Exercises and Workouts - How To Monitor Your Recovery Rates

As you go about your fitness plan, one of the vital things you must be sure you're doing is monitoring your recovery levels. If you aren't doing this and happen to be training just a little too intensely, this could really put you at risk of the "overtraining syndrome" over a period of time.

Sometimes this can creep up on you as well, so one minute you'll be fine and the next, you're just not feeling it during your workout sessions.

By keeping closer tabs on your recovery rates, you can adjust your program if need be before you get to that point so that there's no issue.

Let's go over how to monitor your recovery rates so you know precisely what to be doing...

1. Check Your Morning Heart Rate. First, one of the best ways to ensure you aren't moving into overtraining mode is to check your heart rate first thing in the morning, just after waking. If you suddenly notice your heart rate is elevated higher than normal, this indicates your body is working way too hard - and there's a good chance your training demands are overpowering your recovery capabilities.

 

 This is the first sign telling you cutting back for a few days would be highly ideal.

2. Time Your "Bounce-Back." Next, also take a good look at your bounce-back time. How long does it take you to bounce back from each workout session you do?

Are you able to recover quickly or do you spend the next few hours really feeling the effects of the session?

If you're managing recovery with training, you should bounce back fairly quickly - within 20 to 30 minutes of the workout or so.

Those who don't may need to look at either their...

• training intensity or duration, or
• else their post workout nutrition

to see if something needs to be changed there.

3. Look At Your Motivation. Finally, also consider looking at your motivation levels. Are you feeling motivated to hit the gym? You may think low-motivation is just a psychological issue, but it can actually be derived from your body not being ready to hit the gym again.

If fatigue is building, your body knows this and it will make you less than motivated to get that next session in.

So, keep these quick tips in mind and make sure you are always monitoring your recovery rates. It will really pay off over the long run and keep you coming back for more with those workout sessions.

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

Source By Beverleigh H Piepers

Choose to Do Difficult Things

Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

I remember sitting around bored in my buddy' Don's studio on a cold winter morning in Chicago many years ago. We pretty much had nothing to do. It was miserable outside. The wind was blowing hard and we had a few feet of snow covering the ground. The roads had been largely been cleared and cars were able to move about the streets, but getting around certain places on foot was really for the hardcore and the stupid. Mounds of snow from snows plows impeded foot traffic.
We got restless, as we usually did when we got together, and looked at each other with that 'What the H-- do we do now?" look on our faces. Don was a great training partner; 7 years my junior, short, muscular and strong. I used to hate trying to catch up with him on our mountain runs, because he could power up hillsides. My own measure of success was knowing he could never beat me in flat full-out distance. We were very competitive and fed off the others energy. 23 years after meeting him, we still talk about fitness, and our passion for working out.

I said to him, "It's so cold we should go for a run!" I half-heartedly meant it. He shouted back "Yeah! that would be cool!" I think he half-heartedly meant it. After going back and forth shouting, "Yeah!" Yeah!" "Yeahhh!" We got so pumped up and decided to do it. Two obnoxious guys psyching each other up. We got up and peeled out the door and at the last-minute decided to wear only our shorts, socks and shoes as protective gear. Bare-chested was cool.

Commit to an Action
Getting started was the hardest part of the run but we committed to an action. We tore down N. Sheridan Road and towards Lakeshore Park Drive. The wind cut at our faces and I felt the chill on my nose and hands. We decided to go as far as we could. We would head towards the Navy Pier, circle around and then return. We carried no money for a hot drink or a cab ride back in case we experienced failure. In our dumb minds, failure wasn't an option and we were doing something cool. I wasn't a spring chicken anymore. I did plenty of snow runs but never distance and without cold-weather protection. The pain in my chest, face and fingers was becoming apparent. The Navy Seals can teach people a lot about how it feels to freeze.

