As part of our participation in the Hometown Wellness Showdown, our very own blogger, Personal Trainer Ryan Healy, will be guest blogging on boston.com/getmoving.
Check out her first post here!
Don’t forget to register for the Hometown Wellness Showdown, and log your food and exercise daily to help crown your Y and town the healthiest in Eastern Massachusetts.
Do you dread going to the gym because you get easily bored doing the same steady state workout on the cardio equipment; counting down the minutes until you’re done? I’m here to tell you there’s a better way! A way that can give you superior results in less time!
As a lover of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), I’m glad to see the benefits are becoming better known to the public through articles like these posted here and here from the New York Times. Interval training is something I’ve been doing with my clients and in my Spinning classes for years. Studies have shown (see links above) that HIIT can greatly enhance fat burning, improve insulin sensitivity, increase aerobic capacity, and is also one of the most time-efficient forms of cardiovascular exercise. Although athletes have used HIIT for many years to work on conditioning and speed, most of the recreational exercisers that I speak with may have heard of the concept but they aren’t quite sure how to perform them in their own fitness routine. Let me explain!
Simply put, HIIT means alternating short periods of intense work with periods of rest and recovery. Not everyone should start out with HIIT if they haven’t been exercising regularly or aren’t in good health. These people can still try interval training but will just need to work at a lower intensity (think LIIT instead) during the work periods, listen to their bodies, and stay in control of their breathing. When performing HIIT, work periods can range anywhere from 10 to 60 seconds. The recovery period is typically at least as long as the work effort (1:1 ratio) but will vary based on the length of work done. Generally, the shorter the work period the longer the recovery time needs to be. This is because the shortest work periods have the highest muscular demand and require the most intensity. For example, a 15 second work effort might require a 30-45 second recovery whereas a 60 second effort would probably require a 60 or 90 second recovery. You’re probably asking yourself at this point, now that I know how long to work for, how hard should I be working? Good question!
There are a few ways you can gauge your intensity when performing intervals. One of the best ways is to invest in a basic heart rate monitor that will show you how hard you’re working. Using the Karvonen method (try this calculator) to estimate your max heart rate (MHR), multiply MHR by .6 to get 60% of your max and aim to bring your heart rate down to this number during the recoveries. Once you hit 60% you can begin your next intense effort. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor the best thing to do is keep track of the time you’re resting for (suggestions above) and once you’ve caught your breath, start the next work period. For HIIT, you will try to work as hard as you can during the intense efforts until you’re breathing heavily and become winded. The efforts are really difficult but the nice thing is they’re very short. Those just starting out and using LIIT will not need to push this hard but can still work to an intensity that feels somewhat challenging.
One of my favorite things about HIIT is that it can be done almost anywhere. Try it on any of the pieces of cardio equipment in the gym, in the pool, or even walking, running or cycling outside. If you usually walk a hilly course, try charging up the hills faster than normal then very slowly descend as you recover. If you’re in the pool try swimming a lap as fast as you can then either swimming the next lap very slowly or even resting at the edge. Remember to get in a good 3-5 minute warm-up and cool-down too as part of your workout. Beginners might try just 3 or 4 of these low intensity intervals to start, while more seasoned exercises can work their way up to 6 or 7 high-intensity intervals. Depending on your fitness level and the length of work and rest periods, 10-20 minutes is all you need!
I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever tried HIIT or LIIT before? How did it go?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCA-CSCS
Recently we had a great guest post titled ‘What Determines Our Health?’ by Debra Duxbury. This week’s post will feature information I gleaned from Wendy Fasciano, one of the YMCA’s fabulous personal trainers! Wendy and I sat down to talk about the YMCA’s upcoming annual 5 mile road race, aka the ‘Ring around the Neck’ which takes place this year on Sunday April 22nd. Wendy has run 12 marathons and countless other races ranging from 5ks to a 200 mile team relay. Needless to say she is a very experienced runner and also coaches running groups at the Y. Here are some tips she has for all runners and walkers on race day!
Q. How would someone who has competed in, at most, a 5k road race prepare for the ‘Ring around the Neck’?
A. Wendy started off by saying that “an individual’s training plan for the race will depend on both their current fitness level and also their individual race goals.” For a novice runner or someone who has never raced more than a 5k, the first place she suggested to start is training longer distances. “A first-timer who is just trying to finish may work their way up to a 4 or 5 mile training run.” Running longer distances, Wendy said, will help get your body used to the new mileage and you should monitor how it responds. If you run around a 10 minute mile for example, see how running for 50 minutes feels. She also suggested keeping in mind that your pace will be a bit slower than a 5k, but that’s completely normal especially when you hit the rolling hills on the neck which can be deceptively hard. “Get your hill work done in training” she said emphatically.
