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In my last newsletter, I addressed the topic of adaptation and its impact on the human body. I explained why it’s important to be concerned about adaptations to lifestyle patterns. The purpose for this article is to address how to avoid adaptation in the arena of cardiovascular conditioning.
THE VALUE OF SHOCK TREATMENT (Part 2 of 3)
Cardiovascular Conditioning
By Sal Fichera
Over the course of my 22 years in the wellness / fitness industry, I’ve noticed too many instances of individuals doing the same exercises and activities at the same intensity, day in and day out. When continually given the same level of activity, the body will adapt to it, becoming unable to perform anything much more challenging than that given activity.
For a couch potato, this means that the body will be so accustomed to sitting on a couch, that any physical activity more challenging than that would be stressful to the heart, joints and muscles. An active person who exercises regularly, but with the same mode of exercise and/or the same level of intensity, will also adapt. This will consequently minimize progress, and potentially cause a regression in strength or aerobic capacity.
A common, outdated belief is that to burn fat efficiently, all that’s needed is a regular routine of slow, steady movements – like jogging or bicycling. Such “submaximal” exercise brings on submaximal results. While this is a good form of aerobic exercise, initially, if you continue to challenge your body in the same way over a long period of time, your body will unfortunately adapt to that form of resistance. Slow long distance running or cycling is very good. However, you’ll need a little more than that.
Solutions
The solutions are simple: 1. Vary the activity (exercise modality), and 2. Vary the intensity.
- By activity variation, I’m referring to performing more than one activity. Whether it’s jogging, cycling, rowing, stair climbing, or any other activity, doing the same single activity will lead to boredom – not just of the mind, but of the body, thereby causing adaptation. One other potential risk (a separate newsletter topic) resulting from performing only one activity is the potential for overuse injuries. Therefore, as an example, if you’re a cyclist, add jogging to your weekly activities; if you’re a runner, add stair climbing.
- As for varying the intensity of aerobic exercises, there are many approaches. For this article, however, I’ll mention three basic options. First, though, let’s take a quick look at target heart rates – the range of exercises intensities measured by heart rate response. A general, conservative formula is to first subtract your age from 220; this is your maximal heart rate. Next, for an idea of intensity level, multiply that figure by 55% and 85% to estimate the low- and high-end estimates of your target heart range, respectively (220-age x .55; and 220-age x .85). Now, we can tie in intensity base on heart rate goals.
The three approaches to training are:
- Long Slow Distance: Perhaps the most popular type of aerobic exercise, this is referred to as “conversational” exercise whereby you perform the activity at an intensity (55% + if maximal hear rate) which you can carry on a conversation while moving. Typically, long slow distance activities should be performed for at least 20 minutes, and up to 2 hours. There are a number of benefits from this type of exercise, including enhanced cardiovascular function and increased fat burning.
The disadvantages of performing only at this intensity, as I mentioned, earlier, include mental boredom and physiological adaptations. Also, this method of training does not stimulate the muscle fiber recruitment needed during races. Therefore, because the intensity of this approach is lower than the intensity needed during competition, you will lose some of your competitive edge by training solely with this method.
- Interval training. As you become more conditioned, it’s important to challenge yourself with increasing intensities. A superb way to grow into higher intensities is by training at alternate levels of intensity. You can start with a 1:1 ratio between high and low intensities, exercising for 3 or 4 minutes in each interval, for instance. The goal is to exercise in the range of 75-85% of your maximal heart rate during the more intense intervals.
- Fartlek training. As with interval training, fartlek involves alternate bouts of low and high intensity levels. The difference is that there is no specific time interval. Fartlek is more flexible and unstructured, allowing for work-rest intervals to be based on your level of fatigue. Aim to exercise in the 80-85% or maximal heart rate.
Interval and fartlek training are each beneficial in that they enhance maximal oxygen consumption (more on this in another newsletter), increase fat-burning, improve running economy and increase overall athletic performance.
Remember, regarding aerobic exercising, to avoid adaptation – as well as boredom and overuse injuries – shock your body and vary the variety and intensity of your activities.
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