What Was Your Work Out Today?

Yesterday's workout: a 30 minute run - 4.25km - 2min30 in Z4 and the rest below.

Today was an 'I hate being a woman, these cramps suck' day 😛 So an easy 15min workout, 2730m indoor rowing (nearly 8 minutes in Z2, the rest below). Followed by an easy 15min walk on the treadmill.

45 mins Rolling Hills run

shoulders

Giant set 1
reverse grip front press, Seated “Slightly Back” Side Laterals, Bent Over Rear Delts, Bus Drivers “Super Slow. 4 sets, all 20 reps. Bent over rear was 20 partials and 20 Full range of motion.

Giant set 2
Modified Arnold Press, Around The Worlds, Seated Shrugs “Supinated Grip”, Standing Shrug “2 Count Hold at Top” 3 sets 15-20 reps for all.

180 minutes on my Elliptical for 11.3 miles this AM.

So @AnnPT77 I'm going to sound naive, which i am, I was always wondering about the zones you and others talk about. Is the pics off a fitbit or something? I now see the different heart rate zones.

swimmom_1 wrote: »

So @AnnPT77 I'm going to sound naive, which i am, I was always wondering about the zones you and others talk about. Is the pics off a fitbit or something? I now see the different heart rate zones.

Yes, heart rate zones. There are various common schemes, usually with 3-5 zones. Reporting here, I use the Garmin zones, because that's easy for me. That screen capture of heart rate data is from Garmin Connect, the app that my wrist/chest-belt feeds data to, data's stored in the cloud. As you can see, Garmin uses a 5-zone scheme. (The other photo - the top one - is an older model monitor from a Concept 2 rowing machine.)

There are two different . . . philosophies? . . . of heart rate zones, either raw percent of max heart rate, or heart rate reserve.

For either of those, one needs an estimate of maximum heart rate. There are various age-based ways of estimating HRmax, the easiest/most widely known being 220 minus age. So, at age 66, my estimated HRmax by that formula would be 154. But this formula is materially inaccurate for quite a large number of people, me among them. That's true of other age-based formulas, too, to varying degrees. This variation from age estimate is mostly a matter of genetics, not so much training.

(If I trained with the assumption that my maximum HR was 154, I'd undertrain. Also, exercise calorie estimates based on that heart rate would tend to be higher than reality, because it would look like I was working harder than I am. In practice, 154 is just under 80% of HR reserve, something I can sustain for a while. You can see in the screen cap that I was at/near 154 fairly often during that workout, in the middle piece with the intervals. It was mildly challenging, felt like working hard, but not brutal. No one sustains actual HRmax for long, during exercise. Feeling pretty good and being able to go on quite a while at/near age estimate HRmax is a hint that one might actually have a HRmax above age estimate.

There are also self-tests for HRmax, but I wouldn't recommend them for someone until they have good base fitness in place. For one, there are risks of high intensity effort in those new to fitness; for two, those relatively untrained may not be able to reach the needed intensities so end up underestimating. I have an estimate of my max heart rate from a test like that, from quite a few years back when I was training more seriously. (Usually HRmax declines with age, but believed to do so more slowly in people who continue to train. I think my estimate of around 180 is still fairly reasonable, because my rate of perceived exertion (RPE) at lower heart rates is consistent with that max.)

Percent of max heart rate is what it sounds like, just a percentage applied to the estimate of HRmax. Heart rate reserve zone calculations also use resting heart rate (first thing in the morning, natural awakening, before getting out of bed). The idea is that one subtracts resting from max to get working range, then takes a percentage of working range and adds it to resting rate to calculate zones.

So, when people are talking about zones, it's only comparable if using a scheme with the same number of zones, and the same percentage approach. When people are talking about HR percents, it's only comparable if all are talking either percent of max or heart rate reserve percent. IME, some zone schemes are more commonly used in particular sports. The cycle folks seem to tend to use FTP more than HR as a training guide, but someone else can explain that: I'm not a cyclist.

