Attain the Maximum Rewards from Exercise

T
here are three basic components to exercise: frequency, intensity,
and time. One way to remember these is to think of the word “FIT.”
1. Frequency—exercising frequently enough for you to achieve
cumulative results
2. Intensity—exercising within your optimum pro-formance zone
3. Time—the actual length of your exercise session, not count-
ing time in the gym spent getting dressed or socializing
Before starting the Pro Circuit Exercise Program it is important
to become familiar with the basic requirements within each of these
areas because only then will you get the maximum benefit from your
workout.
Intensity: Reach Your Target Training Zone
In order to maximize your Pro Circuit training benefits, you will
want to exercise with enough intensity to reach your target training
zone. This is the optimum workout heart rate range according to
your age and fitness level. A standard formula for finding your target
heart rate is 220 minus your age for men and 230 minus your age for
women. This figure represents your maximum age-predicted attain-
able heart rate. You should never exceed this heart rate.
• For beginners, 60 percent of maximum is the target training
heart rate.
• For relatively fit people, the target is 70 percent of maximum.
• For well-conditioned people and athletes, the target is 80 per-
cent of maximum.
For example, a relatively fit forty-five-year-old man would want to
reach and maintain a target heart rate of 123 beats per minute, give
or take a few beats (220 – 45 × .70 = 123). A relatively fit forty-five-
year-old woman would have a target heart rate of approximately 130
beats per minute (230 – 45 × .70 = 130).
You may also choose to take the gold standard of tests for identi-
fying your target training heart rate known as the pulmonary stress
test, which refers to the measurement of the amount of oxygen ver-
sus CO
2
you expend while exerting yourself. This test can be admin-
istered by either an exercise physiologist or preferably a cardiologist
trained in exercise testing. It will provide you with the definitive
measurement of your maximum endurance capacity and help you to
determine the anaerobic threshold for your training intensity based
on your workout objectives.
Monitoring Your Target Heart Rate
Since your goal is to stay within your target heart rate during your
entire Pro Circuit workout, you will want to monitor it off and on.
One way is to place your finger lightly on your carotid artery, located
in your neck, midway between your chin and the hinge of your jaw.
You should feel a strong pulse with your finger. Count every beat
within a ten-second interval, then multiply by six.
You may also choose to purchase a pulse rate monitor, which you
can wear on your wrist, giving you a continual status of your heart rate
throughout the training session. I personally always wear a pulse rate
monitor and encourage the athletes with whom I work to do the same.
If your pulse is much higher than your target training zone, les-
son your exercise intensity by either decreasing the amount of
weight you are using, doing fewer repetitions, or slowing down a bit.
If your pulse rate is lower than your target training zone, you may
want to work harder by increasing your weights and moving more
briskly. Should you feel any pain or prolonged discomfort, stop exer-
cising immediately and check with your doctor.
After a while you will be able to sense when you are in your train-
ing zone by how you feel as your workout progresses. If you are
breezing through the circuit without any apparent exertion, you’re
probably below your target zone.
Using the Mackie Method of Instinctive
Intensity Training: IIT
A second way to make sure your heart rate is within your pro-
formance training zone is what I call Instinctive Intensity Training or
IIT. Research indicates that the standard heart rate formula overpre-
dicts the maximal heart rate zone for twenty- to twenty-nine-year-olds
and underpredicts for forty- to fifty-nine-year-olds. It is also true that
a number of medications can affect actual heart rate, such as drugs
for lowering blood pressure.
With these caveats in mind, I would like to show you how to mon-
itor your intensity level while doing the Pro Circuit or any other type
of exercise using the IIT method.
Everyone has heard the expression “give it a 100 percent effort.”
But I have learned working with myself and with my individual ath-
letes that you can only give 100 percent for a very short time without
becoming totally exhausted and compromising your skill. In reality,
the strongest effort that you can maintain consistently is closer to 80
percent of your maximum effort. Therefore, my rule for your train-
ing sessions is as follows. After your doctor has cleared you of all
exercise restrictions, go to your gym, warm up carefully, then see
what you would consider your maximum effort. Once you’ve identi-
fied how that feels, use the following scale to find the appropriate
IIT zone for your workout.
