FitSugar

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate, That Is: Swimming

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:04:37 -0700

It's Summer, and that means pool time. Swimming for exercise is a great way to burn calories and stay cool, so I made a workout for you to try. It's a good idea to have your exercise plan in hand when you work out, so print this workout and take it to the pool.

Warmup:
100 yds freestyle - easy
100 yds pull* freestyle
50 yds kick** freestyle
50 yds kick backstroke
50 yds kick breaststroke

The Main Event:
200 yds freestyle (rest: 30)***
100 yds backstroke (rest: 15)
50 yds freestyle (rest: 10)
200 yds medley - your choice of strokes, mix it up

Cooldown:
100 yds kick medley - you choose strokes
100 yds freestyle - easy

TOTAL WORKOUT = 1,100 yards
Distance = .67 miles ( a swimmer's mile is 1,650 yards not 1,750)
Repeat the main event and add an extra 550 yards for a total of 1,650 yards, or a mile!

*Pull: Hold a buoy with your legs and use only your arms to swim
**Kick: Use a kickboard and use just your legs to power yourself across the pool
***Rest the listed amount between reps/laps

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Swimming Sprints

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Many of us are starting to move our workouts indoors. Temperatures are cooling off and daylight is becoming increasingly limited; the days are going to get even shorter. One way to move your cardio inside is swimming and here is a fun workout to try. Sprinting intervals are not just for running; they're great for the pool too. I suggest adding some sprints into your swimming workouts to keep things fresh and challenging. Check out this simple workout and try it next time you head to the pool. Better yet, print it out and use it as your excuse to head to the pool. I have even added some kicking sprints to target your legs too.

To see the workout, just read more.

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
50 yrds kick Freestyle
50 yrds kick Backstroke
50 yrds kick Breaststroke
100 yrds pull* Freestyle

The Main Event:
200 yrds Freestyle

Sprints
8 x 25 yrds alternating Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly***
(rest :10)**

200 yards Freestyle

Kick Sprints
4 x 25 yrds Freestyle kickboard sprint
(rest :20)
4 x 25 yrds Breaststroke
(rest :20)

200 yards Freestyle
100 yards Breaststroke

Cool Down:
50 Backstroke
50 pull Freestyle
100 Freestyle - easy

* Pull: Hold a buoy with your legs and use only your arms to swim
** Rest the listed amount between reps/laps
***If you don't swim Butterfly, substitute Freestyle

This workout is 1650 yards, a mile. A swimmer's mile is 1500 meters, or roughly 1650 yards - 66 lengths in a 25 yard pool.

Fit's Tips: If you are new to swimming check out this beginner's program to get you from sitting on the side of the pool to swimming a mile.

Source

ExerciseTV: Jump Rope Jam

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:24:55 -0800

Jumping rope is all the rage these days and a great element to add to your circuit training. Here is a short jump rope routine I found over on ExerciseTV. They were generous enough to share this video with me and to sponsor this post.

So what are you waiting for? Get your heart rate up with this short jump rope jam. You don't even need to use a jump rope; as long as you are jumping along you still benefit from the exercise without having to worry about getting all tangled up!

You should definitely check out the extensive video library at ExerciseTV. There is no reason to ever be bored with your workout again!

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Elliptical Intervals

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:30:00 -0700

The elliptical is a great way to get in a good workout, especially for anyone looking for something a little more low-impact on your joints. Try out this interval workout I've put together and, for an added benefit, hold on to the handles for one minute and let go for the next. Continue to do so through the entire workout.

00:00-05:00 Level 3, Warm-up
05:00-06:00 Level 5
06:00-07:00 Level 10
07:00-09:00 Level 6
09:00-11:00 Level 10
11:00-14:00 Level 7
14:00-17:00 Level 10
17:00-21:00 Level 8
21:00-25:00 Level 10
25:00-30:00 Level 9
30:00-35:00 Level 12
35:00-40:00 Level 3, Cool-down

You can also do this on a Precor Trainer; just try to keep the ramp at a moderate level. Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments section below. Enjoy!

Source

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Shorty Intervals

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Recent research out of Australia has found that eight seconds of intense cardio followed by twelve seconds of moderate cardio for twenty minutes enabled women to lose three times as much fat than those who went about their cardio at a steady pace. It's basic interval training, but in very, very short intervals.

When doing interval training, you need to work with your own Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE and work between easy (1-3), medium (4-7) and hard (8-10) amounts of exertion. Since I am a numbers gal I like using a heart rate monitor more. For these Intervals you're going to be working between intensity levels of Fat Burning, Endurance and Performance Training. To find your heart rate zones check out Fit's Calculator.

