AboutKen Alan Expertise To build a strong body, build a strong body of knowledge.
Exercise workouts, training programs, classes, program design, workout music, motivation. Cardio, strength, flexibility.
Experience AeroBeat.com, the first fitness music company. Program design/choreography, 7 Richard Simmons videos. Co-star, 4 Time-Life Medical exercise videos. Chapter author: "Physical Activity Instruction of Older Adults" (Human Kinetics), "Fitness Theory and Practice" (AFAA), "Fitness for Travelers" (ACE). Lecturer, California State University, Fullerton California, Department of Kinesiology.
Male
almost 50 [Want to be 'Buff' by my bd. Aug. 13]
200 lbs
6-2
quit smoking 6 weeks ago
health good ++
History:
Weight training [hour long 2-3 / wk] since Dec. '08
P90X 3 of the disks [3 hrs. / wk LAST 5 WEEKS]
Core cinergistics [heavy core strengthing ++ 50 min.]
Plyometrics ['jump' training 50 min.]
Kenpo X [punch kicks 50 min.]
Bike riding as 'fun' sport 10 - 20 miles 4 to 8 times month
I was worried about having a heart attack while doing my aerobics workout. I bought a heart monitor and am now trying to learn what it meens and how to work out effectively.
My Max heart rate seems to be 174. Will that go up as i continue to improve my health?
I THINK i've learned that my workouts should mix intensity of heart rate.
My current plan is for 3 hours / week of intense [heart rate of 160 - 173]
And an additional 3-4 hours of moderate [stamina building] heart rate of 120 - 140
I just changed my workout to a 2 hour plan of one hour weight training followed by one hour heavy aerobics. 3X Week.
Does this seem like a valid plan? I know that it is intense and all but the challenge is motivating me. My goal is to drop off a bit after my BD.
Any other advice that you can give me is fine.
Answer Glad you're motivated to exercise. Buff in two months, huh? Since I don't know what you look like, or if you've been working out, or what your eating is like, this may or may not be a realistic goal. A better goal is to exercise regularly and eat healthfully so that you'll feel better, perform better, and look better. Maybe August 2010 is the birthday for buff, if not this one!
Your predicted max heart rate (PMHR) is estimated in the range of 158 - 182 bpm. (220 - age = 170 bpm, + or - 12 bpm.) Unless you do a max treadmill test, you won't know your exact maximum number, so it's a predicted range. Working out at 160 - 173 is intense, maybe too intense. You want to be in the range of 60% - 90% of your PMHR. 160 - 173 may be around 95% - 100% of your maximum. Although if you can sustain it, it means it is not (your max HR is probably higher than 170 if you can do aerobic training at 160 - 173 bpm). If you want to work at the high end, have a medical check-up, because you're a 50 year old male who smoked. You need to get a check up to make sure you can safely do high intensity exercise.
Your maximum HR will not go up with training. It gets lower in fact, over time. Your resting HR will get lower, and that's a good thing. And there's all kinds of other positive changes to your physiology and cardiorespiratory system.
Your workout plan is okay, as long as you have the energy to sustain it and it doesn't cause you injury or to feel constantly fatigued.