THE INSTINCTIVE INTENSITY TRAINING SCALE

IIT Level Percent of Maximum Effort Perception
4 40 warm-up effort
6 60 mild effort
7 70 moderate effort
8 80 strong effort
9 90 very strong effort
10 100 maximum effort

The concept behind the IIT Scale is that no one can tell you
exactly how many pounds to use or how vigorously you need to exer-
cise. What is easy for one person might be strenuous for another,
especially if you are deconditioned, overweight, or haven’t exercised
for a while. Perceptions will be different for different people.
The goal of finding your appropriate IIT level is to learn to listen
to your body. This means paying attention to a broad spectrum of
physical sensations, including fatigue levels, muscle or leg pain,
physical stress, and shortness of breath. For every activity, you can
estimate how hard you feel you are working. Research has shown
that your perception of the amount of effort you feel you are putting
into an activity is likely to agree with the actual physical measure-
ments of that physical effort. In other words, if your body tells you
that you are exercising moderately, measurements of things such as
how fast your heart is beating would probably show that it really is
working at a moderate level. During moderate activity you can sense
that you are challenging yourself but are not yet near your limit.
While doing the Pro Circuit, your goal should be to try to work
at level 7 to 8 on the IIT Scale, between “moderate” and “strong.” In
other words, you should feel that you are making an effort, but it will
not be overwhelming or debilitating. As your body adapts and you
become more fit, you can gradually add more weight, increase your
repetitions, increase your time from thirty minutes to forty-five min-
utes, and move from one to two or three complete circuits of the series.
One of the advantages of the IIT Scale is that the rate of instinc-
tive or perceived exertion will be the same for everyone, regardless
of their age, gender, or actual heart rate (if, for example, you are tak-
ing medication that affects your heartbeats per minute).
Frequency and Time: How Often and
How Long You Exercise
Since three out of four North Americans are totally or mostly seden-
tary, almost any level of exercise done ten to twenty minutes a day
can have a beneficial effect on the way you feel. This includes even
ordinary activities such as walking, taking the stairs instead of the ele-
vator, housecleaning, riding the stationary bike for twenty minutes
while watching television or reading the newspaper, gardening,
washing the car, and so forth.
To achieve appreciable results, however, studies have shown that
you should do aerobic exercises at least three times a week for at
least thirty minutes, and resistance exercises two or three times a
week, with a day off in between. The reason you need that day off is
to give your muscle tissue a chance to repair itself. Many people
think that resistance exercises build muscle. This is not true. Resis-
tance exercises tear down muscle tissue. It is the time you take off in
between and the nutritious foods you eat that repair your muscles,
making them stronger and larger than before. You can, however, do
thirty to forty-five minutes of aerobic exercises such as walking or
jogging every day of the week without harm, since these exercises
don’t tear down muscle tissue but build up aerobic capacity.
For maximum results, your goal is to increase your Pro Circuit
workout to forty-five minutes. If you have the extra time and develop
the aerobic stamina and strength, you may even wish to do the cir-
cuit for an hour. Just always stay within your target heart rate zone or
your RPE. You will begin to feel your energy, cardiovascular levels,
and strength increase after only a month on the program, but you
will see maximum results in weight loss, strength gains, and health
benefits such as lowered triglycerides and cholesterol within twelve
weeks.
In the twelve-week Pro Circuit pilot study done on the New
Orleans Police Department, the officers saw an average of a 9 percent
increase in HDL (good cholesterol) and a 53 percent decrease in
triglycerides. And these officers weren’t even on my prescribed nutri-
tional program. We just gave them certain basic nutritional guidelines
and instructed them to make sure that they had a shake of 20 grams of
Personal Edge soy protein powder in juice or water twice a day, since
soy has been shown to reduce cholesterol when taken in conjunction
with a low-fat diet. We encouraged them to drink their soy protein
shake or to eat a piece of fruit before each workout, since exercising
on an empty stomach makes some people feel light-headed.
Consult with Your Doctor Before You Begin
Before beginning any exercise program, it is important that you con-
sult with your doctor, especially if you have not exercised in a while
and know or suspect that you have significant health problems. If
you have taken the self-evaluation health tests in chapter 8, by now
you should have a fairly good idea of the state of your general health.