Choose Your Attitude
Loads of drivers honked their horns or gave us the thumbs up sign. An occasional driver would shout out his window and say something like, "Hey dumb*&%&! Put some clothes on!" But that only motivated us more. Several runners were out too, dressed in caps, mufflers, gloves, leg warmers and heavy jackets. We received odd looks, smiles and laughter. Some flipped us the bird. Thanks Chicago!

We hopped, high-footing one shoe after the other, in areas where the snow came up above our knees. Don cut around the edge of frozen Lake Michigan and I followed behind. Our feet were wet and cold. The sun was our saving grace. It got a bit warmer and the wind died down at times but I couldn't feel any sensation in my hands, chest or face. Moving my lips was difficult. I'm sure Don felt the same but we pressed on. My chest color was light-purple from frost nip and I couldn't easily open or close my hands. We were too far out to turn back. I didn't want to.
We'd circled around the Navy Pier, past staring tourists and hit our loop point. I was catching up quick to Don. Near the lake he took a good, running 15 foot leap off a stone wall, gave a Tarzan shout, landed flat-footed while dropping into a shoulder-roll on a snow bank and got up. He took off running and never looked back at me. I was stunned.

 

  Visualize Success and Don't Panic
I got to the edge and looked down. It was far. Don knew the terrain because Chicago was his stomping grounds but I didn't. My thought was, "With my luck I'm going to break my ankle landing in rocks and stones." Don didn't look back. His shape shrank into the distance. I stepped back a good distance, sprinted and took a strong plunge off the side, trying to land exactly where he landed. I yawped, hit the ground, completed my crappy ninja-roll and stood up happy. No broken bones. 20 plus miles more and we would be home. I was sick for weeks with the flu.
Over the years, we've done many longer runs; gotten pinned in the woods during a storm, ran out of water during a speedy run through the Saratoga Gap, and we once lost our map. This run had its own challenges and was very fun. I was with my best mate. The conditions were horrible, our protection was limited, we had no resources but the challenge helped us further realize how tight we were. Tonight, after writing this article I called Don. We laughed out loud. In 3 days he was headed to Arizona to continue training for a major event.

Good memories.
Do Something Difficult
Doing difficult things makes you a stronger person. It means intentionally taking an action toward something you know will not be easy and yet the end result will be increased confidence. You'll have the self-knowledge that you can do the things you say you can do. When people are thrust into a survival situation one of the biggest problems they'll have is how to cope mentally with the situation. Psychologists agree there will be a lot of conflicting emotions to deal with.
I don't always feel like doing the things I need to do such as work, clean, or exercise. Thankfully I'm married to a wife who is a nutritionist and fitness instructor and keeps me healthy. She encourages me to work out and stay disciplined to achieve our goals. Many studies show that it's not the physically strong or those with the best equipment who make it through a disaster. Those who survive are ready to handle the unexpected and are willing to adapt to changing situations. They choose to be optimistic, don't panic, and dig deep for inner strength by finding the important things worth fighting for; family, country, God, whatever it is... have a purpose.

You can't choose your situation but you can choose your attitude to it. You cannot choose whether you are going to be kidnapped or in a terrorist attack. One way to get an attitude shift is by training your mind just as you train your body, incrementally. And you do this by doing difficult things. Get out of your comfort zone. This way when disaster strikes you'll be more prepared mentally to handle it.You'll have an easier time not panicking, staying upbeat and less likely to mentally flag.

In Conclusion
Commit to an Action. Take a sober look at the situation. Make a checklist of your equipment, location, distance to the nearest help, weather etc.Make a decision. Don't wait around procrastinating.
Choose Your Attitude. Don't waste energy worrying. Choosing to stay optimistic is a skill you can develop. Every time you do something difficult you build confidence. And every time you build a well-honed survival skill you build confidence.

