So what exactly is an INTENSE workout?!

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RAFValentina
RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, one of my great MFPs sends me fantastic links every now and then. Great advice for me and also helps keep me on the straight and narrow.

Reading one about potential over training, I saw the term "intense run" used. Now I really don't understand how you measure an intense piece of exercise on a scale as to me, it's very subjective.

For example, my OH would find some of the runs I do "intense". His HR would be higher than mine, he would be about 1 minute slower/km and probably hanging by the end. Recently I've regularly been doing 13 Km runs at about the same pace each time so fairly consistent. Yet to me, I don't think this is especially intense.

In terms of knowing how to protect yourself, especially when you have a "hardcore" mentality and seem to enjoy challenges, how do you measure what is intense and what isn't? I really struggle to know!

Val

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  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,396 Member
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    When my heart rate is super high and I can't even gasp talk, that is intense. I spin a lot and there are some songs that I call "throw up songs" because they make you want to go so hard that by the end of the song, you feel like you are going to throw up. That's MY intense but everybody is different.
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
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    my most intense workouts have been vinyasa and bikram yoga and anything that has to do with plyometrics
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
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    Just posting this message to spark / generate some more interest and hopefully answers/perspectives!
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Polar advises 45 minutes at between 80% and 90% of your maximum heart rate once per week as your intense workout.
    They recommend a long workout of 90 minutes at 60-70% of max once per week.
    They recommend 2 workouts per week of 60 minutes at 70-80% of max.
    And the 5th workout per week is 30 minutes at 60-70%, and 30 minutes at 70-80% of max.
    This is a 5day per week cycle with 2 rest days per week. I also add in weight lifting, 1 on a rest day, and 2 others with the cardio training days.

    Val, (I may have mentioned this before) open a polarpersonaltrainer.com account for free, and upload your workouts. Try the training load page. I use that information religiously now to gauge whether I'm overtraining or not.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    Options
    Polar advises 45 minutes at between 80% and 90% of your maximum heart rate once per week as your intense workout.
    They recommend a long workout of 90 minutes at 60-70% of max once per week.
    They recommend 2 workouts per week of 60 minutes at 70-80% of max.
    And the 5th workout per week is 30 minutes at 60-70%, and 30 minutes at 70-80% of max.
    This is a 5day per week cycle with 2 rest days per week. I also add in weight lifting, 1 on a rest day, and 2 others with the cardio training days.

    Val, (I may have mentioned this before) open a polarpersonaltrainer.com account for free, and upload your workouts. Try the training load page. I use that information religiously now to gauge whether I'm overtraining or not.

    Haven't got the facility (HRM) to do so yet but should have in the New Year as am buying RS300X with polar flow uplink tonight. What polar says is t do with your heart though... and doesn't take in to account muscles etc elsewhere... so how do I know what is actually "intense" and what isn't when I'm not suffering muscularly in my opinion?!!

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