American Council on Exercise (ACE) Fitness Resources

Eh, guess those are better than nothing, but that's a lot of emphasis on static contraction and limited ROM and there's no dynamic effort against significant resistance.



I prefer to work my abdominals and other "core" muscles pretty much the way I work everything else...full ROM, considerable resistance, time-under-load/reps/sets in accordance with specifically what I'm trying to achieve.



Plus, I find that lower back health also calls for specific exercises for the spinal erectors as well as abdominal work.



Eh, I bet I'm coming across as all :nono pendantic, but effective and efficient exercise is something I take rather seriously (a lot moreso than, say....detailing ;) ).
 
• Use Nordic walking poles.

• Try a group fitness class like cycling, water exercise, or Zumba®.

• Cross–train by swapping a new activity for 1–2 of your regular weekly workouts.

• Train with a running, bicycling, or masters swimming club.

• Get some “green� exercise — go for a day hike or learn to kayak.

• Enjoy some retro recess fun with kickball, jump rope, or freeze tag.

• Go skating — inline, roller, or ice.

• Train for a multi-sport even like triathlon, biathlon, or decathlon.

• Play an active video game for fun and variety.



Train with a fitness podcast or Smartphone app. by Beth Shepard, M.S., ACE-CPT, ACSM-RCEP, Wellcoaches Certified Wellness Coach

Whether you've hit your fitness groove or are just getting started, make sure you're doing it right with these quick tips:



1. Don't Overdo It



As You Start Your Program If you haven't been active lately, start from square one — even if you were a high school athlete. Jumping into vigorous exercise without gradually building up to it puts you at risk for serious injury — and even death.



Do Increase Exercise Level Gradually



If it's been a while since you busted a move, talk to your doctor first. At the very least, complete the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), an easy way to determine your physical readiness for exercise.



To get started, go easy. Start with what you can do and steadily increase time, frequency, and intensity, in that order, increasing total weekly time by no more than 10% per week. As your fitness level improves, aim for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Be patient —regular exercise pays off, but too much too soon can backfire quickly.



2 Don't go from 0 to 60 in 5 Seconds (Unless you’re driving a car)



Going straight to the cardio portion of your workout without a warm-up is a bad idea. To successfully meet the demands of cardiovascular training, your body needs a heads-up.



Do Perform a Warm-Up before Your Workout



For most people, 5-10 minutes of low-to-moderate intensity cardio activity is enough. The warm-up helps you transition from rest to movement, gradually increasing body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure to support the physiologic challenge of the vigorous workout ahead. A proper warm-up also helps reduce post-exercise muscle stiffness and improves exercise performance.



3. Don't Get Hung Up on Heart Rate



It’s just a number. Target heart rate training is a great way to boost your level of fitness, but it’s not the perfect method for everyone. If you can’t seem to get your heart rate into the right intensity “zone,� don’t fret



Do Pace Yourself Based on How You Feel



If you can talk comfortably — or slightly uncomfortably — you're exercising at the right intensity. If you can't talk comfortably at all, slow down — regardless of heart rate.



Target training zone charts offer a ballpark range at best. Target zone is influenced by fitness level, health status, certain medications, and genetic limitations. For best results, ask a certified fitness professional to help you calculate your target training zone.



4. Don't Stop immediately After a Vigorous Workout



Personal trainers see it all the time — someone going at full speed on a stair climber, and stopping suddenly to stand still. A sudden stop causes blood to pool in the feet and legs, reducing blood flow to the heart and other organs. As a result, you could get dizzy and fall — or experience a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia.



Do Cool Down Gradually



Keep your feet moving! Performing 5-10 minutes of low-to-moderate intensity activity after moderate-to-vigorous exercise keeps blood from pooling, flushes metabolic waste from the muscles, and gradually returns circulation to pre-exercise levels.



5. Don't Be a Weekend Warrior (Unless it relates to detailing)



Waiting until Saturday to break a sweat won't help you reach your fitness goals — and could turn out to be the last thing you do. Sudden cardiac death with exercise is relatively rare at 1 case per 36.5 million hours of exercise. But studies suggest that infrequent exercise may increase momentary risk of exercise-related sudden cardiac death.



