How "hard" should I workout

juldga

When I work out does it make a huge difference if I keep my Heart rate close to the max the whole time. Example - when I am on the elliptical I can push myself and keep my Heart rate near 170 the whole time, but does it make a huge difference if I do that. If I stay around 160 I am not near as tired. I can go longer, but I do not get winded. Do I need to be winded to have a good workout. Can you work out "too hard"?

lacroyx

I mix it up. some days I go for endurance, steady pace and on other days just to see how fast and far I can go.

nph1960

I read that, in order to get the most effective boost to your metabolism, you should strive to keep your heart rate going so that you can speak short phrases inbetween breaths. If you can only get out a word or two, you are pushing too hard. If you are chatting away, you need to push harder. "Complacent" workouts won't help you burn the calories as fast, they say.

pftjill

I don't think you can workout too hard. I always tell people-this is your workout, you put into it what you want to get out of it. The 220-your age is just a general guideline. There is a test that will tell you your HRmax, but it is complicated. As you continue to workout one of the adaptations is a lower HR at a sub max level and a lower resting HR. Your max will never change, but the other adaptations will come. So you will have to work even harder to get to that 170. So keep it up, but try and vary your workout and add strength training to get the max results!!

rmhand

A lot of magazines say you should be able to carry on a conversation through most of your work out. I think intervals of pushing harder are ok. but don't be gasping the whole time or your muscles won't get the O2 they need.

hpsnickers1

A balance of both higher intensity and moderate intensity cardio workouts are good. I like the HIITs on my treadmill because you can get more burn in a shorter workout. But if I recorded something good on TV then I'll do a longer moderate intensity steady pace although I still like to throw in a 2 minute run here and there. Both are good for your heart.

I've read that HIITs shouldn't be real long sessions, though. I can't remember where I read that but it was in the last week. Don't know how much truth there is to it.

juldga

Thanks all! So I guess 1 or 2 days or not feeling like I am going to die (ok I am being drama) will be ok. I actually do strength training also every day. I am starting a kettlebell routine at home too and a daily 30 minute walk while at work.

TrainingWithTonya

Yes, you can workout too hard. When you elevate your heart rate that high, you also elevate your blood pressure. It is a normal reaction to exercise to elevate your blood pressure while you are exercising, but if it gets too high it can cause a stroke or heart attack or rupture an aneurysm. Thats why trainers are taught to have clients workout at 85% of the MaxHR or less for general populations. You can't see blood clots or blockages in the basic fitness tests so without clinical testing, max workouts should never be recommended. If you have a trainer who is telling you to go to your max in order to get the best benefits, Fire them because they don't know what they are doing.

Besides that, there is also the fact that if you are working at your max intensity, you aren't working aerobically. Max workouts, even on "cardio" machines, are anaerobic. They are burning primarily muscle glycogen for fuel and not body fat. Working out at more like 80% of your max heart rate will give you a nice mix of glycogen (carb) and fat burning, will strengthen the heart, and will not feel like you are dying while doing it.

ETA: Also, mix it up. Doing the same thing over and over has a few disadvantages in that the body becomes accustomed to it so it becomes less work over time and you are only training one energy system and one type of muscle fibers. So, do a wide variety of exercises and exercise intensities to get the most out of your workouts.