 Visualize Success. Imagine some of the difficult things you did before and how good it felt to do complete it. Imagine the steps you took to finish that task and this can prevent you from panicking.
Don't Panic. Panicking can cause you to do irrational things. Not being calm can worsen your situation. Getting out of panicking is taking steps to assess the situation logically. Are you alive? Yes. Do you have food? Yes. Are you bleeding? Go through a checklist and realize that as long as you're breathing there's hope.
 

 Keep Doing Difficult Things. Keep finding ways to challenge yourself. Learn knew survival skills by reading books and then practicing to see if they work. Take classes offered in your area. There are running clubs, shooting clubs, martial arts clubs where you can pair up with a mentor and learn how to improve your skills. Surround yourself with people who are willing to do difficult things.
Lastly, have fun. But know, one day everything you know may be used for a serious moment in your life.
Some Semi-Difficult things to Do:
Rappelling for the first time from a high distance, especially if you are afraid of heights.
Sitting for hours without moving in the brush. Patience can drive a person crazy.
Long distance hiking with a heavy pack and see if you can keep up with seasoned ruckers.
Carrying a heavy stone or log on your shoulder while traveling over hills a good distance.
Boxing someone stronger and faster than you.
Parachuting or Skydiving for the first time.
Fasting for a week while exercising. Go below your needed caloric intake.
Eat foods that you are not used to, either raw or cooked (insects, fish, snails etc.) that give you a gag reflex.

Run rapids in a canoe.

Asking someone for help.
Give those things a try. Hang around people who are motivated, positive and encouraging. You will go far.

Article Source: Michael_Kurcina Ezine

WHY DO WE FAIL?

Are Two-a-Day Workouts Right for You?

 

 For many people, boys and young men around the country are likely suiting up for two separate football practices a day for a tradition known as “two-a-days.” There are three primary reasons for the two-practice-a-day tradition:

• Practicing in the early morning and late afternoon is a way to beat the worst of the heat.
• Two practices a day are required to get the athletes in game shape.
• Athletes need the extra time and practice to learn and commit complicated plays to memory.

Two-a-day training programs are typically divided into two sessions, one focusing on technical training and the other focusing on tactical training. The first type of training session is referred to as technical training because it focuses on the technical conditioning needed for a specific sport. Technical training can be high intensity to improve overall fitness level and refine sport-specific skills. The second type of training session is referred to as tactical training because it is structured to teach the strategies and tactics that all players need to know to function successfully as a team. Tactical training is designed to be lower in intensity to allow players to learn the movements so they are eventually able to execute plays reflexively as a reaction without needing the time for conscious thought or cognitive processing.

Are two-a-days beneficial for you?

For people with specific fitness goals, could organizing your workouts into two training sessions a day provide any benefit? The answer, of course, depends on a number of variables. To determine whether two-a-day training might be right for your needs, ask yourself the following questions:

What is your existing fitness level?

What is your specific outcome or training goal?

What do you need to improve to be successful and achieve your goal?

And, most importantly, how much time can you dedicate to your workouts?

If your reason for exercising is to improve your general health or overall fitness level, then two-a-days might not be necessary. If the goal is to achieve a specific outcome (whether performance- or appearance-based), then working out twice a day might be the most effective way to achieve that goal.

Here are a few examples where organizing two-a-day workouts might be helpful for achieving a specific goal. Of course, there are a number of variables that would determine the specific training program, so keep in mind that this list is designed to simply provide a few ideas. 

The Olympic Weightlifting Lifts: The Snatch and the Clean and Jerk. Both of these exercises require a high degree of mobility and technical movement skill, as do a number of the kettlebell lifts. If you want to improve your technical skill for specific lifts, consider training for movement skill in the morning and the actual lifting, or specific strength training, in the afternoon. The morning sessions should be bodyweight only to focus on improving range of motion, mobility and dynamic flexibility, while the afternoon workout should focus on the high-intensity training required to improve strength and power.

