| |
| |
|
Aerobics & Cardio Information |
|
|
|
The Fitness Cardio Secret That Propels Lance Armstrong
What is Lance Armstrong doing that you can do to improve your results? Most people exercise to lose weight, focusing solely on that one single goal. But wait, it is not only about looking aesthetically pleasing, getting in those tight jeans, or losing ten pounds. It is really about improving your health, and human performance. Each day when you are huffing and puffing on the treadmill, focusing vigorously on keeping yourself lean, have you ever thought about what physically is occurring in your body besides burning a bunch of calories? For improved results, more people need to stop focusing solely on calorie burn, and start thinking about improving such fitness values as VO2 Max, or maximum oxygen uptake. What exactly is your VO2 Max? VO2 Max is defined as the highest rate at which oxygen can be taken in and used during high intensity dynamic exercise. When you are exercising aerobically on your treadmill, each and every muscle contraction requires oxygen to break down the fats, carbohydrates, and protein; thus, providing energy (ATP) needed to fuel the muscles in order for movement to occur. Humans, at rest, need 3.5 ml of oxygen, every minute, for each kilogram of body weight just to support the cellular activities in the tissues that keep us alive. Now let's get back to our treadmill. As you increase the speed or incline (intensity), more oxygen is required to transfer the oxygen through the blood and into the muscles. Due to increased intensity during your exercise session, more oxygen is required to initiate the energy releasing process. Now let's take the treadmill up to a speed and incline where you can no longer catch your breath comfortably. The intensity has increase significantly, but you have reached an upper limit on the amount of oxygen you can take in. This is your VO2 Max. VO2 Max values differ from individual to individual. Factors such as age, health, activity levels, training programs, and genetics all affect VO2 Max. A sedentary person has a VO2 Max of around 20 ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute of exercise. A highly trained endurance athlete can have a VO2 Max of 70 ml/kg/min. Now why does Lance Armstrong win all those bike races? Yes, he has a great training program, a great coach, and great equipment. However, his genetics for an endurance athlete are nothing short of astounding. Do you know his VO2 Max measures around 83-85 ml/kg/min, while an average person's is around 40? For Lance, his success is attributed to a combination of great training, will, desire, and unbelievable genetic makeup. A Super Human Lance: 1. Lungs - 2 times the capacity of the average person 2. Muscle - Accumulates less lactic acid and is more efficient at removing it. 3. Heart - Is about 1/3 larger with a resting heart rate of 32 beats per minute, and peaks around 200 beats per minute. 4. Body Fat - 4-5 percent before the Tour starts, while an average person has 15-20 percent. 5. Food Consumption - Needs 6500 calories per day, and upwards of 10,000 per day when biking in the mountains during his 120 mile race. Truly amazing! How do you improve VO2 Max? Improvement is seen by progressively challenging yourself aerobically with consistent workouts at 60% to 85% of your maximum heart rate (220-age) for an extended period of time. The most important variable is to continue attempting to increase intensity levels of your workouts. Progressively overloading is the key; your body will adapt, and improve your VO2 Max as well as burn more calories for decreased body fat. Now you ask, how can I measure my VO2 Max? For the most accurate measurement, you can go into a hospital, or a University Human Performance Lab and get the test. You will generally use a treadmill or a stationary bike, and be given an oxygen mask to measure your oxygen exchange. You will also be connected with chest electrodes to measure your heart response. The main objective is to walk, bike, or run as the intensity is progressively elevated until it is not possible to go any longer. (You should be cleared or monitored by your physician before attempting a VO2 Max test.) The easier. but not as accurate way, is to do an estimated sub maximal aerobic capacity test. The following is one of the many tests that can be used. Find a 400 meter track, bring a stopwatch, and walk/run as fast as you can go for 12 minutes. Keep track of the number of meters you have gone in 12 minutes, and use the following formula. Distance Covered in Meters - 504.9 / 44.730 = Estimated VO2 Max Here is a rough guide: 4-5 laps covered, your VO2 Max will be around 30. Learn to keep a close eye on your fitness values and try to continually improve them. Improvement will lead to great health benefits, and may result in your goal of decreased body fat (depending upon your nutritional habits.) ______________________________________________ To receive your complimentary subscription to Wellness Word Multimedia Newsletter, visit: http://www.WellnessWord.com right now! ______________________________________________ ** Attention: eZine Editors/Website Owners ** Healthiest Regards, By: Jim O'Connor (The Fitness Promoter)- All Rights Reserved Jim O'Connor, a celebrity Exercise Physiologist from Beverly Hills, California, is the editor of Wellness WORD Multimedia Newsletter, and the author of a popular ebook called Home Gym Shopping Secrets. Jim's Passion is educating the public with proper scientific researched health and fitness information. For further information contact: Jim O'Connor - Exercise Physiologist/The Fitness Promoter Wellness Word, LLC http://www.WellnessWord.