How to safely get the most out of your weight training and cardio

Tempo, Form and when to lift heavier

A weight training program will instruct a person to perform different exercises which are defined by a certain number of sets and repetitions. For example, dumbbell curls, three sets of 12-15 repetitions. This is typically common knowledge among gym goers. However, what is often overlooked is the tempo of those repetitions. It is common to see people trying to get their reps done as quickly as possible like it is some sort of race or that it will be seen as impressive. When in reality, for the best muscle growth and personal safety the reps could performed at a slower pace such as a 3 second concentric movement and a 3 second eccentric movement with proper form. In order to perform this tempo you may have to use a lighter weight than you would for a fast tempo. Even though it is a lighter weight, your muscles will experience more time under tension which is what causes your muscles to adapt in a favorable way (bigger, stronger and more tone.) There is a tendency to rush through the reps to say, "there, now I've done 10 reps" but were they quality reps and will you be prone to injury if you start lifting heavier weight. In the first 30 days from going from sedentary to active weight training, you may experience noticeable gains in strength as your nervous adapts to the new stimuli that you're giving it. This is not a time to start lifting heavier weight as your nervous is merely adapting and performing better.

Resting between sets and exercises
It is important to time your rest periods between each set in order to get the best out of your workouts. As opposed to looking around the gym, texting or playing with your phone, or flirting with someone before you perform the next set. For beginners, I suggest resting 2 minutes between sets (easily timed with a smart phone.) Eventually, work your way down to 30-60 seconds between each set. Resting between exercises follows a similar pattern, but usually by the time you replace your dumbbells or put up your plates it is time to start your next exercise. No more than 5 minutes and working towards 1-2 minutes.

Heart rate, cardio and HIIT
Cadrio time!
So you get on your cardio equipment and it starts the prompts. Weight? Age? Number of minutes? Fat Loss or Cardio? Then it gives you a heart rate to go with. Depending on your cardiorespiratory goals it is good to stick with these guidelines. What about going as hard as you can? Well, that should be clearly defined. If you take a look at the heart rate calculator on active.com it will let you know what your heart rate should be at what effort level. Right now high intensity interval training (HIIT) is all the rage. However, there is a safe way to do HIIT and an unsafe way. To get the benefits of HIIT, you will want a minimum heart rate of 60-65% and a maximum heart rate of 90%. Going over 90% will garner no additional benefits but has the potential to damage your heart as your body produces the enzyme troponin T - the same enzyme your body produces if you're having a heart attack. This has been a common occurrence in popular spin classes. So just keep your cardio safe, know what your heart rate should be, and get a heart rate monitor. Even if your cardio equipment monitors heart rates, there is a convenient warning label stating that the company isn't liable if the heart rate monitor isn't accurate.

I hope this article helps you along your fitness journey. If you are looking to take your fitness to the next level or have someone to help you along the way then visit www.phorcefitness.com for more details.