Adding muscle mass or developing the definition required for a figure or body-building competition requires a high volume of training for both strength training to improve muscle size and low-to-moderate cardio training to burn fat. A two-a-day training schedule might feature body part-specific strength training in the morning to increase lean muscle and definition, combined with an afternoon session dedicated specifically to cardiovascular training for burning excess calories and unwanted fat.

Specific Strength- and Power-based Competitions (e.g., Powerlifting, Strongman or CrossFit). For people training for these types of competitions, two-a-day workouts could be organized into a morning session using external weights to focus on specific strength or power exercises that will be an integral component of the competition. The afternoon session could be focused on bodyweight exercises to improve core strength, mobility or explosive jumping power to support the work being done with the external resistance. 

Obstacle Course Races (e.g., Spartan Race or Tough Mudder). If your training goal is to participate in these races, you might want to split your workouts into morning runs that alternate between distance for aerobic endurance and sprinting for anaerobic strength and afternoon strength-training sessions to improve the muscular strength and coordination required for successfully overcoming the obstacles.

Marathons, Triathlons or Ultra-marathons. If your fitness goals include training for pure endurance races, it might be a good idea to split workouts into two sessions per day to increase the volume of training required for success. For endurance races, it might be necessary to focus on a specific cardiovascular endurance session in the morning for volume training and an afternoon weightlifting session to improve the strength endurance of the legs and core muscles, which can help improve running efficiency and stride rate.

Source Pete McCall MS Ace

Take A Ride On A Spinning Bike, And Stay Healthy

The Exercise bike was introduced to the world in the 1980s. Initially they were created to provide training workouts during the winter months for cyclists. The normal exercise bike is housed in a heavy constructed frame. This frame has been designed to provide a solid base yet with flexibility so that it can be moved on the gymnasium floor easily. Also, bikes can be aligned side by side or placed at random depending on the class.

There is a big wheel at the front and a flywheel which is adjustable. This gives a pressure or tension element as needed depending on your fitness level. All adjustments can be made through turning a knob at the side. There is a connection between the large wheel and pedals, the latter containing straps to hold the feet of the cyclists in place safely. The bar of the Spinning Bike [http://www.spinningbike.co/spinning-bike-reviews/] is normally shaped like the letter W so as to enable the cyclist to reposition their arms.

  

 Spin cycling offers a tremendous amount of benefits which are a boon to the fitness-conscious. One of the major ones is the fact that one can ride day or night without being concerned about bad weather. Added to this is a further benefit of a low impact exercise, easing stresses on the body.

Spinning bike workouts, unlike a lot of other forms of keep fit exercise is not stressful to the joints and muscles. This is not the case with, for example, running or jogging. This exercise produces a very beneficial effect on your cardiovascular system. One can say that these benefits alone place this workout equipment at the very top of any other form of indoor workout. It is alleged that the spinning bike can help one to melt off hundreds of calories in an hour of exercise! Not only that but you will receive a full body exercise to boot.

You won't find as a rule your spinning bike offering much in the way of comfortable features. They are usually very basic. The basics of the sport are easy to master and one can progress very quickly -- indeed if you are gifted and hard-working you could even reach professional standard if you wished. A question that is often asked is how does one keep one's mind focused and unclouded by tedium? The answer usually given is to take your MP3 player along to the sessions. You will then have an opportunity to listen to music, an audio book, or even learn that language you promised yourself -- Italian, Spanish, French etc. Why not exercise your brain -- after all it is part of your body!

If you had a good time in your childhood riding your bike, there is absolutely no reason why you couldn't get the same buzz and buoyant health from the sport of spin cycling. It need not be overly expensive but if you wanted to treat yourself to items such as a gel pad for your saddle, or a sports top or a special water bottle they are all available at clubs or online.

There are numerous spinning bike clubs and associations around today. So you have no excuse to not get started right away. A quick surf on the Internet will be helpful. Your constant motivation will come from the boost in fitness and fun you will receive from this great sport.

