Fitness Training Zone

If you are a veteran and have been exercising for a number of years, you should be exercising in your training zone. If you are just beginning a fitness training program, your training zone is something you want to reach for.

Since the body's first choice for energy is carbohydrates, burning fat takes a back seat. Reaching your training zone forces your body to burn fat for energy.

To calculate your training zone, follow the steps below:

1) Take the number 220, and subtract your age, then subtract your resting heart rate

2) Multiply that by (.5) and then add your resting heart rate back in. This gives you the low end of your training zone

3) Do the same calculation again, but use (.65) rather than (.5) to calculate the high end

Your final training zone may look something like 130-150 beats per minute, just for an example. Your job is to try to keep your exercising pulse in this zone for the duration of your cardio workout. Remember to warm up in the beginning and cool down at the end for three to five minutes. I was conservative when calculating your training zone, so after you achieve your desired weight, change the above numbers to (.6) for the low end and (.75) for the high.

Remember, cardiovascular conditioning is just one part of the whole fitness equation. Resistance training and healthy, supportive eating make up the other parts. Then throw in the all-important variables like consistency, proper rest, and supplementation to balance everything out!