Good morning
Springing forward is the best. On the 15th of March!
The past week was a challenge of my willpower for sure. The early part of the week my knee was in considerable pain and even up until a scheduled partner workout on Wednesday I was in doubt about my capability. I was mentally beaten up a little, as I really wanted to start March off strong and the picture did not look promising. The fact the pain was not in my hip but on the same side knee, had me thinking compensation and iliotibial band syndrome (ITB). Foam rolling is typically the solution, but my knee did not immediately respond this time. Frustrating start to my week!
Wednesday afternoon
Wednesday morning Doug text me and let me know he was free to workout at 4 pm, so I had to make a decision. Right up till Doug walked in, I was on the fence as to my capability. I do not think it would have broken Doug’s heart had I canceled, but I felt a sense of responsibility to him, and decided to give it a go! I cannot say I felt 100 percent strong, but I worked through our workout and was pleased with how I felt.
Friday
All week I had been working on a true high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout for a client and I decided it would be a good idea for Doug and me to do it first. Lots of jumping rope, spinning, running and all mixed in with some strength stuff. From the warmup to the post-exercise stretching it would take all of 34 minutes.
So, here’s the problem with a technically correct HIIT workout. To accomplish the High Intensity part of HIIT you must be 85 percent or higher of your maximum heart rate during the intervals. Most people would gage their heart rate to be higher than it actually is, as it is quite a challenge to get to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Fortunately, with having MyZone we can view our heart rate zone on our big screen TV and there is no over-estimating the actual numbers. While my brain and body felt like I was at 85 percent, my true heart rate showed I had to increase my effort to get there! Even my workout partner had to pick it up a bit to make this a true HIIT workout.
As designed, the workout intensity increased and the goal of 85 percent became inevitable, but with that effort, came increased lactate acid build up and oxygen/carbon dioxide battles (carbon dioxide wants out and we badly want oxygen in). For a de-conditioned individual, getting to yellow (80 percent of their max heart rate), will come quickly, but for someone who is well conditioned, it takes considerable effort to get to yellow. Apparently, my conditioning is good enough that I do not have a lot of experience in yellow. When I got to yellow Friday afternoon and stayed there, I could feel my lactate acid not burning off quickly enough, thus creating the feeling I was going to puke! I got through the workout without puking, but it kicked my ass!
Science has shown High Intensity Interval Training to be a highly effective component of training, with numerous benefits. However, the level of “intensity” is critical in-order for a workout to be a true HIIT. Otherwise, it is just a short workout without the desired benefits we think we are getting. Thirty-four minutes sounds easy enough, but it truly takes a lot of effort to make it a HIIT workout.
Finishing Strong
Yesterday I finished off my week with a walk run (2-minutes walking/1-minute running) workout of 42 minutes. My knee was much better, and it felt good to run. With some TRX push-ups after, I totaled 170 MyZone Effort Points (MEPs) and my grand total for the week was 389 MEPs! Considering how the week began, I was thrilled to finish the way I did.
One of the little details I mentioned is really a big detail, as far as getting my workouts done. Having a partner that texts me about scheduling our workout really makes a difference. Had Doug not text me Wednesday morning, I may have given my knee another day off. Instead, I foam rolled more and decided to give it a go. Doug is a great workout partner and I believe we help each other get there when the motivation is lacking. Whether it be strength training or running, Doug and I have pulled each other along numerous times. I am grateful I have had great workout/running partners over the years, as I know I am who I am today because of them.
The concept of a workout partner is so valuable, we (NFLF) are working on programing specifically for those who want to bring a partner and train. Besides being more cost effective, having a partner creates accountability, motivation and a lot of fun! Whether it be a friend or spouse, find someone and come pay us a visit. We will discuss your goals, design the right plan and even let you have your first session free. From there you can workout at home or arrange sessions with NFLF. Really, really great way to train.
Wow! Long chat that started out before church and ended after! Hope you hung in with me!
Have a great week and enjoy the additional daylight!
God Bless
Mike
Faith over Fear
