How should I design a fitness program (treadmill)
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"Lee Harris" l...@medphysics.leeds.ac.uk
I've just bought a nice new treadmill, it's a good model a lot like the posh ones I've seen in the gymn, it has all the programs like cross country etc etc.
I was always a string bean until the age of about 20 when alcohol, and smoking and really bad eating kicked in, but I played a lot of sports -
daily. When those slowed down and stopped, I piled on weight but always managed to get rid of it, I did yo yo from about 14 stone (I am 6'2, I looked very very thin at 14 st) up to about 18 st. The last few years though, I've gone up to about 20-21 stone and can never seem to stick to a diet and get rid of it. I haven't even RUN since 1999, 5 years ago and have basically become completely inactive, although I sometimes do a bit of walking.
What I want to know is, how much and how often should I start on the treadmill. Running has always hurt my knees and back, even when I wasnt that overweight, so fat burning power walking sounds good, obviously I also need to get the calories under control too. I also don't want to burn myself out too quickly so, should I just be doing a set amount of time each day at a certain speed, and then upping it - do I up the time or the speed preferentially, and how often? When and how should I incorporate the cross country and other programs that vary speed and incline over a set time.
I'd like to start out with good habits, something I can stick to, but also have a clear plan in mind of starting out nice and easy, even if that doesn't do much for me, just to get in the habit while the diet kicks in, and then ramping things up once some fitness and weight loss starts. I don't want to go piling in trying to run for 30 minutes and collapsing in a heap and never going on it again, but I also dont want to kid myself by walking for too long without much effect (apart from the first period while I get used to it) I've heard about target heart rates and stuff, my resting rate I think is about 80-85. Obviously no fitness right now, but I used to be very fit. I think based on my age 33 my max is what 187, so I think 60% of that makes about 110-120. I've heard that its best to try and keep that heart rate (by checking treadmill HR monitor?) for as long as possible, so that would imply some kind of constant speed program, perhaps slowing down a little or less steep as you tire toward the end?
Anyway, any help or advice greatly appreciated.
"Peter Webb" webbfamily-diespam...@optusnet.com.au
No, no, no and no.
1. Exercise does not automatically lead to weight loss. For many people, buring more Calories through exercise merely makes you hungrier, with little or no nett weight loss. (For some people, exercise is a hunger suppressant, and they get some benefit). To lose weight, you would have to exercise AND not eat any more - unless you are monitoring exactly what you eat, you have no way of knowing if you aren't eating slightly more when you are exercising (and it really only takes very little extra food to wipe out the benefit of the exercising).
2. Lets imagine that you do exercise and eat exactly the same. To lose one pound of fat you have to burn 5,000 kCals of energy. If you are unfit, you can probably only burn about 500 kCals per hour through intense exercise. So one pound of fat for every 10 hours of exercise. Lot of work.
3. To lose weight, you need to diet. This can be supplemented by exercise, but your first strategy is calorie restriction.
4. Exercising at 60% (110 - 120) is almost certainly sub-optimal. You need to exercise more intensely, for two reasons. The harder you exercise, the more calories you burn per unit of time. Secondly, exercising harder makes you fitter which means you can exercise harder and burn more calories. Start off by exercising at the hardest level you can sustain for 30 minutes. After that, you can move to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which is more efficient. Basically you go flat out for 30 one minute (say getting your pulse up to 90% of your maximum), then do one minute at a much lower intensity, then flat out for one minute, and so on. This will be hard to sustain for 30 minutes - maybe do 10 minutes of HIIT then do 20 minutes of continuous reasonably intense exercise. Then congratulate yourself because if have expended 250 kCals in the 30 minutes you have lost a bit under 1 ounce of fat - ***uming you don't go and eat something extra, or have consumed a sugar based energy drink, or otherwise undone in 10 seconds the weight loss benefit of 30 minutes of exercise.
Hope this (depressing) information helps.
Peter Webb
"Lee Harris" l...@medphysics.leeds.ac.uk
well, not depressing, and am not sure where your no,no and no come from. I clearly stated that this would be in conjunction with a calorie controlled /fat limited intake. I was just after the best way to set up a training program, so thanks for the advice on that. I am aware that 3500 kcals is roughly equivalent to 1 pound of fat, and that each gram of protein, fat and carb relate to approximately 4, 9 and 4 calories-ish, although carbs have ***ociated processes relating to insulin production, glucagen suppression and fat retention etc etc I'll go for the 30 minutes option and ramp up the program, but I still dont know if a flat rate program is best or a varying incline and speed option
"Mack McKinnon" MckinnonRemoveT...@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com
I think you are trying to put way too fine a point on it. It is not necessary to fine-tune your exercise program to such an extent. You know the difference between exercising intensely, moderately or lightly. That's about all the feedback you need, at this point. Judge based on how the exercise makes you feel at the time and then, how it makes you feel the next day.
Peter Webb's reply to you, IMO, was excellent advice, in all its particulars.
mack austin
"Lee Harris" l...@medphysics.leeds.ac.uk
I predict that neither of you have a big future ahead in the world of motivational speaking.
"Mack McKinnon" MckinnonRemoveT...@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com
I think you've got something there! It does seem as though the truth -- or even attempts at it -- is usually in such short supply in motivational speeches.
Basically, people want to hear what they already believe. It has been said, for example, that the way a successful magazine is started is to (1) come up with something a large group of consumers already fervently believe, then (2) put out a magazine that reinforces those beliefs, in which you can (3) sell advertising to marketers who want to reach that particular demographic.
If you are particularly daring, once in a while you try to get slightly out in front of them and tell them what they are GOING to believe, shortly before they start to actually believe it!
Guess that's why "Self-Discipline Magazine" never really took off.
mack austin
"Steve Freides" st...@fridayscomputer.com
Lee, as you're starting out, the specifics aren't terribly important.
The best exercise program is the one you actually do, which means you must find it challenging yet enjoyable, and you must remain injury free and free from "burn out" as well.
I wouldn't worry terribly much about a schedule - it's great you're doing something, so follow the simple "conversation" test - if you can carry on a conversation while you're performing aerobic exercise, you're not overdoing it, but it talking is as easy as when you're not exercising, you're not doing enough. You should be able to talk, although not by a great deal, when you're running for general aerobic fitness and/or weight loss.
Try to exercise at least 3x/week, and for 20 minutes non-stop. If you can't do that, then alternate walking and running for your 20 minutes.
Once you reach that level, you can add another day or two per week if you like, and you should also start to vary your effort, e.g., one day per week longer, one day per week shorter, and one to three days of a conversationally-paced 20 minutes.
I also highly recommend you consider weight lifting in some form -
particularly as we age, keeping muscle becomes more important, and strength training will likely help your weight management and your appearance.
Good luck, and please report back on how it's going for you from time to time.
-S-
http://www.kbnj.com
Scott Eiler sei...@eilertech.com
If your fitness goal were to increase your ability to *recover* from strenuous exercise, I'd go with the variation program. But you just want to lose weight, so I'd go with the flat rate, set as high as you can tolerate.
I second that. If you find you need the recovery after five minutes, then go with the variations, because forty minutes of variation beats five minutes of flat-out.
How about me? Here we go...
Work, Slave!
--
-------- Scott Eiler B{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ --------
"Men must be patient. Cattle are not reasoning beings. Remember that this is the Home of Mothers. Treat each cow as a Mother should be treated."
- Notice To The Help, from W.D. Hoard, founder of Hoard's Dairyman Magazine.
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