A Review of Anaerobic versus Aerobic Conditioning

One of the biggest trends in conditioning is a focus on high intensity training protocols for cardiovascular conditioning and weight management versus the traditional focus on steady state low – moderate intensity training protocols. There are many examples in the market including the Tabata protocol; Peak 8; along with many types of “metabolic conditioning” protocols and programs such as Crossfit. To make sense of this emerging trend you need to understand how the body responds to high intensity anaerobic interval training from a cardiovascular standpoint. There are two key types of metabolic/energetic pathways used for generation of energy in all our cells: Aerobic and Anaerobic. Aerobic means with oxygen and…
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Why track your heart rate with FitMetrix 

Whether you are an elite athlete or just an casual weekend gym goer, we all know that anxious yet excited feeling that comes with athletic competition. This feeling is often coupled by an increased heart rate, indicating that you are reading for the upcoming race or game. But this elevated heart rate is not just a sign that you are ready to compete; your workout heart rate can also be a look into your cardiovascular fitness level as well as a strong indicator for your overall health status. Your heart rate range will depend on how efficient your heart is working and will vary for each individual based on age…
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Hydration for Athletes

Water is needed in almost every bodily function - from digestion to blood circulation, saliva creation to joint cushioning. From a fitness perspective, proper hydration will make or break your workout, regardless of the activity or the time of day. For elite athletes, water intake is a crucial - yet often overlooked - aspect of health. Leaders in the sports medicine world suggest that athletes who lose more than 2% of their body water weight will suffer mental and physical setbacks during workouts. To put that into perspective, William Adams of the Korey Stringer Institute says that you will sweat out anywhere from 1 to 4% of your body weight…
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What’s in your gym bag?

Finding time during the day to workout can be a logistical nightmare. Whether you are trying to squeeze in a gym session before work or something after dinner, preparation is key. Luckily, pre-packing your gym bag can take some of the stress out of the getting to the gym and can let you focus on your workout. Here are some quick “hacks” that can take the stress out of actually getting to the gym. 1) An extra water bottle Staying hydrated throughout the day is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health. But when you are running between meetings or sitting in traffic, hydration…
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Fueling Your Pre-Workout Routine

Your pre-workout food intake can determine a lot about how your time at the gym will go. Since nutrition is an important complement to fitness, it is essential that your regimen is individualized to both your body and your workout. Just as you stick to a routine at the gym, it is essential that you create a food schedule that keeps you motivated to stay on track. But if you are trying to squeeze in a gym session in the morning or before your night out, you probably don’t have time to think much about what fuel you are putting in your body. However, Active Magazine has compiled a great…
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Creating your ideal HIIT training schedule

Fitness is often a world of fleeting fads - every few months a new workout regimen or diet comes out that promises the absolute best results. But when a new idea is backed up with the latest in exercise technology, you know it is time to take note. And since HIIT (high-intensity interval training) came onto the scene a few years ago, fitness experts have been looking into creating the very best routines for optimal workout results. HIIT is interval training with alternative shorts bursts of one high-intensity exercise followed by a gentile recovery period. Since this is encompassed in everything from Crossfit gyms to sprint workouts, it has been…
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Understanding Metabolism to Boost your Workout

Finding the right workout routine takes time. After you determine your goals, you must strategize an action plan and find ways to stay motivated as the weeks go on. Several new workout trends have popped up over the last few years that focus on metabolic conditioning. Routines such as Tabata and Crossfit claim that high-intensity workout sessions are the best way to lose weight, effectively build muscle, and increase cardiovascular strength. But how does metabolic conditioning actually work? While there are a series of complicated biochemical reactions going on during a workout, these high-intensity interval routines work on different energetic pathways in your body. Overview of Aerobic Metabolism The Mayo…
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What you need to know: How your body generates energy

There are two key types of metabolic/energetic pathways used for generation of energy in all our cells:  Aerobic and Anaerobic.   Aerobic means with oxygen and requires the presence of oxygen in the cell producing energy.   Anaerobic means without oxygen and cells can produce energy without the presence of oxygen using these pathways.  A single cell can either produce energy aerobically or anaerobically at any given moment in time, but never both at the same time!   However during any activity there are some cells producing energy aerobically and other cells producing energy anaerobically.     Muscles obtain energy from three important sources*:  Glucose which is sugar can be burned…
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