Training benchmark

Let me tell what I think about intensity & training.

I've been involved in sports for more than half of my 35 years living on this earth. I've been involved in competitive sports, up until the highest regional level, & now I consider myself a fitness enthusiast & I still play some games just for fun although the bulk of my activity consist of running & weights. I've always been interested in sports science & have always applied sports science in whatever sports I'm playing.

There's no right or wrong methods when it comes to training. But there are some fitness myths & urban legends I'd say, some which are totally incorrect. Some methods work for some ppl, it might not work for some ppl. Some believe in high intensity training, some dun. There are millions of studies dome by reputable institutions. But those studies sometimes are done with specific samples, & most of them are done by countries like Australia, USA, European countries which are already far ahead of us in terms of sports science. & the results for those studies normally are never concrete or set in stone, they are merely suggestions. If U read these studies U'll notice the word "suggest" & its derivatives used extensively.

Back in the early 90s the belief is that to burn more fat U have to exercise at 60% of Ur max heart rate. Then when there were more improvements in the technology, we discovered that max heart rate is not a correct benchmark to be used in training or exercising, they came out with AT or anaerobic threshold, the point where human body is in the state of oxygen-debt. Then some scientists suggest that LT or Lactate Threshold is a better benchmark. LT is the point where our muscles began to produce lactic acid. This benchmark was used by the 1996 US Olympic team in their training. so which one is correct ?

I believe that if U want quick results & if Ur an athlete, high intensity is the way to go. But I shud warn that high intensity is not for everybody, merely becoz of the punishment it gives to Ur body. & it might be very demotivating for some ppl. So for these ppl, it's perfectly okay to go slow, at 60% of Ur max heart rate. This will work for working ppl, ppl who just wanna do something to burn excess energy or fat. But the trade off is the effect might be so slow that by the time U notice it, U've began to counter the effects by eating, etc.

Perhaps the best way is to mix it up. If U study most training programs for most athletes, there are the so-called hard days, in which U really push Urself at the highest intensity. These are the days that is most effective in Ur training, Ur training under race conditions. Then there are tempo days, in which U train at a high intensity but not high enuff to match race/competition conditions. Then there are easy days, in which U go really, really easy. I believe this is the best way to maximize fat-burning & to increase endurance & lose some weight.

Livestrong.