I hope that helps. If I got details wrong, I know someone will helpfully correct me. 😉

75 Fwd Jump Rope
75 Skier
1 Min Sprint (3.5 Inc / SEND IT)
20 Wipers
50 Air Squats
30 KBell Press (Hold bell w/both hands)
Stairs Circuit
1 Min Sprint
20 4 Corners Lunges
20 Renegade Row
30 KBell Straight Leg Deads
30 KBell Curls
1 Min Sprint
50 Jumping Jaxs
25 High Choppers (each side)
Stairs Circuit
1 Min Sprint
25 Devil Press
25 Monkey Rows
50 Crunches
1 Min Sprint
20 Wall Balls
30 Superman Planks
Stairs Circuit
50 Pushups
1 Min Sprint
25 KBell Swing
50 Flutter Kicks
25 Jack Knifes

850 Reps / 6 Mins Sprinting

Beginning strength training today. The goal right now: start easy and see how an old shoulder injury responds. I'll adjust as needed. My quad is still twinging, so I'm leaving legs out until that is fully healed.

incline pushups 3x10
"T's" on a yoga ball (no weight) 3x10
planks 3x20s
boat pose 3x20s
supermans 3x10s

This was relatively easy, so fingers crossed that my shoulder doesn't freak out. Rest. Rest. Rest.

AnnPT77 wrote: »

swimmom_1 wrote: »

So @AnnPT77 I'm going to sound naive, which i am, I was always wondering about the zones you and others talk about. Is the pics off a fitbit or something? I now see the different heart rate zones.

Yes, heart rate zones. There are various common schemes, usually with 3-5 zones. Reporting here, I use the Garmin zones, because that's easy for me. That screen capture of heart rate data is from Garmin Connect, the app that my wrist/chest-belt feeds data to, data's stored in the cloud. As you can see, Garmin uses a 5-zone scheme. (The other photo - the top one - is an older model monitor from a Concept 2 rowing machine.)

There are two different . . . philosophies? . . . of heart rate zones, either raw percent of max heart rate, or heart rate reserve.

For either of those, one needs an estimate of maximum heart rate. There are various age-based ways of estimating HRmax, the easiest/most widely known being 220 minus age. So, at age 66, my estimated HRmax by that formula would be 154. But this formula is materially inaccurate for quite a large number of people, me among them. That's true of other age-based formulas, too, to varying degrees. This variation from age estimate is mostly a matter of genetics, not so much training.

(If I trained with the assumption that my maximum HR was 154, I'd undertrain. Also, exercise calorie estimates based on that heart rate would tend to be higher than reality, because it would look like I was working harder than I am. In practice, 154 is just under 80% of HR reserve, something I can sustain for a while. You can see in the screen cap that I was at/near 154 fairly often during that workout, in the middle piece with the intervals. It was mildly challenging, felt like working hard, but not brutal. No one sustains actual HRmax for long, during exercise. Feeling pretty good and being able to go on quite a while at/near age estimate HRmax is a hint that one might actually have a HRmax above age estimate.

There are also self-tests for HRmax, but I wouldn't recommend them for someone until they have good base fitness in place. For one, there are risks of high intensity effort in those new to fitness; for two, those relatively untrained may not be able to reach the needed intensities so end up underestimating. I have an estimate of my max heart rate from a test like that, from quite a few years back when I was training more seriously. (Usually HRmax declines with age, but believed to do so more slowly in people who continue to train. I think my estimate of around 180 is still fairly reasonable, because my rate of perceived exertion (RPE) at lower heart rates is consistent with that max.)

Percent of max heart rate is what it sounds like, just a percentage applied to the estimate of HRmax. Heart rate reserve zone calculations also use resting heart rate (first thing in the morning, natural awakening, before getting out of bed). The idea is that one subtracts resting from max to get working range, then takes a percentage of working range and adds it to resting rate to calculate zones.

