When you hear someone say, “I had a great workout!” what do they mean?
For most of us, when we hear someone had a great workout, we probably assume they did some sweating, got their heart rate up, and had a good time. In a fitness class full of loud music and positive encouragement, it’s no stretch for their members to describe the workouts as great simply because they feel great. Their emotional state has improved, but has anything else?
Are these workout classes really a great workout? Not likely.
The effect of exercise is far more important than “time served” or time spent exercising. We need to consider why we are training and measure our efforts by that yardstick instead of mistakenly letting our emotional state post-workout determine whether or not we have made progress.
Let’s take a closer look at exercise effect and the two main health indicators we must focus on when determining what makes a great workout.
Is VO2 Max important for 40+?
VO₂ max is a term usually reserved for professional cyclists and runners, but it’s critically important for the 40+ crowd. Here’s why.
VO₂ max is an important health marker used to predict quality of life as we age. This number corresponds to the volume of oxygen your body can utilize during activity. VO₂ max has proven to be an excellent mortality predictor, even better than age. The higher your VO₂ max, the longer you’ll live healthily.
Not every aerobic activity will improve your VO₂ max, which is why it’s important to dial in your training to specifically target this metric. Intensity is the secret ingredient.
Three tips to improve VO₂ max
Here are three tips to help improve your VO₂ max.
1. Complete a HIIT workout - like Smart Ride - once per week
2. Rest well and get good sleep between training sessions
3. Utilize EWOT technology while training in Zone 2
At The Smart Fit Method, our protocols have you covered. We’re dedicated to helping clients get great workouts by focusing on improving VO₂ max. Ready to get started improving your aerobic capacity? Book a free session to get started in one of our longevity studios today.
But VO₂ max isn’t the only health marker we’re concerned with. There’s another, equally important piece of the longevity puzzle that will truly define a great workout.
Is muscle mass important for 40+?
Muscle mass or skeletal muscle is equally important in terms of improving your health and longevity, especially as we age. It’s often overlooked, however, for one key reason.
Muscle mass is important to build for 40+ because it supports our bodies’ strength and mobility. Without strength training, atrophy will occur, and many believe that muscular atrophy is the true culprit behind aging symptoms. Older trainees benefit greatly from a well-designed strength training program.
The key words are “well-designed”. The reason strength training is often overlooked in the maintenance of the body as we age is because it is unsafe for many people in the 40+ category. Injuries occur no matter how familiar you are in a gym, and unlike young adults, an older client will not recover quickly from a pulled muscle.
How can I stay safe while strength training at 40+?
Two important factors make for a safe strength training program. They are:
1. A personal trainer
2. Slow strength training methods
Training using the slow strength training technique has been proven to prevent injury and maximize muscular strength gains. When we perform slow strength training movements on our Smart Strength machine, powered by ARX Adaptive Resistance technology, we can take things even further and push you to your absolute limits, all while keeping your posture secure and without the risk of overloading you by even a single extra pound.
Want to feel the difference? Book a free consultation today. You’ll get to work with a trainer and experience the power of slow strength training firsthand.
What’s the secret to a great workout?
Let’s not confuse the post-workout endorphin rush for a truly beneficial training session. Just because you’re feeling good doesn’t mean you’ve done a good thing for your health and longevity. The secret to a great workout is when you feel great.
Not all exercise efforts have long-term benefits on your fitness. Long sessions and loud music might equal a great mood, but they don’t equal great training. Exercise should target improvements in health markers like VO₂ max, endurance capacity, and skeletal muscle mass to be considered beneficial.
Many programs fall short of this goal because to be competitive and marketable, a gym or fitness facility must leave clients in a good mood, and that can be accomplished in ways that have zero impact on your long-term fitness and health.
Not only that, but to modern consumers, more is more. You can charge a higher rate for a longer session or class, and customers also associate more expensive prices with a greater value product. When it comes to fitness, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Smart Fit Method’s 20-minute sessions accomplish the same level of work as a 2.5 hour weight training session on traditional equipment thanks to advanced, AI-powered equipment.
Training with us is a certain path to increased health markers like VO₂ max, endurance, and muscle mass. Fair warning! You’ll still need to work hard, but with certified personal trainers helping you during every session, you can train hard and avoid injury.
Experience The Smart Fit Method difference during a complimentary first session and unlock a special promotional rate on your first month.