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Your Cardiovascular Workouts Might Be A Big Waste Of Your Time What if I were to tell you that most if not all of the cardiovascular exercise you do was worthless? Well, guess what? over 50% of the people who perform cardio in an attempt to burn fat are wasting their time? hours and hours of it! Are you one of them?Before you call me crazy, let me explain. I'm not saying that cardiovascular exercise can't or doesn't burn fat; it's just that most people are not performing the right type of cardio workouts. Aerobic Training How to start your aerobic training program:Consider first setting your goals for sometime in the future; make sure they are realistic. Start easy, be kind to yourself. Fat Burning Exercises Fat burning exercises are the slow, aerobic, long duration types of exercise that involve most of the major muscle groups. Your body will burn a higher percentage of calories from fat with lower intensity cardio exercises. How To Jump Rope For Health and Fitness Rope skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exercise according to the U.S. Running Tips It's a good idea to consult your doctor before beginning any physical activity. The information in this article is not meant to be technical, it's just a guideline. Integrated Training for Improved Cycling Performance - Part 1 As we all know cycling is a great way to improve your overall cardiovascular fitness. However, what you may not know is that over time the demands of cycling can lead to muscular imbalances which can limit the body's ability to perform at peak level and dramatically increase chance of both over-use injury and chronic pain. Heart Matters Your heart is between one to two times the size of your clenched fist. Contrary to popular belief, it is not located to one side of the body - it is located almost in the exact center of your chest. Lose Weight And Skyrocket Your Metabolism With Regular Cardiovascular Exercise Do you try to eat well, even diet, but aren't seeing the results you were hoping for? Are you just trying to gain more energy? Do you ever feel like you're not breathing enough?If you answered yes to any of the questions above you should consider the proven, time-tested weight loss tool called cardiovascular exercise.I know that it's terribly hard to start walking or jogging when you have so much stress to deal with in your life. Maximum Cardio Depending on your goals and body type, different amounts of cardio may be required. A lean "hard-gainer" trying to add mass may benefit from only one or two cardiovascular sessions per week. Spinning Classes - Indoor Stationery Bicycle Over the years I have changed my exercise routine continuously. That wasn't exactly planned, but it probably kept my interest up. Better Cardio Workouts The Cardio KingChange it upOne of the most important aspects to a cardio workout is changing it. Most people get bored with exercise simply because they pop these DVD's in and do the same thing everyday. Benefits of Aerobic Exercise The real benefits of aerobic exercise are achieved by increasing your heart rate and breathing hard for an extended period of time. During this aerobic activity your body produces more energy and delivers more oxygen to your muscles. Aerobic Cross Training for Weight Loss Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you're not getting the results you should from your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic cross-training is for you.Aerobic cross-training refers to using two to three different types of aerobic exercise during an exercise session. Cardiovascular Training - From the Heart! Cardiovascular training, or aerobics, requires a different approach than other body parts. At the "heart" of cardiovascular training is one basic premise: if you elevate your heart rate to 65-80 percent of your maximum and keep it there for a period of at least 12 minutes it will stimulate the production of fat-burning enzymes. Stay in Shape - Cycling Workouts For the Winter Months It's that time of year. The time when you decide it's fine to ride in 12 degree weather. The Best Cardio Workouts The benefits of exercise are abundant and well documented, and the best cardio workouts can increase your quality of life. One can hardly read a magazine or watch the news without stumbling across a study or doctor claiming a new benefit from exercise. The Fitness Cardio Secret That Propels Lance Armstrong What is Lance Armstrong doing that you can do to improve your results?Most people exercise to lose weight, focusing solely on that one single goal. But wait, it is not only about looking aesthetically pleasing, getting in those tight jeans, or losing ten pounds. Running on Empty A sexy pair of legs moseys its way down a soft, vacuumed carpet, around a bend, and through a long, narrow aisle.Suddenly, these shapely stems, which are encased in bright spandex, dissolve into a jungle of many others, instantly blending into the vibrant surroundings like chameleons. 3 Keys To Finding Your Natural Running Stride When I think back to when I was at school, my worst nightmare was running. I hated it, even more than football and rugy which I don't like even today. How To Start a Running Program Running or jogging is one of the best ways there is to lose weight fast. It burns tons of calories and gets your body burning fat.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
