It's fianlly here....The HEART of summer! And with that, the HEAT of summer! Atleast for the midwest and central states, this is our hottest time of year. I thought it fitting that we ALSO make sure our body temp. is hot enough to be in the aerobic zone and the correct heart rate zone to significantly burn fat, improve our hearts' health, and get better results! (I always like to have a 'gimmic' or an 'angle; for each month!)

Welcome to:

Augusts' "Hot Heart" Challenge!

Purpose of this challenge: To be SURE you are in your target training zone so you are most effective with your workouts!

We've all seen those neighbors that have walked daily for many years, yet they always look the same? It all has to do with training hard enough so your body burns off fat! Other factors such as weight lifting - to build fat-burning lean body mass- and proper DIET are of course also essential to success. We will focus on all 3 aspects, BUT taking your HEART RATE to be SURE you are in YOUR THR zone will be mandatory!

Duartion of Challenge:  28 days

Start Date:  Monday, August 4

End Date: Sunday, August 31

Rules of play:

1) Learn to calculate your Target Heart Rate Zone (THR). Also, learn how to take your pulse at your wrist or at your Corotid artery at the side of your neck.

2) Be sure you are working out at 70-80% of your Maximum Heart Rate.

3) Lift weights- free weights, machines, or a combination of them, to build lean muscle mass. This will make you a more effective calorie-burning machine! Lift weights a MINIMUM of 2 days per week. How you train (circuits, 2 body parts a day, or a split routine, it's up to you and how it fits into your day. Be consistent this month! Try to stick to the same routine each week so you can treat it like a job, or family care...make it a PART of your daily life. You can pick Tues/Thursday...but make it the same all 4 weeks.

4) Continue to track your food consumption using the excellent Alli Nutrition Log. Be sure you get your water in daily as well, along with your vitamin!

5) Report ATLEAST every other day! Preferably DAILY; but the way this website has been of late...I will give you leaway here. If you go longer than 3 days without posting, you will be out of this challenge!

What & HOW to post:

This is the format; please copy and paste for you to fill in daily when you post!

Cardio: Minutes, THR = Yes or No (Did you check it thru-out your session to be sure you are in the zone?)

Weights: Yes or No

Nutrition Log: Yes or NO

You may add other details in your post, but if you can remember, please keep them seperate from the above format so it makes it easier for me to read and track your points!

What points? You get 1 point for each of the 3 objectives you are shooting for daily!

HOW do I know what my THR zone is????

We will use a variation based on the scientifcally proven method called "The Karvonen Formular"...the accurate method (unless your heart is smaller or larger than 'normal' or medications you take affect your HR), used by Fitness Professionals and endorsed by the American Council On Exercize (ACE). The formular is adjusted for ease of use and does NOT consider your Resting Heart rate as the longer method does; however it is used as a good predictor of how hard you are working.

The simplified method (not taking resting heart rate into consideration) is this:

 220 BPM (a newborn HR)
- __ YOUR age

=__ YOUR Predicted Maximal Heart Rate

NOW, since you know that number...

 ___ Your Maximal HR                                       ___ Your Maximal HR
x 70% Lower training zone                               x 80% Higher training zone

= Minimum Herat Rate for your training           = Maximum Number

You should be within this range for a safe and effective workout!

Using MYSELF as an example:

  220 Newborn                        169                   169
-   51 My age                          x 70%               x 80%
=169 My Maximal HR            =118 BPM         =135 BPM      (BPM= Beats Per Minute)

I should be between 118-135 beats per minute.

So...That is the range of how many heart beats per minute I should have during my w/o session.

NOW....to easily calculate you BPM, if you count the entire minute, your HR wil drop and you will not get an accutate number AND you cannot be still for that long while in the cardio zone.

So what you do is to take a 10 second account and mulitpy by 6 = 1 minute assesment!

My formular would be a 10second count between 20-23 BPM (20x6=112, 23x6=138...close enough!)

If you are nor use to doing this method...believe me, copy this off, calculate it until you have the answers and it will sink-in. Once you have your 10 second count, all you need to do is remember the range and multiply your numer by 6 (to get the 1 minute totla beats) and there you have it!

That being said...here is our ..,

Challenge Members:

Bobbie
Brittany
Carol Joy
Carol
Jane
Jayne
Kari
Kathy
Linda
Melissa
Sharon
Skye

12 members total! The "healthy dozen!"

Good luck, plan ahead, be positive, and enjoy your month!

Your "hot-heart" coach,
Carol Joy

p.s. Now get out there and SWEAT!!!!

Sounds awesome!! Can't wait!!  my computer is getting a new motherboard so hopefully I can post using my husbands laptop...also hoping the storm Eduardo doesn't come our way....

melissa

Cardio: 40 minutes; THR = Yes (estimate at least 20 minutes of the time) - 1 point

My target heart rate is 113 to 129; I didn't check it today during exercise because I didn't read the challenge until tonight.  Since I have trouble counting my pulse while I'm moving, I use the target heart rate on either the elliptical machine or on a watch that I have that reads out my target heart rate (which, interestingly, always reads out about 5 beats lower than the target heart rate on the elliptical machines!). 

Weights: Yes - about 20 min. attended a "Secure and Fit" Class and worked with weights for arms, back, quads and glutes. - 1 point

Nutrition Log: Yes - 1,440/56 - 1 point

Carol Joy - I like this challenge.  It emphasizes important things that can help all of us lose weight and firm up.  Thanks for all you do to help all of us!

