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Fit Tips for December

The end of the year is almost here! For some of us that means staying the course, keep hammering out the work to reach our year end goals, but for others that might mean allowing yourself to wind down a bit over the holidays and let go of some goals that didn't happen this year.

Either way, we'll talk more about goals next month with the New Year! *hint hint* But for today, we'll talk about why bringing down the intensity sometimes is a good idea!

Zone 2 Training

It’s ok to take the intensity down & there’s actually some good reason for it too! HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is all the rage with cardio right now, but taking it easy and lowering the intensity some can be great for your heart and your training!

Zone 2 training (Z2T) is a topic that’s becoming popular training style in the running community, but it’s super helpful in other areas of performance and cardio health alike!

🏃🏼What’s Zone 2 Training?

• Cardio Zones - As you age your maximal heart rate decreases, so Zone 2 depends on your age. Z2 is 60-69% of your HR Max (HRmax = 220 - your age, then x.60 or x.69), check out the table for your HR range! Today we're focused in on Z2, for an overview & some cardio myths, check out this Fit Tips article!

• LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) - implies a lower heart rate maintained over a longer time & Zone 2 training falls into this category! Typically, Z2T is done for anywhere between 5 minutes to multiple hours during endurance events.
• Aerobic Base - “Aerobic” refers to your aerobic metabolism and its ability to efficiently get, deliver, & use oxygen during exercise. So, an Aerobic Base is the engine that your high intensity cardio, power, and overall fitness level are built upon. Basically, the more efficient your engine is, the more your performance and health will improve overall!

❤️‍🔥How Does It Help?

• Heart Health - With Z2T your heart and cardiovascular system become more efficient at transporting blood and oxygen throughout the body & the body builds more mitochondria and capillaries in the muscles which ultimately lower resting HR, blood pressure, increases VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen the body can transport - a good indicator of heart efficiency & health), and a variety of other benefits!
• Increased Threshold - Your “threshold” is the point when your HR & breathing start to spike and lactate starts accumulating in the blood, but if you stay below that threshold you can typically maintain that intensity comfortably for a while. Z2T increases that threshold over time to work more comfortably at higher intensities.
• Better Endurance - Endurance is the foundation of a well-rounded athlete, there are very few sports or activities in life where you only need to do an exercise or event once or for short bursts of power (like 1 rep maxing or sprinting). For most things in life & fitness, endurance is the foundation that we build on. The stronger that foundation is, the better everything else will be!

Goals for December

Ok, I lied, we still have our monthly goals to work on here!

Pick 2 things you want to focus on or improve this month! Here's my goals for an example...

• Take a break from DEKA training and focus on exercises and activities I really enjoy.
• Use my workouts to de-stress from the holiday craziness. I love taking workout or walking breaks while visiting family to have intentional time with them or for myself.
• While cooking, decorating, & in off time catch up on my audiobooks (& make intentional time for reading physical books too!)

What are your goals this month?

Last Month on YouTube...

I only got 3 videos done this past month because of the holiday, but I also got a new camera & editing software! I'm so excited to level up the quality of my videos for y'all!

DEKA Strategy for Zone 9: the Tank & Zone 10: Ram Burpee Watch Here

Building My Home Gym On A Budget ep5: Foam Rollers Watch Here

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How to Train for Your First DEKA Race Watch Here

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December Workout

Building Your Base in Zone 2!

Hit the gym or find an activity where you can sustain your Zone 2 HR during work periods! If you don’t have a HR monitor, Zone 2 is when breathing is getting a bit harder so you can still talk but only a sentence at a time.

(Try a brisk walk, running, cycling, or rowing! This is also a great time to catch up on an audiobook or your fav pod!)

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Warm-up with some foam rolling or dynamic stretches!

1. Round 1: 5 minutes work (rest 2 minutes)
2. Round 2: 10 minutes work (rest 2 minutes)
3. Round 3: 10 minutes work
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Cool down with stretching, and/or foam rolling.
*Modify each exercise as needed

These monthly workouts are fun to throw into your routine, but they're not a complete training program!

​Check Out Program Options Here!​

And that's about it! I'll wrap up the year with a great big thank you for everyone who's supported me this year as I've been working to get my YouTube channel & online coaching business off the ground! Thanks for being a part of Fit Tips and supporting me as we take on this fitness journey together!

See ya next year!👋🏼

Speak with you soon,

Katie

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