Q. How would a veteran “ringer” who has run the race several times before get any faster for this year?
A. “Track work!” Wendy recommends heading to your local track and making speed intervals a regular part of your program if your goal is to get faster. Also, “a more advanced runner looking for a PR will probably do some 5 mile runs (or even longer), hill work, and speed work each week.” The hills hit you hard around mile three so you need to be ready for them!
Q. What are some of the big mistakes you see people make on race day?
A. A big one Wendy mentioned is that people try new things the day of the race instead of sticking with their training routines. Race day is never the time to lace up a new pair of shoes, eat something different beforehand, or try a new sports drink or electrolyte replacement food mid-race. Wendy eats the same thing a few hours before every race because she knows what works for her, but the day of the race is never a good time to experiment. Things can go very wrong! Another nutrition pointer she had was to be aware of what you eat the night before a race too. “Don’t go out and eat a big Mexican dinner,” she laughed.
The second biggest thing she sees is when runners feel the adrenaline rush of race day, they start off too quickly and burn out by the time they get to the hills. It’s ok to let people pass you because if you properly pace yourself you’ll probably end up passing them later on or at least catching up to them. “Run your own race” Wendy suggested, and practice running at different speeds on the track so you have an idea of how fast or slow you’re going on race day. A stopwatch can help too especially if you’ve practiced with it beforehand.
Lastly, be aware of the weather. Even though you may have trained in cold raw weather, April 22nd could be hot, sunny, and almost 90 degrees. It is New England after all! You’ll have to restructure your game plan, she said, so don’t make the mistake of thinking the weather will be the same as it was through your training. Be prepared for anything Mother Nature throws at you!
Q. What can people do to get into the right frame of mind for race day?
A. The first thing Wendy suggested was to make your goals attainable and realistic so you’re not setting yourself up for disappointment. Another tip is to visualize yourself on race day successfully competing and reaching your goal. Lastly, make sure you know the course so you feel more comfortable and there won’t be any surprises. Even if you’ve never run or walked the whole course, driving around it can be very helpful too.
Good luck racers!
How do you prepare for race day? Have you made any race day mistakes in the past?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCA-CSCS
There’s been much debate over the years about whether it’s best to perform strength training repetitions slowly or quickly (aka exercise tempo). Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Lifting explosively works more on power development and lifting slowly facilitates more time under tension for the muscles which is good for muscle growth.
Based upon my experiences, I think that for most recreational exercisers it’s much better to perform repetitions in a slow controlled manner than it is to perform them with lightning speed. The people I often see whipping the weights around are sacrificing a lot in terms of their form which puts them at a greater risk for injury. Slowing down the exercise will mean you’re less likely to compensate with other areas of the body too. Have you ever seen someone throw their back into a biceps curl so that they can lift the weight? I do, a lot. Slower lifting also allows you to take momentum out of the equation so that your muscles can do the most work possible. Not to mention it allows for more time to think about vital exercise form and the muscles doing the work.
Next time you strength train, check in with your movements and speed. Are you using momentum or breaking form? Can you slow it down a bit to really focus on the muscle groups you should be working?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCA-CSCS
Inevitably as a personal trainer I see many new faces at the gym this time of year. I’m always inspired by the sheer number of people that begin to focus on their health. I think it’s very important though not to jump right back to where you left off if you haven’t exercised regularly in a long time. Warming up is an excellent way to ease your body back into working out.
A great warm up should prepare you for the activity in which you are about to participate. If you’re riding a bike, running, or doing some form of cardiovascular training your warm up can be an easier version of what’s ahead for at least five minutes. If you’re playing a sport or lifting weights a five minute warm up on a treadmill will get your blood pumping, but it’s only moving in one plane of motion and it’s not similar at all to strength training. You’re best off with a different type of warm up for resistance training (or even try this before cardiovascular training), which will accomplish all of the following:
Try including the following in your warm up:
Foam Rolling: It’s something I’ve touched on before, but foam rolling as the first item in your warm up can really help decrease muscle tissue density and work out any knots you have. This enhances your workout by allowing for greater flexibility and range of motion which means you’ll get more out of the exercises you do. If you’re like me or my clients, you’ll feel much better after! Many of my clients purchase one of their own so that they can massage their muscles at home on a daily basis.
Static Stretching: Despite being controversial over the years, static stretching certainly has its place in a well designed program. It doesn’t have to be done before you strength train, but it is more effective after you foam roll because you’ve gotten the knots out of the muscle and essentially helped to lengthen the tissue. If you’re worried about stretching impacting your ability to lift heavy, don’t be. There are many studies, including one I helped conduct in college, that demonstrate stretching before lifting does not impact your strength.
Dynamic Exercises: The goal with these types of exercises is to stretch one part of the body while you’re working another part through movement. It will help activate your nervous system too while it raises your core temperature. Some examples would be a bodyweight lunge or an inchworm. For more information on warm ups I highly recommend the book Core Performance by Mark Verstegen. You can even see a sample dynamic warm up with videos of each exercise here.