Do Exercise Regularly Throughout the Week



Make physical activity part of your everyday life — whether it's walking on your lunch break or bicycling after dinner with your family. Regular exercise makes a difference, according to a study of nearly 70,000 women over 18 years. Compared to inactive subjects, those who exercised two hours a week had reduced risk, and those who exercised four or more hours a week had a 59% decreased risk of sudden cardiac death.



Your Questions Answered- Fitness Myths Debunked (ACE) - Your]ACE Fit | Ask An ACE Expert | Your Questions Answered- Fitness Myths Debunked Questions Answered- Fitness Myths Debunked



Base your workouts on the following big compound exercises



1. Bench Press (Chest)

2. Bent over Rows (Back)

3. Arnold Press (Shoulders)

4. Squats (Legs)

5. Dead lifts (Back, Legs)

6. Dips (Triceps, Chest)

7. Bicep Curls - biceps should be pre-exhausted from all the exercises above.



On a different days do, squats, leg lifts and crunches and cardio on separate day.
 
TOGWT said:
...On a different days do, squats, leg lifts and crunches and cardio on separate day.
Click to expand...



Update on that bit of conventional wisdom (which *does* seem intuitively obvious at first blush):



Studies done at the Karolisnka Institute in Sweden (see the March '12 Medicine & Science in Sports & Science) and at McMaster U. in Canada (see 5 April issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology) both refuted the idea that doing both resistance and cardio on the same day can compromise results in either category.



So it turns out there's no need to separate "Leg Day" and cardio, and I've been doing both on the same day (HIIT cardio in the morning, resistance work for legs, and then abs, later in the day) for decades with great results. When I did try separating them, it did *NOT* improve upon my results in either category, which really surprised me since I work my legs awfully hard during my cardio session (which goes way anaerobic).



Regarding the crunches/etc., I find that my Cardio + Leg day is also the best time for *me* to do my ab work. Actually, I do abs (and usually my grip work too) most every day that I do cardio (but I do the cardio first). It seems that all the work I do before abs is the perfect "primer"/warmup for my abdominal exercises.



YMMV and all that, but I found it interesting that the study confirmed what I'd determined through trial-and-error, works best for me.
 
Studies done at the Karolisnka Institute in Sweden (see the March '12 Medicine & Science in Sports & Science) and at McMaster U. in Canada (see 5 April issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology) both refuted the idea that doing both resistance and cardio on the same day can compromise results in either category.



The idea behind separate days for different types of training is based the idea of concentrating on differing exercises and ‘rest’ days. Plus it provides variety as opposed to ‘all out exercise.



As with all things in life, "do whatever works best for you and helps you to reach yourexercise goals"
 
TOGWT said:
The idea behind separate days for different types of training is based the idea of concentrating on differing exercises and ‘rest’ days...
Click to expand...



That's part of why I do it that way; it takes a few days for my legs to recover from the weight work (enough to do cardio) and this way I have minimal "down time" between cardio sessions. *For me* that works out best.



Heh heh, guess I just don't want people to have an excuse to slack off if it's not what they really need to do..."oh, I can't do [whatever] today because..."; try it, see how it works for you.





Plus it provides variety as opposed to ‘all out exercise...
Click to expand...



All in favor of variety and periodization :xyxthumbs



Another related, worthy topic- Active Rest on "off days".



As with all things in life, "do whatever works best for you and helps you to reach yourexercise goals"
Click to expand...



Absolutely :xyxthumbs And I consider this expecially important with regard to exercise regimens. I do, however, sometimes queston whether what most people really do what works best for them and/or whether they genuinely, conistently, reach their exercise goals. I often wonder if people really *have* clearly defined goals :think:



Hey, even though I'm undoubtedly coming across all :argue I'm *VERY* glad to once again see threads related to exercise and fitness. This is seriously important stuff.
 
[Hey, even though I'm undoubtedly coming across all I'm *VERY* glad to once again see threads related to exercise and fitness. This is seriously important stuff]



No argument perceived; constructive criticism and comments are always welcome as it helps us all improve
 
TOGWT- OK, thanks, glad to hear that.



In this field, the "conventional wisdom" (scare-quotes kinda intentional) can still change. You'd think that everybody would have things all figured out by now, but it doesn't seem to be so.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top