All - I han't taken any Alli since December.  Late last month, I bought a bottle and I've been taking it daily with my main meal and it seems to be helping.  Last month I lost 2 lbs.  I had been on a weight plateau for 3 months, so it felt good to lose a little weight.  Last month I lost an inch from my waist (which surprised me since I only lost two lbs.).  For the first time in my 2 years of weight loss, I bought a pair of pants that was one size smaller than I've been wearing!  (I actually bought my usual size, tried them on at home and discoverd they were "droopy drawers" on me; if I wore them, I'd walk on the ends of the pants legs.  I took them back to the store and the sales clerk suggested I try the next smaller size.  I was very happy when the smaller size fit!).  I hope everyone has a good week and much success with this challenge!

Jane

 kathy  reporting for monday

  cardio bike  to from work   thr--dont think so

treadmill 2 degrees 45 minutes 2.4 miles    warm up..walk brisk 3.5 mph.. every 1/10 mile i alternated jogging@5 mph with walking 3,5 mph... thr for 35 minutes of it (warm up and cool down)

no weights today

nutrition on target 1630 cals/48 f/g 1 point

carol joy....i am on a beta blocker that does not allow my heart rate to go past 133  no matter how hard or fast or strenously i work out..  i can hold a fairly steady 130 when i get going.. my normal heart rate is around 58..so it is what it is...i always wondered if that had something to do with why its so hard for me to lose weight

reporting for Monday Aug. 4th

Cardio: 30 minutes - treadmill, THR = Yes THR-108-153   (Did you check it thru-out your session to be sure you are in the zone?) I stayed between 130 and 135 during my walking.

Weights:  No

Nutrition Log: Yes 1830/58

TOTAL = 2 pts

Skye68

Cardio: Minutes, THR = yes  (walked for 50 minutes and I know I had my heart pounding, my walk was before reading the post, so I didn't check my rate, but I know I usually get it up there.)   1 point

Weights: No 

Nutrition Log: Yes 1 point 

Jane, congratulations on the size smaller!!! 

Have a great day!!

Carol

Cardio: 30 min bootcamp video THR: yes

Weights: not today

Nutrition: yes

Kari

Cardio: 45 min (have to do at least 37 as part of nextphase), in THR - Yes - 1pt

Weights - not today

Nutrition Log - 1480/41 - yes - 1pt

Total of 2 points for 8/4/08.

Jane - congrats on your loss!

Hope everyone has an absolutely wonderful day!!!

Cardio- 87 minutes... THR no... ) 0 Point I don't know if I need work on this, or if I just won't ever get there. I hadf to stop walking to take my pulse... otherwise all I could count was the pounding of my feet... so I'll purchase a heart rate monitor. Also, I've been on a BP medication for over 15 years that also slows and regulates my heart rate. my resting heart rate has dropped below 40 so it's had to be decreased over time, but my normal pulse runs in the 50s now... I walked over 5 miles yesterday and know I'm close to a 15 minute mile, and I do get my heart pounding. So  I will stay in the challenge. Are there any suggested modifications to the formula for medications?

Calorie/fat target- 1 point

Weights- I chose Tuesday and Thursday as my weight days.

Sharon

Cardio: 20 min within THR - Yes - 1pt

Weights - Yes, large muscle groups on weight machines, approx 30 min. - 1 pt

Nutrition Log - 1490/71 - yes - 1pt

Total of 3 points for 8/5/08.

I'm a little confused on strenth training.  I try to get to a "Secure and Fit" AARP class at the Y twice a week and most weeks I make it there one of the two days.  In the class we do some cardio, strength training, balance and stretching.  Yesterday the instructor had quite a bit of emphasis on weights but most of it was upper body work using light weights.  Today I used the weight machines which is considerably heavier weights working large muscle groups.  I realize that one shouldn't weight train the same areas two days in a row. Since the two workouts are yotally different, so I've never considered them as re-using the same muscles for my work out two days in a row.  So I'd like to do one of my strength training days on the weekend (usually Sunday) and one mid-week (usually Thursday), but I'd also like to continue to do the "Secure and Fit" workouts when I can make it that class.

Jayne and Carol - Thanks for the congrats and good wishes.

Jane

report for monday aug 4th

2 pts.....1pt nutriton 1 pt for cardio 30 min thr

report for tues aug 5th

2pts    1 pt nutrition 1 pt weights....

melissa

 kathy reporting for tuesday

8/5

nutrition.. right on 1 point

cardio--eliptical 30 mins   almost 3 miles ..heart rate after warm up 128-130 1 point

weights..yes  45 minutes of using weight machines getting even more hot and sweaty 1 point

3 total

Good morning girls!!!

I just got off the phone with Carol Joy, and she wanted me to let you all know, she has computer problems again!!!  So, she might be off the thread for a couple of days.  But........ here are her results for the past couple of days:

Monday - 2 points
Nutrition - yes
Cardio - yes
Weights - no

Tuesday - 3 points
Nutrition - yes
Cardio - yes
Weights - yes

Keep up the great workouts!!!

Carol  (posting for Carol Joy)

Hi again.... Now my results for Tuesday:

Nutrition - yes
Weights - no
Cardio - yes

Total - 2 points

I had all intentions of going to Curves yesterday for my circuit/weight workout, but a friend came by and stayed 2 1/2 hours.  We hadn't seen each other for almost 30 years, so we had a lot to talk about.  I was still able to get in a good walk though, a little later in the day, but able to do my cardio part.

Have a great day everyone!!

Carol

Good Morning Everyone!

• Cardio - yes 1pt
• Weights - no
• Nutrition - yes 1pt
• total 2 points