How To Train Smarter

How long does it take to get fit?

Longer than you think. It takes the body weeks to get into a new routine, don’t expect to make big improvements in one. Think more in months.

If you train consistently and progressively, you can experience a noticeable difference after 8 - 12 weeks. Skip too many workouts, and you won’t improve. There is no easy button. Keep to a schedule, eat, sleep, and enjoy the hard work you’ve put in!

Cardio: Training Heart Rate Zones

Running hard is not always the best answer to running better. Pushing yourself through hard intervals or long runs can wear you out quicker than a fly landing on $hit.

These are 5 zones that help you train at the right intensity for each workout. Zone 1 is easy, recovery the percentage of your max heart rate (HR) is 68-73%. Zone 2 is steady, endurance (HR 73-80%). Zone 3 is moderately hard, tempo (HR 80-87%). Zone 4 is hard, threshold (HR 87-93%). Zone 5 is very hard (Vo2 Max, HR 93-100%), aka difficult to sustain for a long time. A heart rate strap monitor is the most accurate way to track and smart watches with the heart rate tracker are pretty ok.

Not all training sessions need to be hard. The benefits to working in Zone 2 / 3 can include increased cardio fitness, improved energy efficiency, injury prevention, and faster recovery. This can be painstakingly slow at first, that’s normal.

When life gets in the way

Life gets in the way and sometimes you don’t have time to do the workouts when they were originally scheduled. This happens all of the time. Coaches or training plans will attempt to optimize effectivity, practicality, and recovery.

So, when you do need to shuffle your workouts, avoid having back-to-back intense days. It can lead to injuries and over-tiredness that may impact your future training. To the same effect, avoiding workouts of the same discipline (i.e. two days of consecutive cycling) back-to-back will save you from soreness and overuse injuries.

Sometimes you won’t be able to workout at all because of illness, work stress, or unexpected childcare needs. Avoid cramming your missed workouts into a single session, or, at all (it never works). As long as you get back on schedule, your cardio will not decline because of 1 -2 missed training days. Consistency matters.

Here’s how to thrive this year.

Recovery days make you fitter

During your training plan, you will see at least one rest day a week or a recovery period every few weeks. Don’t ignore them, even in the early stages of training. These are the easy buttons you’re looking for.

Training is a form of stress that breaks down the body. The recovery periods are where your body builds itself back up again. When you have had a fantastic night’s rest, you have more energy to tackle the day. The same is said for recovery days.

Recovery days are also important when big life stresses come into play. For example, moving houses, a break-up, starting a new job, or becoming a parent. You can do an active recovery like yoga, or receive a massage. Find out more about how to recover from training.

Stay with it

Keep track of your training days and recovery so you can stay on top and continue to progress no matter the circumstances. Write them on your calendar, or download a training app.

Finding a way to fit your training with your lifestyle and consistency is key. Follow a plan, tweak it when you need to, but stick with it.