Wellness

[sidsmom]

Any one aerobically train using his method?

[puglet1]

Years ago, when I was into lifting weights, I utilized such a formula that I read about in the bodybuilding magazines to determine my optimal aerobic heart rate. I've been using that guide since in my aerobic training. I don't know if Dr. Maffetone was the one who "invented" it, but it sounds like his Method is nothing new, just slightly repackaged.

[sidsmom]

Thanks for responding. I knew there wasn't a large audience on this forum for athlete aerobic training so I'm glad you knew exactly what I was talking about!!

Dr. Kenneth Cooper really 'invented' the art of aerobic training back in the 60's. You're right...Dr. Phil Maffetone is one of many out there using this type of training...but he has quite a following within the cycling, running & triathlon world. Weightlifting is an anaerobic by nature, so this type of training is used for endurance type of activities.

I got a Polar HR monitor way back in the early 2000's & just used to record my calories burned & max/avg HR. I figured the higher the #s, the better, right?!

Recently, after doing a metabolic/VO2 test, I discovered I've been overtraining for years!! Continuously cycling 4-6 times a week in the above threshold & anaerobic zones awarded me excellent VO2/Recovery times, but I need to slooooow down & build an aerobic, fat-burning base. And that's gonna take months! =:0

As a result of years of overtraining, my hormones, cortisol levels, endocrine system have recently taken hit. Since January....sleeplessness, caffeine/sweets cravings, light sensitivity @ night, slight weight gain, returning post-menopausal hot flashes...all while maintaining the same energy input/output (calories/exercise). I'm a numbers geek...I log food, workouts, HR, sleep...so I have a database to refer & yes, there have been changes this past year.

The more I talk to Cat 3-4 riders in my cycling program & triathletes @ the gym, they ALL train in the easy zones for the majority of their training! I wanna be like them....so I'm slowing down for athletic performance AND my for the sake of my health...and I want to share my discovery.

Since there are so many protocols out there, my cycling coach recommended Dr. Maffetone's books...easy to read. Only 2 weeks in & I don't feel like I'm doing anything while cycling, rowing or on the elliptical. I miss that addictive 'high' I get when I go anaerobic, but I know I have to repair the damage I did. BUT I've already seen a difference w/ the quality of sleep & a small weight loss...by doing LESS?? Who would've thought?!

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding Heart Rate Zone Training. I even have Digifit on my iPad I take with me every time I go to the gym to visually keep me in the correct training zones. I even got some of those Cat 3-4 riders using the Digifit App.

My take-away:

Even though the majority of the population is TOO sedentary, I'm very concerned w/ men & women that are pushing themselves to breathlessness @ the gym. Especially women since our hormones are so complicated. The fitness landscape has changed DRAMATICALLY w/ programs like Insanity, P90X, CrossFit, HIIT...where faster, harder, stronger until-you-puke programs are becoming the norm for daily workouts. It's a badge of honor to work until you drop to your knees. Unless someone's paying me....why should I go anaerobic?

As my testimony, I'm here to say, overtraining WILL catch up with you. It took years...over a decade...for my body to tell me the damage I did. It even surprised ME.

I have lots & lots of athletes & wellness professionals telling me I'm doing the right thing by slowing down to build a strong aerobic foundation. Specialized athletes have been training this way for years. Am I slowly catching up? Or am I ahead of the Mainstream Curve? 5-10 yrs from now, I guarantee the effects of overtraining & metabolic damage will be hot topics.

I wouldn't be writing if I knew someone might see this...and my message might resonate w/ you today. Hopefully you will glean the same idea I've finally discovered! Let's make 2015 a year of excellent Fitness AND Health! Sidsmom!

[puglet1]

Hi sidsmom,

Overtraining is one of the first concepts I repeatedly read about in the magazines when I began training. As you were able to see firsthand, overtraining can be very problematic. One of the most important bits of information for anyone who embarks on a significant training program (for both aerobic and anaerobic activity) is that the body needs rest in order to make gains. For a lot of younger and overzealous competitors, this is a difficult concept to accept and they have to learn to force themselves to rest bodyparts on certain days, or to alternate intense workouts with less intense workouts, and to take a day off from training altogether.

None of these concepts are new. Most "modern day" knowledge about a good training diet, and especially exercise, was known back in the '60s, probably 50s, and possibly even earlier. As I posted previously, individuals like Maffetone are just trying to repackage these concepts. It kind of annoys me when they take credit for things that were known a long, long time ago.

As you said, there are a multitude of "puke your guts out" programs that make you think the harder you push yourself, the better the results. Even in my youth, I never subscribed to that. I like my body and I want to be kind to it, lol. I see these programs as a form of abuse.

