Training Intensity

One of the most important factors in any type of muscle and weight lifting training is intensity. Beginners to muscle and weight training must always adhere to low levels of intensity and progressively adopt new and higher levels of intensity as they experience the results that they are trying to achieve. Once you have achieved higher levels of intensity in your training you should always focus on keeping a consistent muscular development with this same training intensity, otherwise the results that you have experienced will start to deteriorate over the long run. Keeping an adequate balance of training intensity can be effectively achieved by practicing the following strategies and techniques.

The first step in the process of training intensity is to appropriately understand the exact definition of high intensity training and overtraining. There exists a very important threshold between high intensity training and overtraining. In basic terms, training at high intensity levels simply means to reach for the maximum potential within yourself while lifting weights, accelerating your rest periods and experiencing the fatigue to a healthy yet optimal level. Overtraining on the other hand refers to the process of surpassing the maximum potential of strength to the point where muscle development, toning and other beneficial effects are reversed and the opposite occurs, damaging muscle tissue and feeling restless without the desire to obtain higher levels of intensity and benefits.

Due to these reasons, it is very important for you to have a proper balance by augmenting your training intensity to levels where you feel comfortable and feel that you are doing so in a very healthy manner. Once you have determined this level and balance of intensity and training, the next step is to increase intensity through more repeated sets in a short period of time. Doing more sets is simply engaging yourself to increase the number of repetitions that you do in each weight training exercise. Always remember to increase progressively as you experience more results and feel comfortable in doing so.

Another important factor in training intensity is the proper negative balance and interval sets that provide intensity of effort and intensity load. These involve doing several repeated sets of intense training intensity over a short period for time and then continuing to do low level intensity reps for a prolonged period of time, repeating the cycle for several minutes until the point of muscle fatigue and pain starts to kick in. Emphasizing your level of muscle training by lifting weights and counting for at least six seconds is the best way to augment the greatest amount of effort and an intense workout session where your muscles develop to tremendous levels of prolonged intensity and growth overtime.

Moving our discussion now to aerobic exercise, it is highly recommended to adhere to aerobic exercises that emphasize a high intensity training level as cardiovascular exercises, such as jogging, running, swimming or bicycling. A high intensity training period of this kind can be effectively achieved when these types of exercise are done for at least 30 minutes 3 to 5 days per week; especially when you are breathing heavily and you feel fatigued after a session.

High-intensity training involves short but repeated bursts of running or cycling activities, some of the best steps to effectively undergo this process are explained in detail below:

  1. Use a ten minute period to warm up, cycling or doing any kind of aerobic activity at a slow pace where your heart rate begins to slowly increase.
  2. Cycle through the activity at least up to 85% of the overall maximum effort that you can undergo, this will give you the chance to increase each interval that you do in a very effective manner. Try your best to repeat this cycle for at least 5 times.
  3. Once you finish the cycle repetitions, you have to recover yourself at a slower pace as you have effectively done so in step 1. Let your body rest a little bit at a slow pace.
  4. Cycle once again for fifteen to thirty seconds and rest for twenty seconds. Cycle through this step at least 10 times in order to effectively gain results.
  5. Rest once again as in step one and continue the entire steps 1-5 that we have just mentioned.

These strategies are directly focused on helping you achieve your maximum potential in the long term through direct high intensity training levels. Do not underestimate the power that you can have as an individual to achieve these strategies in a very effective manner. Keep in mind that working hard and maintaining the discipline needed in a high-intensity training environment is one of the best ways to obtain your desired level of strength or fitness.

Some of these benefits include but are not limited to changing your body shape, losing weight, losing total body fat and toning muscle tissue. In the long run, you will experience other potential benefits such as the expansion of your muscle tissue, muscle growth and development, a higher self-esteem and a wide variety of health effects that are desired by many people around the world.

