I know most of the principles for breaking thru weight lifting plateau's, using pyramids, varying reps, working positive's and negatives, amount of weight, etc. However, I'm not really sure I know how to keep my cardio diverse enough so that I continually burn the maximum amount of calories and keep myself challenged. It seems like since I started doing Cathe's cardio, I'm working out at pretty much the same intensity every session...except for the occasional lower intensity kickbox tape. I have all of the newer series (Pure Strength on). I don't have some of the older tapes that are more steady-state aerobics. Anyway, I know about varying time of your sessions and doing interval type of cardios and I know you're supposed to vary your intensity. However, I wear a heart rate monitor when I work out and it seems like my heart rate is always at around the same level during Cathe DVDs ....anywhere from 130-155. I'm only concerned about this cuz I know I read that your body gets used to cardio very quickly. I also know to crosstrain...which I do. I do step one day, Imax one day, Elipitical one day, Kickbox....etc. It just seems like my body is even use to this routine. How do you "shake it up" further?
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How To BreakThru Cardio Plateau's
- Thread starter lorajc
- Start date
Hi lorajc,
First off Aerobic plateaus are much different then strength training, keeping at 130 - 155 may be the right range for you, since I have no idea how old you are or what type of shape your in. I'll give you this info. To burn the max calories you need to stay somewhere between 65% to 85% of your max heart rate. If 130 - 150 is it for you. Your doing a great job, and congrats.
An aerobic plateau is when you reach your 85% max heart rate and can only stay there for 2 minutes before having to slow back down. Then you use intervals to break that plateau and stay at 85% for five minutes, and continue improving your cadio. Which increases your aerobic threshold as well as works your body anaerobically.
For cardio not to be effective is when you do it, your heart rate stays below 65% for half the workout or better. This isn't effective as your not getting the heart rate up enough to turn on the metabolism, or the full chamber push of the heart, the benefit is very low. And this can happen the move you improve your cardio the easier the workouts become and the better endurance you have, so you just don't work as hard doing the same workout you did 6 months ago.
Hope that helps,
Kit
First off Aerobic plateaus are much different then strength training, keeping at 130 - 155 may be the right range for you, since I have no idea how old you are or what type of shape your in. I'll give you this info. To burn the max calories you need to stay somewhere between 65% to 85% of your max heart rate. If 130 - 150 is it for you. Your doing a great job, and congrats.
An aerobic plateau is when you reach your 85% max heart rate and can only stay there for 2 minutes before having to slow back down. Then you use intervals to break that plateau and stay at 85% for five minutes, and continue improving your cadio. Which increases your aerobic threshold as well as works your body anaerobically.
For cardio not to be effective is when you do it, your heart rate stays below 65% for half the workout or better. This isn't effective as your not getting the heart rate up enough to turn on the metabolism, or the full chamber push of the heart, the benefit is very low. And this can happen the move you improve your cardio the easier the workouts become and the better endurance you have, so you just don't work as hard doing the same workout you did 6 months ago.
Hope that helps,
Kit