Threshold and adherence

Many times we come to the gym or a studio for workout after a hectic working day, exhausted and with low glycogen levels. It is a will or a trainer or a scary thought of we getting fat , or a commitment which makes us reach the gym and to start with warm up. As we progress with workout a time comes when we realize that, ” I could do this work out better in last session but today m not able to complete it”.

What we do in such situations is , we stop the activity and give up and next time when we come across the same situation, we remember this incidence and we skip the workout. Frequency of skipping the session increases by the time and results in stopping the exercise completely for longer period of time. Ultimately we become unfit.

We need to understand few things to avoid this problem.

Positive experiences of exercise are very much important for adherence to exercise.
Even a single negative experience can ruin your consistency in workout if you are a beginner.

Reasons we can’t do the workout as good as we have done in last sessions are

low glycogen levels
exhaustion due to work
stress developed in mind and body because of the work and profession
“a thought of just to complete workout as a formality and taking insufficient rest in between and making hurry (Asia lagta k kab khatam karke ghar jau aur so jau) ” This happens not only in case of beginers but many times a regular exercise also experience this.

This thought unknowingly increases the speed of the movements which is not good as it may cause an injury.

5) as the above mentioned things happen, we reach lactate threshold early than the regular time.

The concept of Lactate threshold

Lactate threshold is an intensity where the rate of accumulation of lactic acid in blood goes faster than it can be removed. We reach this state usually when the Heart rate goes 85% of maximum heart rate or at 75% of maximal oxygen uptake.
When we try or tend to complete the workout as a formality or hurry , we unknowingly reach this state early than the regular session as we take less rest in between ( between 2 sets or circuits etc. ) The insufficient rest intervals slower the rate of lactate removal from the blood, which makes us stop the workout and the story of inconsistency begins.

Some tips to avoid these problems.

Always have a pre workout meal to refill the glycogen and to increase levels which are already down in such situations.
. Maintain sufficient water levels in body.
Make sure your heart rate is normal before you start with ecercise, if not then sit for a while let it come to normal and then start with warm up followed by workout.
It is very much important to take sufficient rest while working out, so don’t think about completing the workout fast or running after completing the workout but focus on every set, rep or circuit because another bad consequence you can experience is a musculoskeletal injury as the speed of the movements become increases unknowingly and unnecessarily.
. Whenever necessary, reduce the intensity and volume of the workout (weight-heart rate, sets-repetition-duration) keeping format of workout the same.

Good training creates positive experience of exercise , positive experience of exercise gives you a motivation, motivation brings adherence,
And Adherence to physical activity makes us fit
So remember this post whenever you find yourself in a similar situation.

With best wishes to all

Mohit V Deshpande

SMV Fitness.

Threshold and adherence

aPLS Admin