So, when people are talking about zones, it's only comparable if using a scheme with the same number of zones, and the same percentage approach. When people are talking about HR percents, it's only comparable if all are talking either percent of max or heart rate reserve percent. IME, some zone schemes are more commonly used in particular sports. The cycle folks seem to tend to use FTP more than HR as a training guide, but someone else can explain that: I'm not a cyclist.

I hope that helps. If I got details wrong, I know someone will helpfully correct me. 😉

@swimmom_1 This is a good explanation of the concept. And as @AnnPT77 suggests, a threshold test is very valuable to establishing where your HR zones fall, once you have a solid base of fitness. Heart rate zones can then be used to create a training program that builds fitness while managing the risk of injury (through the use of recovery paced sessions between the hard efforts)

The caution is that threshold tests are very uncomfortable (by design). For example, a typical run threshold test might be a 5k done after an easy warm up jog. Once underway, the test is a 5k effort that is done at the fastest pace the runner could hold for the distance. That HR data is then used as the "threshold" HR, and subsequent run workouts can be built based on % of threshold HR.

Cyclists often perform a similar test on the bike. The difference is that for cycling, a power meter is used to measure the force applied to the pedals. The power meter measures watts, which have a direct correlation to calories. Like a HR threshold test, the "Functional Threshold Power" test establishes how many watts of power output a cyclist can sustain over a fixed period of time, usually twenty minutes. Again, this test is very uncomfortable, but useful. The training goal is the same, in that establishment of a cyclist's FTP (eg 225 watts) gives us a benchmark to use in training (or racing).

Once these data elements are known, the runner can perform work while monitoring HR (not running pace) and the cyclist can monitor power (watts, not speed) to help manage energy expenditure during endurance training or races.

Need to figure out a post-Holiday-Challenge routine, but - knowing myself all too well - I swear I'm not going to let analysis paralysis keep me from doing something, even if what I do doesn't make a huge amount of sense.

Today, 6,791 meters rowing machine as 3 x (2k on, 2' off (row out, drink water, row in; full CD on the last "off")). Decided to do the 2nd 2k with 2:30 ceiling, see what happened to HR (stayed Z3, but wouldn't have if <2:30 for the whole session). The first and third pieces were 2:33.X, but I ended up with 23" Z4 at the end of the 3rd one. 🤷‍♀️

After that, a very short, super light dumbbell session of silly supersets. (I hate inter-set rests with a fiery passion). Goal was just to work through range of motion and start conservatively easing the aging body into some seasonal strength training . . . I hope. (I dislike strength training with a mildly smoldering irritation.) 2 x 10-15 reps of mostly upper body push stuff. Yes, I row before strength intentionally.

MikePfirrman wrote: »

Just 10K on the rower. I realize no one is going to feel sorry for me in Arizona, but it was actually cold for here today -- 50 with high wind and no sun! Probably a dream cardio temp for some but it felt brutal to me!

My heart breaks for you, speaking from a land of deep gloom, temps around freezing, and the inevitable "Wintery mix" that falls in that temp range: A lovely mix of rain, sleet, snow, and everything in between. 😉😆

5 min walk 4 mph @ 6 Inc
50 Push-ups
50 Rev Crunches
35 KBell Swing
15 Pull-ups
50 Knee Tucks

5 x 12
Deadlift
Seated Calf Raises 3 x 25
Hip Sled
Smith Deads
Sled Calf Raises 3 x 25
Goblet Squats
Iso Dbell Deads (both legs down)
Smith Lunges
Standing Calf Raises 3 x 25
Land Mine Squats

Sporty 40
Crunches/ Hip Lifts/ Mtn Climbers/ Choppers Hi & Low/ Obliques/ Seated Tucks/ J Knifes/ Cables Crunches

1350 Total Reps

Bootcamp followed by a 5K walk