Types of Cardiovascular Training

Once you know the mode of cardiovascular exercise a client prefers and you understand the intensity, duration, and frequency to exercise at, it is time to choose the training method. There are five training methods you can use to help clients increase cardiovascular fitness: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Continuous training interval training fartlek training circuit training aerobic composite training

1. Continuous Training: This is a conditioning stage involving cardiovascular exercises such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, step aerobics, aerobic dancing or in-line skating. During continuous training your intensity level should be between 5085% of HRR depending on cardiovascular fitness level when starting the program. There are two types of continuous training to be concerned with: intermediate slow distance and long slow distance. Intermediate slow distance - this is the most common kind of continuous training for fitness improvement and should be used by people with cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. People wishing to reduce body fat also respond well to this type of training. Intermediate slow distance training generally means training at a range of time of between 20-60 minutes. Beginners should start at about 12-15 minutes and add approximately 2 minutes per week, gradually progressing to a time of at least 20 minutes. Slow progression is the key when adding distance and time. Long slow distance (LSD) - this kind of continuous training should be preceded by at least 6 months of intermediate slow distance training as prescribed above. This type of training is usually reserved for endurance sports such as long distance running (marathons), long distance cycling, and triathlons. This type of training should include adequate recovery time between sessions to help the body recuperate properly. The longer duration of this type of training may increase the risk of injury such as knee problems, Achilles problems, and tendinitis. 2. Interval Training Interval training can be a useful training method for all wishing to improve conditioning and performance levels. Beginners can benefit from this type of training when starting a cardiovascular program; and those with higher fitness levels can use this method to improve endurance levels. Interval training consists of mixing more intense activity with less intense activity of the same or similar exercise. An example would be jogging for a short period of time (work interval) followed immediately by brisk walking (recovery interval) and repeating these intervals to complete a cardiovascular workout. Interval sessions should use the same time principal as FIT or 15-60 minutes in length.

There are two types of interval training: aerobic Interval training and anaerobic interval training. Aerobic Interval Training - this is most suited for people with a low or poor aerobic fitness capacity. It uses bouts of exercise between 2 and 15 minutes in length (2-3 minutes is recommended for beginners), repeated between 5 to 10 times. The intensity level should be between 50- 85% of HRR, with beginners staying within 50-70% range. The recovery interval should be completed in the same time as the work interval. An example of aerobic intervals for a beginner would include a brisk walk at 60-70% HRR for 3 minutes followed by a slow walk at 50% HRR for 3 minutes (total of 6 minutes). A beginner should aim for 5 repeats for a total conditioning time of 30 minutes. A more advanced person could do 3 minutes of hard stationary cycling at a workload of 70-80% with 3 minutes at a comfortable pace. Higher intensity and durations should be reserved for those in a higher cardiovascular functional capacity and for those seeking to increase endurance and speed. Anaerobic Interval Training - this type of training is for people with a high level of fitness who want greater speed and aerobic power. It results in more muscle discomfort from hydrogen ions building up in the muscles, and post-exercise, may result in soreness as a result of the high intensity workout stressing the musculature. The potential for injury is also higher due to the intensity levels used. Not for beginners, this type of training is usually 30 seconds to 4 minutes in length and is performed at 85% plus of HRR. An example: sprinting for 30 seconds followed by walking for 1 minutes (1:3 work:recovery ratio). The longer the work intervals (up towards 4 minutes) the shorter the rest time. For example, a high intensity interval of one minute would be followed by a two minute rest interval (1:2 work:recovery ratio). 3. Fartlek Training Fartlek is a Scandinavian term which more or less means speed play. This type of training is similar to interval training except the work and rest intervals are not measured to any degree. It can be performed by a person at any level of cardiovascular fitness ability, with the interval choice based on how a person feels during a session. A useful example would be a runner who warms up by running for 5-10 minutes then significantly varies the pace every 5-10 minutes of so. Fartlek training allows you to manipulate the intensity level and duration of the intervals and is good for variety. 4. Circuit Training This type of training takes a person through a series of exercise stations (usually between 5 and10), with minimal rest between stations. The stations may include weight or resistance equipment or body weight exercises such as push-ups. This type of training usually involves all the major muscle groups and helps to develop cardiovascular and muscular endurance levels. The key to this type of training is to keep moving through the stations with little rest in between. A 15 second rest is appropriate, although beginners may want to rest

at 20-25 seconds. A beginner should remember not to overdo it too quickly and monitor intensity regularly. It is important as with all the training methods to include a thorough warm-up of 5-10 minutes, warming up all the muscle groups. 5. Aerobic Composite Training Aerobic composite training is a cross training session all rolled up into one session and is for more advanced cardiovascular capabilities. Aerobic composite can help prevent boredom in training, for example: a 45 minute workout of 15 minutes jogging to the pool followed by 15 minutes of swimming followed again by 15 minutes of jogging. As you exercise, ATP is consumed. That's one of the chief reasons you have to eat - in order to replenish the building blocks that can produce more ATP. Once you have more ATP, you have the basic molecule needed to engage in exercise and your fitness journey can continue. Last modified: Thursday, 14 July 2011, 12:59 PM