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Cardiovascular fitness & vo2max

Cardiovascular fitness is often measured in VO2max and you often hear that floating around. It’s basically your body’s capacity to carry oxygen throughout your body. Higher VO2max is better and is linked to many positive health outcomes like living longer, less chronic disease, better quality of life etc. There are different norms based on your sex and age. 

How do I know what my VO2max is? You could go get it measured in a lab which is time consuming, expensive, and not accessible but good news is there are other ways to estimate it on your own! One example is the 12-minute run test. Basically, you run as fast and as far as you can in 12 minutes and see how far you get. Then you can look up tables to show you where you are at in terms of your sex, age, and how far you ran in that time, and it’ll estimate your VO2max anywhere from poor – fair - good – excellent – superior. Most people should aim to be in good – excellent for their age category, in my opinion, and it’s very doable with consistent movement. The superior category is for those that are athletes or those that are genetically blessed so no need to make that a goal unless you really feel the need. The test is also called the Cooper’s Test – check it out!

When it comes to training to improve your VO2max, here are a few things to consider. All the rage right now is training in different ‘zones’. No different than strength training at a certain percentage of your 1 rep max or measuring your RPE or RIR (if you don’t know what these are take a look back at a few posts to explain!), you want to train at different percentages of your VO2max. Zone 1 is 50-60% of your max HR (RPE 1-2), zone 2 is 60-70% of your max HR (RPE 2-3), zone 3 is 70-80% of your max HR (RPE 4-6), zone 4 if 80-90% of your max HR (RPE 7-8) and zone 5 is 90-100% of your max HR (RPE 9-10). When we refer to the physical activity guidelines, to get health benefits we need to be working at a moderate to vigorous intensity which would be for most a zone 2-3 (more of the moderate range). For athletes or those with specific training goals or when doing HIIT training, that’s when we’re working at a zone 4-5. There are some benefits to working in that higher intensity zone but for the most part working in zone 2-3, especially if you’re newer to fitness, is a great start. If you’re only ever working in zone 1, you’re likely missing out on some of the benefits of aerobic training. 

One thing I will add, many people miss the forest for the trees. What I mean by that is people get all excited about the newest gadget, the best workout clothes and want the perfect math for their strength training or aerobic workout plans. YOU HAVE TO SHOW UP FIRST. Most people are not nearly consistent enough to begin with that - just showing up should be the first goal. Make your fitness routine a consistent habit for longer than 2 weeks before looking to perfect your 1RM percentages or working about which zone you’re working out in. The math really matters for the higher-level athletes but for the average person we just need to be consistent and worry about the details later. The difference between working in zone 2 or zone 3 or doing 2 HIIT workouts vs 3 in a week really don’t matter if you can’t show up consistently to begin with. That’s where most people should focus their energy and know that regardless of their math specifics, showing up and putting in effort will get them results. Get to 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous aerobic training and then get gritty about details. By getting to 150 minutes, you’re beating just about everyone already!!

physical activity guidelines

85% of Canadians DO NOT meet the required physical activity guidelines. 

Canadian and American physical activity guidelines are based on a lot of research to help us have a target of how much physical activity we should be doing weekly to prevent the incidence of non-communicable chronic disease. 

Basically, if you hit these amounts of exercise, you’re less likely to die prematurely, get heart disease, type 2 diabetes, have high blood pressure, osteoporosis, certain kinds of cancers and the list goes on. 

Here they are:

💪🏻 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity 

💪🏻 Strength training 2x/week

💪🏻 Getting 7-9 hours of sleep/night

💪🏻 Limiting sedentary and screen time

weight loss

This is a big topic and an ongoing conversation with lots of different exceptions and nuance so we’re gonna break it down one step at a time.

Bottom line is to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume. Calories in Vs. Calories out. Period. 

A guy ate twinkies every day for way too long to prove you can lose weight eating ‘bad’ food because he ate less calories in twinkies than he burned. Recommended? No. Did he prove a point? Yes. 

What I wanted to cover today was ‘how do I know how many calories I burn?’

Try this calculation below based on your sex, feel free to add the activity multiplier and you’ll get a rough estimate. Most fitness watches will also give you a baseline. Then you can track on an app like my macros or my fitness pal to see how much you eat in a day and do the math! If you want to gain weight you need to eat more than your baseline, lose weight eat less and to maintain, eat about the same. No calculation is spot on, neither will your measuring but also keep in mind we often overestimate how active we are and underestimate how much we actually eat in a day.

Men: (10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) - (5 x age) + 5

Women: (10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) - (5 x age) - 161

Activity multiplier 

Sedentary x 1.2

Light activity x 1.375

Moderate activity x 1.55

Very Active x 1.725

Very Very Active x 1.9

(Metric system - kg and cm)

supplements

Studies show in the states that 75% of people said they took a supplement in the last year. That’s great right?! That means people are thinking about their health - which may be true but it’s an industry worth getting educated about.

The supplement industry isn’t as tightly regulated as the pharmaceutical industry. In the states, products can go to market before being tested then they’re monitored once they hit the shelves and get tested for banned substances and contamination. And shockingly, they found 20% of products were contaminated (had banned substances like pharmaceuticals) and 30-50% were mislabeled (had products that they didn’t disclose). Yikes! And those are just the ones they caught. 

Now, the good news is in Canada it’s a bit different - but it doesn’t make it much better. Before supplements hit the shelf they must be approved by Health Canada and make a health claim, however, that claim doesn’t need to be backed by scientific evidence or be tested so … I don’t know if that really makes it much better?? So how do we know what we’re taking it’s sufficient, proven and safe? 