So try it out on the stationary bike, treadmill, rowing machine or in the pool:

00:00-05:00, Warm-up, RPE 1-3
05:00-05:08, RPE 8-10
05:08-05:20, RPE 4-7
05:20-05:28, RPE 8-10
05:28-05:40, RPE 4-7
05:40-05:48, RPE 8-10
05:48-06:00, RPE 4-7
06:00-25:00, Repeat step two 19 more times
25:00-30:00, Cool-down, RPE 1-3

All the switching is a sure way to keep you busy throughout your workout. So try it out and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Source

In Case You Missed It: Get It Up

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:30:00 -0800

I've brought you a lot of great ideas for cardio routines in a feature I like to call Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is. I know most of you really enjoy these posts, so I wanted to make sure you all saw some of the more popular cardio workout routines. So here are the top Get It Ups for 2007:

Treadmill Mountain Hike - interval walking with big inclines.
StepMill Intervals - a interval program on the dreaded StepMill.
Arc Trainer - two minute intervals on the Arc Trainer.
Quick Elliptical - for when you're short on time.
Swimming Fun - swimming indoors is a great cardio activity in the cold winter.
Gym Triathlon - combines swimming, biking, and running in the gym.

If you have a Get It Up that you're especially fond of, please share it in the comments section below - I'd love to hear your feedback.

Source

Fit Tip: Vary Your Cardio Routines

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:15:00 -0800

You all know I am a fan of cross training since it adds a nice variety to a workout routine. Even if you don't cross train, you should vary your workouts to reap even more benefits from your cardio time. You need to play with speed, distance, and rate and mix it all up. This variety confuses your body and helps you burn more calories as well as increase your fitness level.

So mix up short and intense runs, less distance at a faster pace, with longer and slower runs to work on endurance – this variation works for cardio machines, too. If you run outside vary your terrain, doing some hill runs mixed with runs with less inclines. This also applies to the treadmill; you need to play around with the incline. And don't forget about intervals. Mix up short and long intervals of pushing your pace and then slowing down to recover.

With this much variety in your workout plan, you will never get bored and neither will your body!

Source

Get It Up, Your Heart Rate That Is: Swimming

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:00:00 -0700

After spending all summer running outdoors, I am moving part of my workout indoors and into a pool. Here is a basic swim workout that is great if you are new to swimming laps as a form of cardio.

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
100 yrds pull Freestyle
50 yrds kick Freestyle
50 yrds kick Back stroke
50 yrds kick Breaststroke

The Main Event:
200 yrds Freestyle (rest :30)
100 yrds Back stroke (rest: 15)
50 yrds Freestyle (rest :10)
200 yrds Medley – your choice of strokes, mix it up

Cool down:
100 yrds kick Medley – you choose strokes
100 yrds Freestyle - easy

TOTAL WORKOUT = 1,100
Distance = .67 miles ( a swim mile is 1650 yrds not 1750)
Repeat the Main Event and add an extra 550 yards for a total of 1650 yards, or a mile!

Fit's Tip: I think it is a good idea to have your exercise plan in hand when you workout. Just print out this workout. Get it wet and stick it on the side of the pool.

Source

Get it Up, Your Heart Rate, That Is: Swimming

FitSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Summer time means pool time. For a cool workout I suggest swimming! Try this workout and see if you like it. Just print this out, get it wet and stick it to the side of the pool.

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
50 yrds pull Freestyle
25 yrds kick Backstroke
25 yrds kick Freestyle
TOTAL = 200 yards

The Main Event:
200 yrds Freestyle
3 x 100 yrds Favorite Stroke
100 yrds kick Free Style
2 x 100 yrds 2nd Favorite Stroke
50 yrds pull Freestyle
100 yrds 3rd Favorite Stroke
100 yrds Freestyle
Total = 1050 yards

Cool Down:
50 kick Freestyle
50 kick Breast stroke
100 Freestyle - easy
Total = 200 yards

TOTAL WORK 1450 yrds
Distance = .88 miles ( a swim mile is 1650 yrds not 1750, so add 200 yards and you are swimming a mile!)

Get It Up - Your Heart Rate, That is: Swimming

FitSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 08:45:00 -0700

Spring is here and it is getting warm!!! Why not swim outdoors to get your body bikini ready? Remember cardio will burn fat all over your body, helping to get you toned and buff for the revealing fashions of summer and swimsuits.

Here's a workout for you to try:

Warm up:
100 yrds Freestyle - easy
50 yrds kick Freestyle
50 yrds kick Backstroke
50 yrds kick Breaststroke
100 yrds pull Freestyle

The Main Event:
400 yrds Freestyle

Sprints
8 x 25 yrds alternating Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly
(rest :10)
Note: If you don't swim Butterfly, substitute Freestyle

100 yrds Backstroke
100 yrds Breaststroke

Cool Down:
50 kick Freestyle
50 kick Backstroke
100 Freestyle - easy

This workout is 1350 yards, or about .82 miles (a swimmer's mile is 1500 meters, or roughly 1650 yards - 66 laps in a 25 yard pool).