Finding the Right Fitness Jump Ropes for CrossFit

Those who engage in CrossFit know that it is an intense workout and conditioning program. It has elements that are Workouts of the Day or WODs. During some of the CrossFit WODs, jump ropes are used. One of the moves participants are asked to try with the jump ropes is called double-unders. This is a move where the person jumps into the air and moves the rope under his feet two times before he lands. The double-unders are usually performed during five different rounds.

Doing any WOD that requires the use of a jump rope require the participant to have both coordination and stamina. It is emphasized that the WOD can be adjusted to meet anybody's fitness level. It stands to reason that a person who is working with one for the first time in years (or the first time ever) will need to build themselves up slowly. Some people may want to start with tuck jumps before moving on to doing double-unders. This is done with a person having his feet apart slightly, bending his knees and then jumping into the air and bringing his knees up to his chest.

Some people who participate in CrossFit feel it's very important for participants to have a jump rope that properly fits their size. Each person has a personal jump rope type that works best for them, and having the proper size and type can make all the difference.

 Some beginners use a thicker rope because it turns slower and permits the development of the correct movement when doing such moves as double-unders. Once the proper movements have been developed, it is easy to move onto a thinner, faster moving rope. 

 The last decision needed to be made is the type of rope material to be used. The two most popular types used with CrossFit jump ropes are a metal cable surrounded by a rubber sheath or a vinyl cord. There are benefits and drawbacks to both fitness jump ropes.

Vinyl cord are often slower and not very durable. The vinyl cord is known to break easily and is more difficult to turn. The metal cable ropes last longer than vinyl and move much faster. They require some experience and are a challenge for beginners to learn how to use.

When using a jump rope for a Crossfit WOD, it's important to get the proper one for your skill level and individual needs. Taking the time to develop the necessary skills before moving to the next level is important for successful WODs.

 Source Christopher Hardwick

Learn how you can Jump Higher

Learning how to jump higher will help you in more than one way. There are lots of exercises that will help you increase your vertical leap, all you need to do it find a workout that suits your needs. You should realize that no two people are build the same way, find something that works for you.

If you are a person who is into sports, jumping higher is a huge asset and knowing how to increase your jump can be a valuable tool to you. It doesn't matter if you are a basketball, baseball, or football player, increasing your vertical leap will help you improve your game by leaps and bounds. If you take the time to learn how to jump higher, you will not only increase your vertical jump, but it will help you improve your overall agility. This will make a huge difference in your performance as an athlete.

One of the ways to help you start to jump higher is by including power training and strength training as well. Strength training will build the muscles in your legs and calves to increase your vertical jump. Power training will teach your body how to be explosive which can be used in every sport. 

   If you have a jump rope, good. If you don't, go out and get one today because jump roping about twenty to thirty minutes per day is a great way to increase your vertical jump. You can also increase your leg strength by running and jumping up stairs or bleachers. When jumping, slowly increase the number of steps you are jumping so you are constantly increasing your jump. You could also buy jump boxes from a sports store and jump on and off of them. When you are able increase the height of the boxes, you will know that you are making great improvement on your journey to jump higher.
In just a few weeks, these exercises will help you improve your fitness, agility, flexibility, and stamina. Finding ways to jump higher is essential for most athletes. Basketball players, volleyball players, high jumpers, and long jumpers can all benefit from jumping higher. If you can increase your vertical jump, you will excel in these types of sports.

To be completely honest, you don't need to be a sports person to learn to jump higher. If you are just an average person, you can include exercises in your daily workout to increase your vertical leap. If you have always wanted to be fit and more agile, you will find that jumping higher will get you there in no time at all. Power training activities like jump roping, box jumping, and running stairs will help you lean to jump higher. 

Knowing how to jump higher is a skill that will help you in many ways throughout your life, in sports, and outside of sports. It will help boost your confidence and is a great boost in morale. Take the steps that you need to in order to start jumping higher. You will not regret it.

Source :Peter Velaskes / Go