Certain companies will pay for third party testing to get their products professionally verified before they hit the market. That means they will likely cost more but they will guarantee their product isn’t contaminated and isn’t mislabeled. If you participate in a drug tested sport (like Olympians) they will definitely only take products that have this testing. You can look for certifications like NSF, Informed Sport or USP certifications which will be legitimate. If they don’t have those certifications, buyer beware. Claims like ‘all natural’ and ‘doctor recommended’ are as good as your neighbour saying they liked it - it’s not regulated unless it’s been third party tested. And also know that no matter what claim a supplement may make, certified or not, nothing is guaranteed. You get what you pay for in a lot of instances and if you’re doing it to better your health why wouldn’t you invest in the best?

what makes a good trainer?

Part of what inspired me to start offering personal training services was that people often couldn’t find a reputable trainer that was accessible to their needs (cost, location, time etc.)

The fitness industry is not regulated. Some trainers have taken on tons of training and have an extensive education and experience in the field and others ‘had a 6-pack once’ or took a weekend course. How do you know?! What do you look for in a good trainer?! 

CSEP-CEP (Certified Exercise Physiologist) is considered the gold standard in the industry requiring a degree with specific courses and passing a written and practical exam. The CSEP also had a CPT designation (Certified Personal Trainer) that also requires a degree and passing exams. In my opinion, these are phenomenal credentials. Additionally, there are other great courses and education offered through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). Lastly, university degrees in Kinesiology/Exercise Science/Physical Education and the like are awesome. Don’t be afraid to ask your trainer what their experience and education is - it matters and if you’re going to be paying for a service, you should know!

Now, with all that said and done, just because someone has lots of letters after their name doesn’t guarantee they’ll be a good fit. You need to find someone who you enjoy working with, who can help you reach your goals, your personalities work, their services match your needs (timing, location, cost etc.) and that might take time to figure out. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

how much should i lift?

The national guidelines recommend doing strength training 2x/week. The hard part with those guidelines is that’s really all of the information they provide. It’s a start but here’s some more helpful information to answer the common questions - how much do I lift/is it heavy enough/how many times do I need to lift?

In a strength training session, you want to address multiple muscle groups. There are tons of exercises out there to try and if you want to know which ones and how to split them etc, that’s where a professional comes in because it can be more complicated than ‘do these 5 exercises and it’ll be fine’. It’s a hard topic because I don’t want to make it complicated because lifting anything is a great start but there can also be some attention to planning and detail depending on your goals.

Generally speaking, a good way to know if you’re lifting enough is:

  1. You shouldn’t have pain

  2. Your form should be good and you should have control in your movements 

    If those two things hold true then you know you’re lifting enough to make strength gains using one of these 2 metrics:

  • RIR (reps in reserve): how many repetitions I could still do after my set

  • RPE (rate of perceived exertion): how hard was that?

Let’s say you’re doing bicep curls with 10lbs weights. To gain muscle and strength you want to lift it 8-12 times so for ease let’s say you choose 10 repetitions and 2-3 sets of that is great. When you get to the 10th repetition you should feel as though you put in an effort of about 6-8/10 on the effort scale (RPE) or have 2-3 repetitions left in the tank (RIR). It’s approximate but this should give you an idea of if you’re lifting ‘enough’. You won’t always hit that every time and there’s some trial and error needed but hopefully this helps!

pregnancy & exercise myths

Ok, let's debunk some pregnancy and exercise myths...

#1: It isn't safe to exercise over a heart rate of 140 beats per minute

Truth: there is no evidence to suggest that it is dangerous to exercise over a heart rate of 140 beats per minute. They came up with that number to keep women from exercising "too hard" and 140bpm is usually moderate level activity because there hasn't been many studies of women who are pregnant exercising at a higher intensity level - but it is in the works and so far, it seems perfectly safe for most women.

#2: If you weren't exercising before, you shouldn't start after becoming pregnant

Truth: this is totally false. Everyone would benefit from exercise, especially pregnant women regardless of their starting point. There's so much evidence to support better health for mom and baby if you're exercising. 

#3: It is normal to pee a little when you run/jump/sneeze after pregnancy

Truth: this is also false. Although common, it doesn't mean it needs to be normal and accepted. There are many ways you can solve this problem for most women - go see your pelvic floor certified physiotherapist!!!

#4: If you've had a c-section, you can't develop urinary incontinence

Truth: Unfortunately, you can still develop urinary incontinence. The rate is lower but still very possible due to the changes in your body during pregnancy. Again, go see your pelvic floor physio for help!!!

#5: You can't exercise your abs while you're pregnant

Truth: This is also false...hence why this is addressing myths! You can exercise your abs however, you may have to change your exercise selection to avoid putting too much pressure on your abdominal muscles, if you're starting to experience diastasis recti and just due to the size of your belly at a certain point.

#6: If you develop an absolute contraindication, you should limit your daily physical activity as much as possible

Truth: it depends. Everyone's situation is different depending on your condition and this is definitely a reason to tie into your medical team. There are definitely situations where women have to stop exercising but their regular daily activities are ok. There are very few situations where bedrest is indicated and it's rare. Again, tie in to your medical team and ask questions!

#7: You shouldn't exercise while you're breastfeeding

Truth: False! The concern here is expending too much energy which would lead to less milk production but this isn't actually true in the research. Stay hydrated, eat well and move your body!

I'd like to finish this post by saying everyone's situation is different and this isn't definitive health advice. Always check with your medical team for advice related to your situation and if you need help - seek out help! Don't know where to start with exercising? Reach out! Want to know which exercises are safe to do? I got you! Need advice or a referral? I will do my very best to support you!