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Breaking Through The Wall

We have all been there, you are deep into your workout, and suddenly you hit that wall. Your muscles are tired and you want to do nothing more than quit. This is the very point at which many people give up on their exercise, and yet, it is also at the point that you are going to get the most benefit from exercise if you just persevere. Listening to just a few tips however, will ensure that you break through that wall and continue pushing your body to your limits.

One thing that many athletes have noticed is that playing ‘upbeat’ music helps them break through that fatigue wall. This will benefit you both during indoor workouts and outdoor ones. Just grab a pair of headphones, stick on your music player and listen away through your workout. There is just something about the music that makes our body tick. Don’t listen to ‘slow’ music, this has the opposite effect and could quite easily bring you to that wall much quicker. I guess this works as the ‘upbeat’ music allows your mind to focus on something else.

If you feel that you are about to hit that wall, then look around you, admire the scenery or the other things in the gym (although if you are lifting weights, try not to look around too much). This, like the music will provide distraction from what your body is feeling at the current time. Therefore allowing you to complete your workout that much quicker.

The majority of times that we hit ‘the wall’ is because we see no end in sight to our workout. If that is the case, you are best breaking your workout into mini goals. Keep working towards these ‘mini goals’ before you set the next one, you will have completed your workout before you know it.

You should always provide motivation for yourself. Make a mental note to yourself that if you complete your workout session, you will reward yourself with something highly desirable. You will be surprised at just how much of an effect this has on your entire body, it really will perk up and keep going until the very end.

Sometimes, you have hit the wall quickly because you started a little bit too intense. If that is the case, then cut back just a little until you regain your composure. Then slowly work your way up to the point that you were at before.

If you simply cannot break that mental block and you are in too much pain then stop. This is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. You can always restart again when you feel slightly better. Remember, although we all like to push our bodies to the ‘limit’ at times, often when we do, our body won’t want to go any further. Continuing could end up being very dangerous.

I hope these tips are useful for you when if you reach that wall, or even before you reach it. Remember, you just have to fight against your mind, and persevere, you will get there in the end – I promise.

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Benefits of Aerobics

There are more benefits from aerobics for your body that you could possibly count. All over the world, people are talking about new and better ways to work out, because all over the world the health of the general population is declining. Therefore, doctors and other health care professionals are trying to create more awareness of the benefits of aerobic activity.There are simply too many benefits of aerobics to mention in a short article. However, there are a few that stick out as very important. For instance, the best way that you can make sure you are living a healthy life is to get your heart rate pumping, and the absolute best way to get your heart rate going is aerobics. Aerobics requires constant movement without any resting for an established period of time. Allowing your heart to keep going a higher rate than resting for a set amount of time is one of the best ways to get healthy, because this delivers blood and oxygen to each part of your body at an even faster rate.

There are also many more benefits to aerobics that you might not have even realized. Besides making your heart and lungs strong, aerobics makes all of your muscles stronger because you have to keep them moving for longer periods of time without stopping. Aerobics not only helps with you cardiovascular endurance but it will also increase your muscle endurance allowing your body to work for longer periods of time. This transfers into many areas of your life and not just fitness.

Aerobics comes in many forms. Most people think of aerobics classes at the gym or step classes when the term aerobics comes up. Yes,  those are two forms of “aerobics”, but there are many other activities that you can partake in to get the full benefits of aerobics. Team sports have an aerobic component to them so if you play soccer or hockey you are getting a form of aerobic activity. You could try a dance class, walking briskly, tennis with your partner, or any activity that elevates the heart rate for a sustained time period.

Not sure how to start an aerobic exercise program, contact your local fitness pros at lifeSport Fitness if you’re interested in learning more ways to increase your aerobic activity. In a few short personal training sessions or boot camp workouts, we can give you ideas on how to start or improve upon your exercise program.

Always consult your physician before starting any new exercise program. You will never feel so healthy as when you are working out and taking care of yourself. Getting into an aerobics routine is one of the best way for you to accomplish this.

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