heart rate variability, HRV4Training, and you!

a couple weeks ago i did a post on HRV4Training, which is a tool I use to track my own heart rate variability and it seems like people were pretty interested in what that was and how to use it. 

 so let's start with the basics: 

 what's heart rate variability??

basically, it is the variation of time between heartbeats. its measured by the variation in the beat to beat intervals. hrv is the seconds measured between the heart beats. 

just think, if your heart rate is at 60 bpm, your heart isn't beating every second on the dot, it's got variability between each beat, and that's what is being measured. 

so why does that matter

 HRV is a system triggered by our body in response that stressors in our life and body. 

 a higher HRV has been associated with a higher quality of life. and likewise, a low HRV is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. 

in a normal healthy person, your HRV should increase during relaxing activities/times. and when your body is under stress your HRV will decrease. 

(Important to note that your health is not CAUSED by your HRV, it's a correlation. It really brings to light the health and stress issues that are effecting your HRV)

And your HRV will pretty much definitely change every single day depending on a bunch of factors from your life. Did you sleep well? Did you train hard? Did you eat well? Have you been sick? Are you on your period? How fatigued and sore are you? All of this can and will effect your HRV. 

so monitoring where your HRV is at is helpful so you can know where your body is at. if you're monitoring your HRV, you're gonna be able to see actual evidence if your body is depleted, stressed, or overloaded and be able to make those adjustments accordingly so your training can be at the top of your abilities AND so your life is at a high quality. And you can know (with actual scientific evidence) that you need to take a break. 

  how do you track HRV? 

i use an app called HRV4TRAINING. an app for your phone. I haven't had any experience with other apps or their processes so I'm just gonna  talk about that app and how to use it. and I'm sure there's a way to do it without an app, but that's also not something I have experience with so I'm not gonna address it. Though my sources below may have some more information for you. 

 ANYWAY~ this app is great and very easy to use. First thing in the morning, before I even get out of bed, i measure my HRV. with this app you just put your finger over the front light bulb and it measures your heart rate & heart rate variability. you can go for 30-60 seconds and then it'll tell you if your reading was optimal along with what your HRV is. Then you fill out a bunch of tags, like rating your sleep, how much sleep you got, how intense your workout was the day before, what kind of workout you did the day  before, what motivation is at to train today, how sore you are, lifestyle stability, alcohol intake, etc. Then based on all of that, it'll tell you whether or not you should limit intensity, proceed as planned, or go hard that day. 

 And that, for me, is awesome. Because I have a tendency to over train and tracking my HRV has helped me have evidence that tells me that I need to take a break and recover and take care of myself. 

 the other thing HRV4TRAINING does that's cool is compiles all that data you input in. so you can get info on training load analysis, correlations, acute changes, trends, and summaries. Just a lot of information at your disposal. Because HRV is so variable and there's no single "good" or "bad" HRV it's nice to have all this data to know where you stand. 

so for me, HRV4TRAINING and measuring my Heart Rate Variability has been really great for my own training. 

there is A LOT of information out there and it can be pretty overwhelming. I read through a bunch of resources listed below so if you're wanting to read up more on HRV check out the links below. 

If you have any questions let me know! Send me a message over on my email at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com or my Instagram or Facebook page! Or leave a comment below! 

If you want to work on some fitness goals, drop me a line and we can get you going on a program, in person or online!  

sources: 

https://www.hrv4training.com/blog/interpreting-hrv-trends

https://www.hrv4training.com/blog/heart-rate-variability-normal-values

https://www.hrv4training.com/blog/heart-rate-variability-a-primer

https://medium.com/@marco_alt/on-heart-rate-variability-and-the-apple-watch-24f50e8e7bc0

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heart-rate-variability-new-way-track-well-2017112212789

https://blog.ouraring.com/blog/heart-rate-variability-basics/

https://www.firstbeat.com/en/blog/what-is-heart-rate-variability-hrv/

What is: metabolic conditioning?

on some of my posts for workouts and finishers you'll see hashtags for #metabolicconditioning or #metcon (its abbreviation). and you may be wondering, what the heck is that?

 well let me tell you!

