What's the point of blasts?
- Thread starter mklap
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gogigi
Cathlete
It gets your heart rate up a little bit higher than brings it back down to a more manageable level so you can workout longer. I enjoy them. Some blasts are easier than others and the blasts in Cathe's other workouts aren't like the blasts in the Imax workouts. I think it's a nice way to do interval training without going all out in every cardio workout. Of course, this could have nothing to do with why Cathe chooses to use them in her workouts!
Angela:7
Angela:7
SirenSongWoman
Cathlete
I did not know that but it makes sense now. Thanks.
gogigi
Cathlete
I've seen that post on the other forum and I tried to respond, but I think I was misunderstood. I sometimes, just don't do well with communicating through writing alone. I would think that theory on interval training was for true interval training. I'm thinking Imax type intervals where your heart rate really shoots up there. The blasts or intervals included in many other workouts (Cathe's and especially other instructors) to me aren't what I would call a true interval workout in that my heart rate doesn't get up as high, stay up as high, nor do I work as hard as I do in an Imax workout. So I would think, if your body can handle it, you could actually do interval workouts more than once a week. To me what matters is listening to your body and knowing what you can handle. There may be a week I actually do all out interval training twice than the next week I focus on kickbox cardio or whatever. Also, there are some CIA cardio workouts that include blasts and I love them but they are nothing close to an Imax blast and I do them on days I'm not up to an Imax or a Cathe cardio workout. They are great cardio workouts and more steady state with some higher heart rate elevation for the short blast sections but not what I would consider all out interval training. Another set, Barry's Boot Camp, has been given some flack for being too high impact but it's only 20 minutes or less a day and it's as close to HITT cardio as I've ever been at home without a treadmill so yes, that to me is some tough cardio and people say you shouldn't do it every day, but I can and do when I'm using that set in a rotation (an hour a day I couldn't handle, nor would I think it would be good for me, but 20 min. or less a day is fine by me). Of course, I'm NO expert, but those are my thoughts and it just makes sense to me.
In the future, I hope Cathe does a Rhythmic Step 2 with rocking music and dancy moves for a nice, long steady state cardio type workout.
Angela:7
In the future, I hope Cathe does a Rhythmic Step 2 with rocking music and dancy moves for a nice, long steady state cardio type workout.
Angela:7
Aquajock
Cathlete
I agree with Angela / Gogigi's comments. There is a difference between a simple high-intensity blast and a sustained, high intensity blast designed to bring you close to your anaerobic threshold. Often the difference is in the duration of the blast - the longer the duration the more taxing it is.
Also, what one person might feel is a "blast" or a drill that brings her to her anaerobic threshold another person might feel as simply a somewhat higher-intensity segment, depending on each person's fitness level. I remember when I first started doing Interval Max (the original), all of the floor intervals slaughtered me. However, over time I was able to complete them, to add reps onto them, and ultimately to eliminate the recovery parts at the end of each interval (thankfully Interval Max on DVD enables you to do that). It all depends on your own individual capabilities.
The value of true interval training is that it increases your cardiovascular effectiveness and efficiency: by creating a profound overload on the heart and lungs you ultimately make it stronger.
A-Jock
Also, what one person might feel is a "blast" or a drill that brings her to her anaerobic threshold another person might feel as simply a somewhat higher-intensity segment, depending on each person's fitness level. I remember when I first started doing Interval Max (the original), all of the floor intervals slaughtered me. However, over time I was able to complete them, to add reps onto them, and ultimately to eliminate the recovery parts at the end of each interval (thankfully Interval Max on DVD enables you to do that). It all depends on your own individual capabilities.
The value of true interval training is that it increases your cardiovascular effectiveness and efficiency: by creating a profound overload on the heart and lungs you ultimately make it stronger.
A-Jock
Aquajock
Cathlete
Hi, Angela! Thanks for your kind words! I must say that Cathe's interval workouts, AND other nosebleeds like Circuit Max (done my own distorted way), MIC, 10-10-10, Gauntlet, Drill Max, Boot Camp's cardio, the Power Circuit containing workouts, etc. have boosted my cardio capacity enormously, as has my own aqua work over the years. When I first started instructing aqua back in 1997 my resting heart rate was 152 bpm; now, lo these many years later (I brought Cathe into my program in 2000) it's down to 42 bpm. Not bad for an old broad.
A-Jock
A-Jock