On a personal note, about 9 months ago I was experiencing some sharp knee pain when squatting and lunging. My physical therapist suggested limiting my range of motion and sticking to bodyweight for a few months to let it heal. After following his advice my knee pain still returned when I went back to my routine. The only thing that worked to keep the pain at bay was doing a 20 minute warm up where I foam rolled, stretched, and then ended with dynamic exercises. A good warm up can have a huge impact on your training!
I’d love to know if you do a warm up before you exercise and what does it include?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCS-CSCS
Having a goal to shoot for is always a good thing as it keeps you motivated and engaged. Not to mention achieving something you’ve worked really hard for feels great. Where many people go wrong is in creating the plan, or lack thereof, to help them reach their goals. As the old saying goes, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.” If you wanted to go on a road trip you’d use a map to figure out the best way to get to your destination depending on what you wanted to see. Goal setting works the same way. You need a map to get you to your destination quickly and safely. At the Y we use the acronym S.M.A.R.T to help our clients set their goals and create a map. Let’s use an example of someone, we’ll call her Jane, that wants to lose body fat. To make her goals S.M.A.R.T let’s go through each letter to give you an example of proper goal setting.
Specific: Don’t just come up with a vague goal such as “I want to be in better shape.” Figure out what that means to you. Does that mean becoming faster, stronger, or having a better body composition? Let’s take Jane’s goal and make it specific. Instead of “I want to lose body fat,” Jane’s specific goal would be “I want to lose 10% body fat bringing me to a body fat percent of 20.”
Measurable: It’s hard to gauge your progress unless you can measure it. To help Jane keep track of hers she could meet with her trainer every month to get her body fat assessed and see how close she is to meeting her goal.
Action Steps: What steps will you need to take to reach your goal? You’ll have to go beyond what you’re currently doing to get there. What are you willing to give up or sacrifice to meet your goal? Try listing 6 of the most important action items to help you reach your goal. Don’t try to do them all at once but instead see if you can master one of them each week or two. That way you’ll be more likely to form a habit instead of getting overwhelmed at the prospect of changing everything at once. Here’s Jane’s hypothetical list.
Realistic: Your goal should be something that’s not easily achieved or you probably would have done it already, but also not something that’s so unrealistic that you give up easily. This can be very subjective but most people know if they really take some time to think about it, what is feasible for them. If the last time Jane had 20% body fat was when she was 12 years old that might not be a reasonable goal for her. However if it was a body fat percent that she maintained 10 years ago when she was in her twenties then it is probably realistic for her to achieve that with hard work.
Time Frame: An open ended goal without a specific date or time frame can easily get pushed down the list of important items in your life. Picking a significant date such as a birthday, holiday, or important event can give more urgency to your goal and help keep you on track. Maybe Jane wants to lose 10% body fat by Memorial Day so that she can feel comfortable in a bathing suit during the summer. Now she has a date set that she can circle on her calendar and work backwards to figure out how much body fat she’ll need to lose each month to hit her targets.
Additional goal setting tips:
-Write out your goal and hang it up where you can see it regularly, especially first thing in the morning so you can start your day off with a gentle reminder.
-If your goal is to lose body fat try hanging up pictures of yourself from a time when you were at your goal weight around the house for motivation.
-Schedule and include your timeline, action steps, and measurements in your daily planner or calendar. Jane would write in her: workouts, monthly meetings with her trainer, targets for each month, end date, and any new actions steps every few weeks.
-Take time each day to help prepare for your action steps. For Jane it could be packing her gym bag or preparing her healthy breakfast the night before, filling up a few water bottles to have around the house, or chopping and portioning out her vegetables for the week on Sundays.
With New Year’s Day right around the corner, will you be making any health oriented goals and how do you plan to achieve them?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCA-CSCS
As 2011 comes to a close many people will look back and reflect upon the year while they set goals for 2012. New Year’s resolutions are often health related because of its importance to quality of life. A personal trainer can make a big impact on helping you achieve those goals. If you hadn’t thought about hiring one before or if you’re on the fence about it, here are 5 reasons why you should hire a personal trainer.
Things to keep in mind: Make sure your trainer holds a personal training certification, preferably from one of the major certifying bodies such as NSCA, ACSM, ACE, YMCA, NASM, etc. Be an informed consumer and find out what their qualifications and experiences are. Do they hold a degree in a related field? Are they CPR certified? Does their motivation and communication style work well for you? A trainer worth your time will have no problem answering these questions. If the first one you meet with isn’t a good fit don’t be afraid to look for a better match!
Now let’s hear from you! Have you ever hired a personal trainer or would you consider it? What were your top reasons for working with a trainer?
In good health,
Ryan Healy, BS, NSCA-CSCS
