When I teach spin, I often get asked "how do I know if I am working hard enough?" I often reply, "Are you sweating? breathing harder? feeling your muscles?"
Actually, there are different scales to judge exertion level while engaging in physical activity. Scales from 1-10 are common, but I think this is too much to juggle mentally. Hmmmm....am I am a 7 or an 8...perhaps I just went down to a 6.
I use 4 levels of exertion/intensity for my students. I like the whole "keep it simple" idea. There isn't a whole lot of wiggle room, so it's pretty clear what you should be feeling physically.
Level 1: This is any level/type of activity that you can continue to do for an extended period of time, without breaking much a sweat, or feeling any sense of breathlessness, tiredness, or a need for recovery. Basically, you're not working too hard.
Level 2: This is what I call the warm up level. This is an intensity that you feel like you could (or feasibly could) maintain for 20-30 minutes and just start feeling warm, and getting those little beads of sweat on the top of your lip or forehead. It's when you feel the blood starting to pump and your muscles become more limber and warm. It is always recommended to engage in about 5-10 minutes of warm-up prior to any increased levels of exertion. I am a big fan of either a brief cardio warm-up or range of motion movements (i.e., doing trunk rotations or body weight squats prior to a workout that will use similar muscles). The idea of static stretching to warm-up is officially out of fashion.
Level 3: This is where the magic happens. I describe this as a level of exertion that can only be maintained for 5-8 minutes maximum, before needing a brief, active recovery. At this level, you find yourself sweating, breathing hard, perhaps with your mouth open, and if you try to talk, it is difficult, at best. This is where you push yourself right to the edge of going "anaerobic" or the fine line before your muscles work without oxygen. This is a great zone to work in to develop both endurance and strength.
Level 4: This is the top level and reserved for dipping into that anaerobic zone I just mentioned. When you are in this level of exertion, you will be breathing hard, mouth open, and quite honestly, not able to talk. It is an effort you can maintain for 3 minutes maximum before dying for a recovery. Training in this zone is also important, especially to help kick yourself into a higher level of fitness.
Overall, this is a short post, but an important one to help you evaluate your efforts. Where are you currently "working"? What can you do to more accurately match the descriptions of these levels? Let these descriptions be your guide to find your "happy" place (or....your not so happy place, but one that makes you work harder).
Quality intensity produces increased performance leading to better results.
Later this week, I'll share my scream and shout playlist, which is definitely fuel for that level 3!
Anna Marie
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