Energy Systems Development is also known as Conditioning, Cardio or Aerobic
activity. It focuses on increasing the amount of work your body is capable of doing and on improving your recovery time.
You will burn more calories, lose or maintain body fat, and improve your heart health. What's more, research shows that
regular physical activity helps lower your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes and many types of cancer, so you'll be protecting
your health while you improve your physique.
Are you ready to push your cardio to the edge?
Benefits:
- Injury Prevention: when you’re fatigued, there’s an increased
chance you’ll get hurt
- Improved Cardiovascular Health: heart, lungs, & circulation
The 3 ESD Systems:
To benefit most from cardio workouts, you need to move out of your comfort
zone and train at various intensities.
1. Aerobic system = Steady State Training:
Long and slow activity.
Examples: walking, biking, and swimming
2. Lactate system = Interval Training:
Shorter and faster activity.
Examples: brisk walking, walk-jog
3. Anaerobic system = High Gear Training:
Very short, super-fast activity.
Examples: short burst sprinting, rapid stair climbing
The Heart Rate Zones:
The 3 systems correspond to different heart rate zones.
Your heart rate Base Number = 220 - your age.
Zone 1: RPE Levels 3-5
Heart Rate = 60-70% x base number
You should be able to carry on a conversation while exercising.
Zone 2: RPE Levels 5-7
Heart Rate = 70-80% x base number
You can say a few words, but not hold a long conversation.
Zone 3: RPE Levels 7-8
Heart Rate = 80-90% x base number
You won’t want to be talking to anybody.
Sarah’s (obviously modified) Perceived Exertion Scale:
Level 1: I'm watching TV and eating bon bons
Level 2: I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day long
Level 3: I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harder
Level 4: I'm sweating a little, but feel good and can carry on a conversation
effortlessly
Level 5: I'm just above comfortable, am sweating more and can still talk easily
Level 6: I can still talk, but am slightly breathless
Level 7: I can still talk, but I don't really want to. I'm sweating like a
pig
Level 8: I can grunt in response to your questions & can only keep
this pace for a short time period.
Level 9: I am probably going to die.
Level 10: I am dead.
THE PLAN
Choose any cardio activity and do 3-5 workouts a week.
Include 1 or 2 days of Steady State Training, 1 or 2 days of Interval Training,
and 1 day of High Gear Training. If you use cardio machines, set the machine to manual and change speed, incline or
resistance to vary your intensity throughout the week.
Warm-up
Begin each workout with a 5-minute warm-up at a Rate of Perceived Exertion
(RPE) of 3.
Cool-down
Finish each workout with a 5-minute cool-down at RPE 3. Follow with stretches
for the lower body.
1. Steady State Training:
Zone 1
Strategy
You'll maintain a steady, moderate pace for the entire workout, with only
small variations in intensity.Body benefit
Working out for 30-60 minutes at a steady, moderate pace helps you lay the
groundwork of cardiovascular fitness. Getting a good cardio base, and building on what you already have, creates a foundation
from which you're able to do more intense workouts. Plus, you'll be able to sustain this workout longer, thus burning
more calories.
Sarah’s Suggestions
Instead of staying at an RPE of 4 or 5 throughout the workout, move between
a 4 and 6 within the 30-60 minutes. For example, work at RPE 4 for 5 minutes, RPE 5 for 5 minutes, RPE 6 for 5 minutes,
and then repeat the sequence 2-3 times. Be more aggressive, but not so aggressive that you can't maintain the pace.
Time
RPE
5 min. 3
30-40 min. 4-5
5 min. 3
Total time 40-60 min.
2. Interval Training:
Zones 2 and 1
Strategy
You'll vary the intensity of your workout by alternating between moderate-
and high-intensity intervals, and taking time to recover between them.
Body benefit
This type of moderate interval training will teach your cardiovascular system
to tolerate higher exercise intensities and increase your fitness level. The higher-intensity intervals take you beyond
your comfort level, raising your heart rate without overexertion. Research shows that interval training burns more calories
than steady-state cardio when sessions are equal in length, so you'll get maximum benefits in minimal time.
Sarah’s Suggestions
To push yourself harder, take on a hill or up your speed during high-intensity
intervals, but don't increase the lengths of the intervals. Interval training is about balancing effort and recovery.
More of either one isn't better. Be sure to recover fully to ensure that your last interval will be just as intense as your
first.
Time RPE
5 min. 3
5 min. 4
3 min. 7
5 min. 4
3 min. 7
4 min. 4
2 min. 7
4 min. 4
2 min. 7
5 min. 3
Total time 38 min.
3. High Gear Training:
Zones 3 and 1
Strategy
With high-intensity interval training, you'll push your intensity level to
the point that you can only sustain it for up to a minute at a time. Then you'll recover and repeat. Intervals are tough,
so the workout is short.
Body benefit
High-intensity intervals train your heart and muscles to work more efficiently,
so that in the future you'll be able to exercise longer at higher intensities. That means the calorie burn is going
to be greater during the time you're working, which helps with weight loss and maintenance. If you play sports or race
competitively, this type of training will improve your performance in situations where you need to move as fast as you can
in short bursts of time--like sprinting the last couple hundred feet of a 10k. This plan gives you that extra athletic-performance
edge.
Sarah’s Suggestions
Working at an RPE of 8 should be very challenging. If you can sustain
that intensity for more than 1 minute, you're probably not there; increase the intensity. If this workout feels too tough,
shorten the intervals; just make sure you maintain a 1-3 ratio of high-intensity intervals to recovery.
Time RPE
5 min. 3
1 min. 8
3 min. 3-4
1 min. 8
3 min. 3-4
1 min. 8
3 min. 3-4
30 sec. 8
90 sec. 3-4
30 sec. 8
90 sec. 3-4
30 sec. 8
90 sec. 3-4
5 min. 2-3
Total time 28 min.
Find your edge
Whether you're just starting out or have been working out regularly for years,
here's how to customize your workouts and learn how to manipulate the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for a continued challenge.Be
aggressive
You probably already spend a lot of time working at a moderate level. Step
up, be challenged and work outside of your comfort zone. That's how to take your program to the next level. Spend some
time working at a few different intensities to learn what an RPE of 6, as opposed to an RPE of 2, feels like to you.
Work within ranges
If you're doing an interval at an RPE range of 4-5, for example, and your
4 is a 12-minute mile, pick up the pace a bit and aim for your 5. Running a 10-minute mile might not feel significantly
harder, but in 10 minutes it burns an additional 25 calories, which during the course of a 40-minute workout is an extra 100
calories.
Progress is progression
As you become more fit, you'll need to step up the intensity to achieve the
same level of effort. Maybe a 10-minute mile was an RPE of 7 but becomes a 4. Since your body adapts to workouts,
reevaluate your personal RPE scale periodically--you may need to increase your speed or resistance to ensure that you're working
at the recommended RPE.