the most simple definition is that metabolic conditioning is basically workouts that are structured around increasing the storage and delivery of energy for any activity. and what the heck does that even mean? WELL when you start exercising you are making your body more efficient in using energy (which is why you get faster and stronger, like, the workout you did from your very first workout would be much easier if you did it 6 months later). Metabolic conditioning are  workouts designed to increase your strength and metabolism fast and efficiently; think HIIT (high intensity internal training) or CrossFit or circuit training. Metabolic conditioning is a lot of compound movements (squats, deadlifts, pushes, and presses) in a compact time frame with minimal rest periods. This not only increases your strength, but also your cardiovascular endurance! 

and WHY should you be doing them? 

to be honest, for all the reasons I talked about above!

want to get strong?  

metcons! 

want to increase your cardio?  

metcons!!  

 don't have a lot of time!? 

metcons!!!  

now that I've answered every easy question, seriously, metabolic conditioning is a time efficient way to get it all done! 

They're highly versatile exercises that can incorporate just about any piece (or no pieces) of equipment that you have. They can be just a few minutes or longer if you need/want. 

would I do a metabolic conditioning workout for every single workout that I do?  

Nope! They are usually pretty high intensity and will wear your muscles out and will make you sore, so you should definitely let your body rest and recover between high intensity sessions.

But it is a genuinely great type of workout to add into your training routine on a regular basis! Maybe add in a EMOM (every minute on the minute) or AMRAP (as many rounds/reps as possible) at the end of your training session to really push yourself at the end of a workout or maybe have a conditioning workout day!   

And it depends on what your goals are too! Like, if you're training for a powerlifting meet... Maybe metcons won't be a regular occurrence in your regimine. And if you're specifically training for events, specify your equipment or the conditioning to that! 

SO what are some metabolic conditioning workouts?  

Any movement can be transformed into a metcon workout! It's all about rests and sets! 

Try this one on for size: 

AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible) in 10 mins

use a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells (or both!) 

goblet squat × 10  / renegade rows × 10 / lateral weighted lunges × 10 / overhead press × 10 / mountain climbers × 20 

if ya do it, let me know how many rounds you got on my Instagram or my Facebook page! If you make a post about it, tag me so I can share!  Or send me an email over at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com!  

And check out any of my social media for regular workouts that you can do! 

If you're looking for more specific training, drop me a line and let's get you set up with a program that's suited for your needs! I do in person and online training!  

And if you're around, come check me out over at Edge in San Marcos and take a kettlbell class with me on Wednesday at 4 pm and/or Friday at 7:30 am!  

WHAT ARE: isometrics

all of last month I posted about plyometric exercises and why they are important. this month we are changing it up and doing the opposite. Isometrics!!

so what are isometric exercises?

they are a contraction of a particular muscle or muscle group. during isometric exercises you won't be noticeably moving the muscles and the joints are not moving at all. you are holding in a static position while contracting your muscles.  this is a change from typical exercises where you are going through eccentric and concentric muscle contractions.

you are essentially, making your muscles work against an immovable object (a wall, your own body, the ground, etc).

holding positions sounds easy enough, but you are not just holding still, you're contracting your muscles to full tension. which gets real tough, real fast!

why should I do isometrics?

through isometrics you can increase strength and can rebuild strength in injured muscle groups with less of a chance of further injuring a muscle. 

isometric exercises are also great for beginners and elderly people. isometric exercises are low impact so just about anyone can do them.

and not to mention, they are so convenient. zero equipment (usually) and minimal space. no excuse workouts!

isometrics are also a great compliment to HIIT workouts, because you're moving (or holding, rather) your muscles in a different way.

so what are some of these isometric exercises?

think of some yoga moves, where you're holding a position. or planks!
 

even better, you can follow me on Instagram and facebook cause I will be posting new isometric exercises all throughout the month of May! personally, I don't incorporate a wide variety of isometrics in my workout routine so I am looking forward to adding some diversity in my routine! join me this month and tag me in your attempts of the moves this month. or if you need some more guidance, you can shoot me an email at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com and we can discuss getting you set up on a personalized program!