Another important screening tool is the Physical Activity Readiness
Questionnaire, more commonly known as the PAR-Q, included
below. This basic self-evaluation, developed by the Canadian Society
for Exercise Physiology, has been clinically tested and shown to be an
effective and reliable screening tool.
PAR-Q and You
(A Questionnaire for People Ages 15 to 69)
Regular physical activity is fun and healthy, and increasingly more
people are starting to become more active every day. Being more
active is very safe for most people. However, some people should
check with their doctor before they start becoming much more phys-
ically active.
If you are planning to become much more physically active than
you are now, start by answering the seven questions below. If you are
between the ages of fifteen and sixty-nine, the PAR-Q will tell you if
you should check with your doctor before you start. If you are over
sixty-nine years of age, and you are not used to being very active,
check with your doctor.
Common sense is your best guide when you answer these ques-
tions. Please read the questions carefully and answer each one hon-
estly, yes or no.
Yes
No
1. Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart
condition and that you should only do physical
activity recommended by a doctor?
2. Do you feel pain in your chest when you do
physical activity?
3. In the past month, have you had chest pain when
you were not doing physical activity?
4. Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or
do you ever lose consciousness?
5. Do you have a bone or joint problem that could
be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
6. Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for
example, water pills) for your blood pressure
or heart condition?
7. Do you know of any other reason why you should
not do physical activity?
If you answered “Yes” to one or more questions, talk with your doctor
by phone or in person before you start becoming more physically
active or before you have a fitness appraisal. Tell your doctor about
the PAR-Q and which questions you answered “Yes.”
• You may be able to do any activity you want—as long as you
start slowly and build up gradually. Or you may need to restrict
your activities to those that are safe for you. Talk with your doc-
tor about the kinds of activities in which you wish to partici-
pate and follow his/her advice.
• Find out which community programs are safe and helpful
for you.
If you honestly answered “No” to all PAR-Q questions, you can be
reasonably sure that you can:
• Start becoming much more physically active—begin slowly
and build up gradually. This is the safest and easiest way to go.
• Take part in a fitness appraisal—this is an excellent way to
determine your basic fitness so that you can plan the best way
for you to live actively.
Delay becoming much more active:
• If you are not feeling well because of a temporary illness such
as a cold or a fever—wait until you feel better.
• If you are or may be pregnant—talk to your doctor before you
start becoming more active.
Please note: If your health changes so that you then answer “Yes”
to any of the above questions, tell your fitness or health professional.
Ask whether you should change your physical activity plan.
Informed use of the PAR-Q: The Canadian Society for Exercise
Physiology, Health Canada, and their agents assume no liability for
persons who undertake physical activity. If in doubt after completing
the questionnaire, consult your doctor prior to physical activity.
Now that you have learned the basics about exercising safely and
getting the most from your exercise regimen, let’s move on to the
Pro Circuit Exercise Program.
If you answered “Yes” to one or more questions, talk with your doctor
by phone or in person before you start becoming more physically
active or before you have a fitness appraisal. Tell your doctor about
the PAR-Q and which questions you answered “Yes.”
• You may be able to do any activity you want—as long as you
start slowly and build up gradually. Or you may need to restrict
your activities to those that are safe for you. Talk with your doc-
tor about the kinds of activities in which you wish to partici-
pate and follow his/her advice.
• Find out which community programs are safe and helpful
for you.
If you honestly answered “No” to all PAR-Q questions, you can be
reasonably sure that you can:
• Start becoming much more physically active—begin slowly
and build up gradually. This is the safest and easiest way to go.
• Take part in a fitness appraisal—this is an excellent way to
determine your basic fitness so that you can plan the best way
for you to live actively.
Delay becoming much more active:
• If you are not feeling well because of a temporary illness such
as a cold or a fever—wait until you feel better.
• If you are or may be pregnant—talk to your doctor before you
start becoming more active.
Please note: If your health changes so that you then answer “Yes”
to any of the above questions, tell your fitness or health professional.
Ask whether you should change your physical activity plan.
Informed use of the PAR-Q: The Canadian Society for Exercise
Physiology, Health Canada, and their agents assume no liability for
persons who undertake physical activity. If in doubt after completing
the questionnaire, consult your doctor prior to physical activity.
Now that you have learned the basics about exercising safely and
getting the most from your exercise regimen, let’s move on to the
Pro Circuit Exercise Program.