Training Guide

Over the years a higher percentage of the population are becoming more obese, and more and more people are becoming aware of this.

Domestic fitness equipment is one way forward. It’s a way of being able to fit an exercise routine into your lifestyle without the hassle.

So many people have tried joining a gym but in a lot of cases, proves to be inconvenient, it means getting home from work, getting changed (worrying about what you look like whilst exercising in front of others) travelling time to the nearest gym not to mention the expense of it all.

We aim to supply affordable fitness equipment of a high quality with all the features you need so you haven’t got to sacrifice anything except those expensive fees and hassle. Our range is designed to fit into your home and your lifestyle.

Even after a short period of regular exercises you will notice that you constantly have to increase the intensity to reach your optimum pulse rate. The units will be continuously easier and you will feel a lot fitter during your normal day.

For this achievement you should motivate yourself to exercise regularly. Choose fixed hours for your training session and do not start training too aggressively.

An old quote amongst sportsmen says: “The most difficult thing about training is to start it.”

To achieve a considerable improvement of your physical resistance and your health, some aspects of how to find the most efficient amount of training should be followed: If you have not been physically active for a longer period of time and also to avoid health risks you should consult your general physician before starting to exercise.

The body starts to burn fat at approx. 60% of the maximum pulse rate. To reach an optimum at burning rate, it is advisable to keep the pulse rate between 60% – 70% of the maximum pulse rate. The optimum training amount consists of three workouts per week 30 minutes each.

For example:
• You are 52 years of age and would like to start exercising.
• Maximum pulse rate = 220 - 52(age) = 168 pulse/min
• Desired training pulse rate = 168 x 0.6 = 101 pulse/min
• Highest pulse rate = 168 x 0.7 = 117 pulse/min

During the first weeks it is advisable to start with a pulse rate of 101, afterwards increase it to 117. With increasing improvement of fitness the training intensity should be increased to 70% - 85% of your maximum pulse rate. This can be done by increasing the resistance, a higher frequency or longer training periods.

In the normal course of our everyday lives our bodies use oxygen to convert nutrients from our food intake into energy for muscle movement and body functions.

The amount of energy used is measured in calories. Broadly speaking if we burn more calories than we consume then our body will require additional fuel and will use calories stored as fat. This will lead to a reduced ratio of fat to lean muscle tissue in our body composition and a leaner, fitter appearance.

As we exercise, our heart rate has to increase in order to deliver sufficient oxygen to the working muscles.

Regular cardiovascular exercise, such as cross-training, results in a stronger heart and lungs that are more efficient at delivering oxygen to muscles which, in turn, are more efficient at converting calories into energy.

To achieve maximum results the right intensity has to be chosen. The heart rate is used as guideline.

As a rule of thumb the following formula is commonly used: Maximum pulse rate = 220 – Age

While exercising the pulse rate should always be between 60% - 85% of the maximum pulse rate.

For your personal training rates please see the pulse rate chart.

When starting to exercise you should keep your rate at 60% of your maximum pulse rate in the first couple of weeks. With increasing improvement of fitness the pulse rate should be slowly increased to 85% of your maximum pulse rate.

Warm-up
Before every training you should warm-up for 5-10 minutes. Here you can do some stretching and training with low resistance.

Training session
During the actual training a rate of 70% -85% of the maximum pulse rate should be chosen. The time-length of your training session can be calculated with the following rule of thumb:

Daily training session
Approx. 10 min. per unit
2-3 x per week: approx. 30 min. per unit
1-2 x per week: approx. 60 min. per unit

Cool down
To introduce an effective cool-down of the muscles and the metabolism the intensity should be drastically decreased during the last 5 – 10 minutes. Stretching is also helpful for the prevention of muscle aches.