Herschel Walker's Debut

Interval Training

The first time I heard the phrase "interval training" was in the late 70's, from an Olympic coach on the television news who was discussing Russian training methods.

In its simplest definition, interval training involves combining the usual, steady exercise pace with short bursts of near-maximum activity, usually involving running, cycling, or swimming workouts.

Take your daily jog for example; if you were to add an all-out 100 yard sprint, every three minutes, to your normal 25 minute jog, this would probably be a great interval workout.

You do not want to just jump into interval training before getting in shape for steady aerobic exercise first. You should be running at a regular pace for at least 20 minutes, three times per week for at least 8 weeks, with no ill effects, before adding interval-type training to your workouts.

For the 50-plus age group the benefits would mainly be preparing the heart for physiological conditions that are similar to a cardiac event-in common terms, a heart attack , thereby increasing the chances of surviving such an event, God-forbid, should it occur.

The challenge is to avoid actually giving yourself a heart-attack during the training period. Depending on which decade you're in, 50's, 60', 70's, or later, the training should progress slowly, with careful monitoring of heart rate and blood pressure levels, during and after the workout. The heart-rate monitor I recommend can be found here: Heart Rate Monitor - Exercise Watch + Chest Belt


The question is, at what optimum heart-rate should you train? The commonly used formula I have used for years with good effect is this: 220 less your age, multiplied by 60, 70, or 80%, depending on training intensity desired. You will want to keep your heart rate at between 60 to 80% for a 20 minute time period, at least 3 times per week to maintain good aerobic shape.

The thing is, with interval training, the athlete briefly pushes his/her heart-rate to near 100% of this level. In fact, I commonly exceed my so-called maximum heart-rate (220-49=171 bpm) for a minute-plus on my treadmill interval workouts. I set the treadmill on maximum incline every other minute during a 25 minute workout, with no apparent ill effects so far the past couple of years. In fact, my blood pressure seems to have benefited from the addition of interval work to my program.

If you don't have access to a decent treadmill, then stair climbing is a pretty good substitute for an interval workout. As long as it doesn't take you longer than a minute to climb to the top, and it's not too short a climb either, then it's a pretty good set of steps to work out on. Just make sure when you're going up, that the effort is near full speed, and don't forget your heart-rate monitor.

I was traveling on business last week, and found a pretty decent stairwell in the back corner of this three story LaQuinta hotel. Early in the morning, after some hot tea and fish oil pills, I ran these for 25 minutes, and found it to be a pretty good substitute for the treadmill workout. It was also really private, so I didn't have anybody eyeballing me while I worked out, which I hate.

If you decide to do this, be sure to bring your cellphone, so that if you have a problem, you can call the meat wagon, because it doesn't seem like anyone used the stairwells much, with the elevators available. You certainly don't want them to find you back there, all stiff, like a day-old pizza, when all you wanted was a little exercise.

Here is a link to more information on the merits of interval training.

LaQuinta's Beautiful Stairwells

Anti-Aging

Here are the supplements, after years of trial and error, that have allowed me to age well, I believe: (remember to combine these with a balanced whole food diet) (fish oil-not pictured,coral calcium-no longer recommended)
Quick descriptions:

(Typical dosages, 200 lb male, 49)
Melatonin-for insomnia, one 3mg pill before bedtime
MSM-For cardiovascular and soft-tissue health, 3,000 to 4,500 mg/day
Turmeric-anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory/cancer inhibitor, 200-400 mg/day
Citracal Plus-Bone health, available at drugstores everywhere
DHEA-Restore youthful DHEA levels,muscle-building hormone 50 mg/day
Fish Oil-cholesterol regulation, anti-inflammatory properties and positive effects on body composition-3,000 mg/day
Acetyl-L-Carnitine-Anti-Oxidant/Anti-Aging 500-750 mg/day
Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Anti-Oxidant/Anti-Aging 600 mg/day
CoQ10-Heart Health,Gum Health, 100-500 mg/day
Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex, Joint Health, 2-3 tablets/day
Vitamin D-3-immune system/bone health, 8-10,000 mg/day

I sell these directly to the public. Here's a little store I recently put together: 50Fitness