August 1, 2021: Optimal Training Load
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When figuring out how hard to work out, there’s some conflicting advice out there. What you need will depend on your age, ability, wants, and goals. This week, we’re going to talk about using your optimal training load to help you get to your fitness goals.
Training load is the cumulative amount of exercise you're doing, usually measured over a week, and it can be measured by two things – duration and intensity. In fact, training load is defined as Intensity x Duration, where the harder and/or longer you workout, the higher your training load. You can also think of this as intensity. For example, you know that a 1-hour bootcamp class is more intense than 30 minutes of walking.
So, what should your training load be? That depends. A cardio kickboxing class is going to be a lot harder for a 30-something office worker who just started at the gym than it would be for an 18-year-old collegiate athlete. You’ll want to be honest with yourself about your fitness level and capabilities when finding a workout intensity that is challenging but not going to lead to injury (aka too much load).
In general, aim for these training loads depending on your goal:
Building your fitness level - start with a low load working gradually up to a high load as you find your workouts get easier
Maintaining your fitness level - alternate low, medium, and high loads
Losing weight - consistency in your workouts is most important because you’re using them to burn calories and create a calorie deficit along with your diet; choose a low-to-medium training load to build your good habits
Next Sunday, we’ll talk about a few telltale signs that you are not recovering efficiently after workouts and what to do about it.
Want some expert help with reaching your health goals painlessly? Check out my programs! We’ll get everything taken care of in a way that fits into your current lifestyle so you never have to think about your health again.
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I hope you have a wonderful week,
Kelly
Kelly Morgan, Ph.D.
Tsirona - www.tsirona.com
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