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CONDITIONING
GUIDELINES
The following guidelines will help you to plan your
exemise program. Remember that proper nutrition and
adequate rest are essential for successful results.
EXERCISE INTENSITY
Whether your goal is to burn fat or strengthen your
cardiovascular system, the key to achieving the
desired results is to exercise with the proper intensity.
The proper intensity level can be found by using your
heart rate as a guide. The chart below shows recom-
mended heart rates for fat burning, maximum fat bum-
ing, and cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise.
BPM
HEART RATE TRAINING
ZONES
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To find the proper hi_adrate for you, first.find your age
near the bottom of the chart (ages are rounded off to
the nearest ten years). Next, look above your age and
find the three numbers in light gray boxes. The three
numbers are your "training zone." The lowest number
is the recommended heart rate for fat bumlng; the
middle number is the recommended heart rate for
maximum fat burning; the highest number is the rec-
ommended heart rate for aerobic exercise.
Fat Burning
To bum fat effectively, you must exercise at a relative-
ly low intensity level for a sustained period of time.
During the first few minutes of exercise, your body
uses easily accessible carbohydrate calodes for ener-
gy. Only after the first few minutes of exercise does
your body begin to use stored fatcalodes for energy.. If
your goal is to burn fat, adjust your pace until your
heart rate is near the lowest number in your training
zone e_ y:'." '_::erclse.It may also be helpful to set the
dials on the resistance cylinders at level 1, 2, 3, or 4.
For maximum fat burning, adjust your pace until your
heart rate is near the middle number in your training
zone as you exercise.
Aerobic Exercise
If your goal is to strengthen your cardiovascular
sys-
tem, your exercise must be =aerobic." Aerobic exercise
is activity that requires large amounts of oxygen for
prolonged periods of time. This increases the demand
on the heart to pump blood to the muscles, and on the
lungs to oxygenate the blood. For aerobic exercise,
adjust your pace until your heart rate is near the high-
est number in your training zone. It may also be help-
ful to set the dials on the resistance cylinders at level
5, 6,7, or 8.
Strength Training
To strengthen and tone your muscles, you must exer-
cise your muscles at a moderate to high peCcentage of
their capacity. Set the dials on the resistance cylinders
at level 9, 10, 11, or 12.
HOW TO MEASURE YOUR HEART RATE
To measure your heart rate, first exemise for at least
four minutes.
Then, stop
exercising and
place two fin-
gers on your
wdst as
shown. Take a
six-second
heartbeat
count, and
multiply the
result by 10 to
find your heart
rate. For example, if your six-sesond heartbeat count
is 14, your heart rate is 140 beats per minute. (A six-
secorfd count is used because your heart rate will
drop rapidly when you stop exercising.)
Adjust the intensity of your exemise until your heart
rate is at the desired level. You can adjust the intensity
of your exercise by adjusting the resistance or by
changing your pace.
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