While intense aerobic activity will certainly benefit one's cardiovascular system, it will wreak havoc (as you discovered) on other body systems if carried to the extreme for an extended period of time. We have to be kind to our bodies.

I have never been one to use gadgets or gizmos to monitor myself. All I ever did was take my pulse during a particular activity and after some time, you just know the pace at which you need to be in the right fat-burning zone, or the right zone for maximum growth. BTW, you still want to be doing aerobic activity, just not as intensely day in and day out. Instead of running or cycling to where your pulse is 160-180, for example, you will get more benefit by running or cycling at 120-140, which is still aerobic.

I have found from experience that mixing up my routines will give me the best results. By continually fooling the body, the body does not acclimate to a particular routine and get stale. This avoids hitting plateaus. I like to mix up my weight lifting routines in terms of reps, sets, intensity. With aerobics, I used to alternate sprints with jogging and power walking, rather than running the same speed and duration each and every day. The same would apply to cycling. I even change the number of calories I consume from day to day to fool my metabolism. This concept has also been widely written about in bodybuilding magazines for a long time.

Anyhow, I'm glad you found your zone. You picked up some important information!

[nailmaven]

I've been using it for years. It's nothing new.

[sidsmom]

On 11/23/2014 nailmaven said:

I've been using it for years. It's nothing new.

That's correct! Dr. Kenneth Cooper coined the word 'aerobics' waaaay back in the 60's. There are many different people presenting the same, but the message is still the same. The majority of your training (80-90%) should be Aerobic.

Please share your story!!

[olive59]

Hey sidsmom! I always enjoy reading your posts- I find we have a lot in common! After reading this I immediatley went to Amazon and purchased this book! Looks right up my alley- love the philosophy behind the principles he outlines. Thanks for the heads up and for always contributing such interesting and thought provoking posts!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Right-o, Sidsmom. I am with you. I knew long ago that moderate, sustained aerobic activity was the key, but I chose to ignore the advice. I loved getting into that stored energy area, but I think now it should be reserved for things like running for your life out of a burning house! I can't believe what I see at the gym. I'm surprised there aren't barf bags in a dispenser somewhere.

I am in PT for things, and I am aghast at the young (HS) people doing the same thing! I'm in the 50 something range. I could jump higher and lift more and keep going . . . until. Now I pay.

This is why I am learning yoga practice. Stamping your feet will not help, but sometimes a good cry does! I have gained perspective and am enjoying a calmer life. Simply thinking of my feelings associated with the practice put me in a better frame of mind, and I am able to get things done thoughtfully. I will never be Demi Moore at 40 (though I think I'm going to grow my hair long again - no harm to anyone there, except my husband, who has to look at me). Thanks for the post. This is important stuff.

[sidsmom]

puglet1, nailmaven & sweetbay magnolia: You have so much experience w/ building base training...continue to share anything that will help!

olive59: I'm humbled my testimony 'spoke' to you! Calculate your training HR & do a MAF test to get a baseline. By January 1st, you should begin to see results. Nice way to start the year!

This type of training is, by all means, nothing new...but over the last 15+ yrs of 'no pain no gain' mentality, overtraining among the 'Jane Doe Gym Go-er' is definitely an issue today...and it's beginning to be a hot topic.

I've been reading dozens of books/blogs on HR training. Most of them are geared for either side of the fitness spectrum...coach potato or established 'racer' wanting to improve their PR. Maffetone addresses 'health' vs ' fitness'...and over-production of Cortisol & the issues it causes w/ high intensity overtraining...many don't mention that fact.

Slowing down is sooooo humbling! There was a cute article on bikeradar.com where the writer was a hard-core cyclist w/ no aerobic base...and the patience he gained by slowing down:

"The problem with HR training is that it requires discipline. The bigger problem is that it demands even more humility. Last September, when I embarked on what I’d decided would be my ?nal attempt to use an HR monitor properly, I was only a few weeks into my programme when I very nearly threw the towel in. I was doing a four-hour base-building session and trying to keep my HR between 121-131bpm when I heard whistling behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see a bloke on an ancient Dawes touring bike complete with tatty old panniers coming past. Then I noticed the sandals…

I might only cycle indoors, but I feel his angst! But it's all for the Greater Good!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Indeed. To my mind, life is meant to be lived beyond punishing oneself through a workout. I worked physically demanding jobs for many years, and I have to say it was fulfilling to bring the two sides together - function(necessity) and form.

Then I ruined it by becoming a group "fitness" instructor, as well. Too much. And I never even got close to the "young" Demi Moore.