Walking Programs
What does "Incline/Weight" mean as used in the
orange and the purple programs in the Walking
Programs?
To increase intensity, an incline can be used on a treadmill.
Light dumbbells, ankle weights, or a back pack can be used during
walking. Parents can even push or carry their kids about. Hiking
on hilly terrain can also be considered.
Heart Rate
On the Rockport
Walk Test you state: "the subject walks as briskly as
possible for one mile". My age is 63. Will walks at a Heart
Rate of 70% of (220-63) = 110 be a good choice for me? (Denmark,
Europe)
If you are really walking as fast as you can for a mile, the
test speed will probably be greater than what will be recommended
for your training intensity. Since age predicted max heart rate
quite variable from person to person, it is hard to say for certain
wheather this heart rate will correspond to an intensity that
is "as briskly as possible". See Aerobic
Intensity. The important factor is you actually walk "as
briskly as possible for one mile".
The test results will suggest a starting % predicted max heart
rate (%PMHR). See Walking
Programs. Understand your PMHR
may be +/- 15 BPM so you will want to supplement your %PMHR with your
rating of perceived exertion (RPE). You may want to work up to
"Somewhat Hard" over the first few weeks, after a slower
warm up speed.
You may also estimate a starting walking speed (and incline
if you are using a treadmill) using the Walking
Metabolic Calculator. Take note of your predicted maximum
METs from the 1 mile walk test. Calculate a percentage of your
predicted METs; 50% for "poor" fitness up to 85% for
Excellent fitness. Find the appropriate speed and incline to
reach this target MET level. You would still be advised to supplement
this suggested intensity with your rating of perceived exertion.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a physician
to perform a Stress EKG test before VIGOROUS exercise for those
with certain risk factors; see Modified
ACSM Health Classification Questionnaire. Incidentally, an
EKG test can give you your true MHRmax. The PAR-Q or the Exercise Readiness Questionnaire
will let you know if MODERATE exercise is appropriate. In either
case you may want ask your physician if he would suggest any
medical tests or exercise guidelines. Incidentally, if you are
on medications that effect
heart rate the test results for the 1 mile walk test will
be invalid. Good luck!
Walking Frequency
I have completed the Walk Test and determined the Suggested
Program; I would like to know if the program is to be done daily
for the 20 weeks.
The original Rockport Walking Program suggested 5 days per
week. The frequency should actually depend upon on you individual
fitness goals, available time, predisposition to certain overuse
injuries, and other activities you plan on incorporating into
your program. Some people may choose to walk everyday for various
reasons including weight management or to better control blood
sugar levels, yet others may choose to walk 3 days a week, while
performing other activities such as weight training on alternating
days. There may be slightly more benefit with higher frequency
but the chance of overuse injuries may increase with greater
freqency (ie: most days of the week), whereas some people may
not have any problems on a daily walking program. Also see Aerobic Exercise Guidelines
for Specific Goals.
Inspiratory Muscle Training
I've been an athlete for most my life. I've played soccer
since I was five years old and only stopped playing competitively
since I've graduated college. Over the last year I've seen a
gradual decrease in my VO2max, which is expected. However I would
like to stay physically fit and keep my VO2max as high as possible
without having to running 3-5 miles a day like I did during soccer
practice. I've noticed that there is a product called PowerLung
which provides resistance training for your lungs. I was curious
if this product was useful for improving your VO2max? And if
so how much gain could you expect?
The independent scientific literature from peer refereed journals
seem to be mixed, at best, in reporting the efficacy of inspiratory
muscle training.
Medline abstract links:
Understand these studies where adding inspiratory muscle training
to their normal aerobic conditioning training program.
VO2 max used to be though of as being determined of almost
entirely by the conditioning of the heart and lung. Actually
VO2 max has both central and peripheral factors. The 13 fold
increase in whole body VO2 max is accomplished by 3 major responses:
- Ventilation
- Cardiac output (hense blood flow)
- Oxygen extraction by the muscles (via increase of muscle
cell mitochondria and capillary density)
This peripheral adaptation is specific to the muscles used
the activity we are attempting to accentuate, or in your case,
maintain. For example, by swimming, you would not be very effective
in maintaining your VO2 for running since you would be training
different muscles in a different fashion than you are when you
are running.
With several weeks of aerobic training, VO2 max can increase
from 20% to 40%. While cardiac output and peripheral transport
of oxygen increase, neither pulmonary gas exchange, nor ventilatory
capacity vary that much from pretraining values in terms of oxygen
transport.
Certainly inspiratory muscle training would not be a substitute
to your normal cardio conditioning. You may want to reexamine
the objectives behind your cardio
goals. For example, if your goal is to maintain your health,
you may easily achieve this goal by far less training as you
were required to do when you were an athlete. If this were the
case, perhaps you could consider brisk walking, cycling, or even
certain other recreational sports to reach your objective.
On the other hand, if you are attempting to maintain sports
performance for soccer you may be better off customizing your
running program to be more sports specific. Consider the type
of running you actually performing when you play soccer. Tailor
your workouts accordingly. Perform sprints with similar speeds
and work / rest ratios. During alternative workouts perform sprints
and agility drills with greater intensity and longer rests between
bouts. Finally, include a long run workout only once a week or
perform some sort of fartlek training. See Sports
Conditioning Program. In addition, include a flexibility
and a muscular conditioning component to your program. Periodize
your program and certainly consider cross-training as a supplement
but not a replacement to your sports specific training.
Wagner, PD, (1991) Central and peripheral aspects of oxygen
transport and adaptations with exercise, Sports Medicine, 11
(3): 133-142
Weightlifter's Heart
Does anyone know when and for how long bodybuilders should
undertake gentle long aerobic exrecise eg running in order to
keep the heart and lungs fit and healthy? A few years ago one
used to hear of young body builders dying of heart attacks with
the heart all swollen like a geriatric's (admittedly this was
prob due to steroid abuse). I'm trying to bulk out with muscle
and taking lots of fat-free weight gain; but dont want the heart
to be strained. Can u direct me to any journal articles?
Thickening of left ventricle chamber is normal for individuals
who lift weight but it is not a sign of health problems as it
is with morbidly obesity
or congestive heart failure.
Here are the aerobic prescription
guidelines for optimal health.
Consider having someone take periodic skin
fold measurements to make sure you are not consuming too
many calories during your bulking up phase.
Bulking up with additional body fat around the waist will
increase your risk for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). See our
Waist Hip Ratio Calculator.
Have your blood pressure
and cholesterol including
your LDL and HDL checked
periodically and consult your health care professional.
Check the references of the article you had read to assess its
credibility. Often times facts are distorted in effort to promote
the author's agenda.
You can search for journal studies on PubMed (external link opens in separate browser
window) also listed on our Journal
Links page (Under Various).
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