum recovery.
Recovery is the key to success. It does not matter what walk of life you come from. Whether you are an athlete, a bodybuilder, cyclist, runner, weekend warrior, etc, any and everyone can benefit from essential amino acids. There is not a single person who is maintaining an active lifestyle that would not like to see better, faster, and overall, more efficient results. When thinking about recovering and optimizing your bodies’ potential, there are three things you must be aware of at all times; proper nutrition, sleep, and supplementation. After nailing your diet and making sure you get sufficient rest, the last component is finding the right supplements. When it comes to recovery and growth, adding an amino product like Breach would be the perfect addition to your daily routine. Lift on my friends!
-Garrett Skurnit
]]>I’ve noticed a trend. Something we can thank the internet for, perhaps on both ends. The beauty of the internet is that it’s opened everyone up to create a voice, movement, opinion. It can be wonderful, and at times discouraging and upsetting, especially when said opinion doesn’t agree with yours. Something that has popped up multiple times for me in just the last week are blogs or videos of women talking about their dislike or intolerance for the women online who preach “Fitmom” or “Fitpregnancy”. In this rant on the “fit mom” community, they are discouraging followers from worrying about their fitness goals. In a nut shell, making judgmental statements to allude to the fact that if you are focusing on such goals, you must not be the best mother you can be.
Now, clearly the elephant in the room is that I am one of those women who enjoy posting/talking about life as a mom in fitness, aka Fitmom, who also happens to be pregnant. Now, I’m not going to point any fingers as to who’s right or wrong here, because we’re all going to promote what we believe in. What I am here to do is argue the statements of these women that feel the moms promoting fitness are too focused on themselves and not their role as a mother. I even read as much as a statement that we “must” give in to cravings and not worry if we are gaining an excessive amount of weight, because apparently the more weight you gain, the more you’re “loving” your child. Huh??
Are there extreme cases? Yes. On both ends. I do my best to show a little bit of life as a mom mixed in with my fitness life. But that’s me, and I know not every mom wants to post about their kids and specifics of what they do with them on an hour to hour basis.
Here’s my issue with these women. We live in a society that more often than not, automatically default to the thought that “eating for two” is doubling the calories with zero repercussions . You should not (or don’t have to) exercise during pregnancy. Having a baby means losing your body. You’re selfish if you’re a mom and take care of yourself in any way. If you’re anxious or depressed, there’s medication for that. The list really goes on as to what the average woman thinks of pregnancy and motherhood. Among those thoughts are few that have to do with caring for your child and tending to their every need, want and desire. That typically comes natural to moms. That’s what we’re meant to do.
My issue is, if these are the thoughts most women have, and there are women who have figured out a different way to do things so you’re not losing your sanity, you’re gaining back confidence in your body, not peeing yourself when you sneeze (which one mom claims EVERY mom does after having a baby), have the physical ability to keep up with multiple kids, all while being a loving, amazing, cuddly mom, then WHY would you discourage such a positive powerful message from being spread? Maybe it’s just something to argue and these women feel they haven’t figured it out themselves so need someone to blame, but it personally makes me sad to read. It’s a movement in our society that could move in a positive direction, and discouragement from the lifestyle is the last thing we need.
I’m a huge advocate of power of the mind, that we all have the ability to choose how we want to live our life even in the crappiest of situations. In a book I read titled, Your Pelvic Floor, there was a quote that I absolutely loved. “Don’t confuse something common as being something normal”. This quote could not speak to me anymore if it tried! Maybe it’s the slightly rebellious side of me that loves going against the “norm”, but this is such a powerful message that all women should know before entering pregnancy and motherhood. To the mom who made the video claiming “all women pee themselves when they sneeze post pregnancy”, no, just no. This is common, but really is it normal at 30 years old to be at that point? That, is what you call a weak pelvic floor, something that can be prevented and treated with exercise. God forbid we acknowledge this and want to do something about it. We must be really crappy mothers for neglecting our child to enhance our own self confidence and physical abilities. Guess what, you can do this without your child feeling neglected, and more importantly while your child feels so unbelievably loved. Taking care of yourself is NOT selfish when you can set such an amazing example.
To the mom saying rather than working out we should be “worrying about rocking our child to sleep”, how long exactly do you think workouts are?? I can promise you if you’re doing it right, you can do 30-60 minutes tops with a nutritious diet. That leaves what, 23-23.5 hours remaining in the day to focus on being a mom? If your child naps, utilize some of that time to prepare some meals or get in a home workout. If they don’t nap, let your child learn some independence by playing on their own for 30 minutes while you do those things next to him/her.
Perhaps these moms are confused that us “Fitmoms” live our life inside the gym, only to come home and ignore our children to make chicken and vegetables to then return to the gym for round 4, neglecting their every need and desire in life. Not exactly how it works. To all the women who are on the fence on how they feel on this subject, just know that it is beyond possible to be a MOM while tending to your fitness goals. You do not have to make a choice between the two. All of these statements made by what I can only hashtag as #JudgementalMoms, come from a place of guilt and insecurity, I believe.
Rather than create backlash on the inspiring messages put out by some badass moms in fitness, take a look at how these two worlds can so easily work together to empower women everywhere. Why be a mom when you can be a FITmom, physically, mentally, emotionally.
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Hope you enjoy my #BrittsRecipes. Try this recipe out and let me know what you think!
Darielle gives an update on where she’s at physically and mentally in the 33rd week of pregnancy. How staying active has helped her so far and what kind of changes she is making. Giving some insight to others as to what to expect towards the end of the pregnancy!
-Darielle Singerman
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