Chapter 8
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Training
Objectives
• After this presentation, the participant will be able to:
– Define and describe the components associated with
cardiorespiratory training.
– Describe how various physiological systems respond
and adapt to cardiorespiratory training.
– Describe the health-related benefits associated with
cardiorespiratory fitness.
– Describe current guidelines and recommendations for
prescribing safe and effective cardiorespiratory
exercise to apparently healthy individuals.
– Perform and instruct appropriate cardiorespiratory
techniques.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
• Cardiorespiratory Fitness
– Reflects the ability of the circulatory and respiratory
systems to supply oxygen-rich blood to skeletal
muscles during sustained physical activity
– Cardiorespiratory fitness is vitally important to health
and wellness as well as to the ability to engage in
normal activities of daily living
Scientific Rationale
• Integrated cardiorespiratory training is a way of
planning training programs that systematically progress
clients through various stages to achieve optimal levels
of physiological, physical, and performance adaptations
by placing stress on the cardiorespiratory system.
– Benefits are numerous, health benefits can be gained
from moderate intensity exercise
– Lack of cardiorespiratory fitness associated with
disease and mortality
Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Training
• Each exercise training session should also
include the following phases:
– Warm-up phase
– Conditioning phase
– Cool-down phase
Warm-up
• Prepares the body for physical activity
– General
• Movements that do not necessarily have any
movement specific to the actual activity to be
performed
– Specific
• Movements that more closely mimic those of the
actual activity
Warm-up
• Benefits
– Increase heart and respiratory rate
– Increase tissue temperature
– Prepare client psychologically for exercise
• Practical Application
– Cardiorespiratory portion of a warm-up should
last 5–10 minutes* at a low-to-moderate
intensity. It can include foam rolling and
stretching as well.
Conditioning Phase
• Cardiorespiratory fitness is engaged in for
a variety of purposes and improves many
aspects of health some benefits include:
– Stronger and more efficient heart
– Improved ability to pump blood (enhanced
cardiac output)
– Reduced risk of heart disease
– Lower resting heart rate
Cool-down
• Provides the body with a smooth transition from
exercise back to a steady state of rest.
• Benefits
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Possible improved flexibility
Removal of waste by-products via the blood
Minimize muscle soreness
Allow cardiorespiratory system to respond to lower
demand
– Avoid dizziness or possible fainting
– Provide an emotional balance after exercise stress
Cool-down: Practical Application
• For an individual performing cardiorespiratory
exercise for an extended period of time:
– Decrease the intensity of the exercise and work at this
lowered intensity for 5–10 minutes.
• Flexibility is also an important component in the
cool-down for relaxation purposes and to restore
muscles back to original resting lengths.
– Corrective stretching (self-myofascial release and static
stretching)
Workout
• Benefits of Cardiorespiratory Activities or Exercise
– Decreases
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Daily fatigue
Anxiety
Depression
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
Hypertension
Non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
Cancer
Osteoporosis
Obesity
General Guidelines
General Guidelines
• Any form of training must have certain
guidelines to allow for the development of
a proper program
• FITTE factors
– Frequency
– Intensity
– Time
– Type
– Enjoyment
General Guidelines
• Frequency
– The number of training sessions or activity
sessions for a given time frame
• Intensity
– The level of demand the activity places on the
body
General Guidelines
• Time
– The length of time engaged in the activity
• Type
– The mode or activity used
– Virtually any activity
• Enjoyment
– The amount of pleasure derived from the
activity
Methods for Prescribing Intensity
• There are several methods for prescribing
intensity which include:
– Peak VO2 Method
– Peak Maximal Heart Rate (MHR) Method (Zone
Training)
– Ratings of Perceived Exertion Method (Scale of 1-10
how hard is the cardiorespiratory exercise)
– Talk Test Method (If they can complete a sentence
without taking a breath, they pass the talk test
[typically used for special populations like
hypertension])
Training Modalities
• Stage Training
– Three-stage programming system
– Stages mimic the three stages of training seen in the OPT™
model.
– Note: For Stage III it is important to know the heart rate
percentage is between 86-90%*
Stage Training
• Stage I
– Target HR of 65-75% HRmax or 12-13 of RPE
– Should be able to hold a conversation during exercise
– Clients who perform cardio respiratory training 2 to 3 times
per week will be ready for Stage Two once they can
maintain Zone One heart rate for at least 30 minutes.*
Stage II
• For the intermediate client who has built a good
cardiorespiratory base and will use heart rate zones
one and two (65–85%).
• Focus is on increasing the workload (speed, incline,
level) in a way that will help the client alter heart rate
in and out of each zone.
• Training in the heart rate in Stage 2 improves the
anaerobic threshold* needed for the workout styles
in the strength level of the OPT™ model.
• This zone requires individuals to train near their
anaerobic threshold*
Stage II
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Stage II is the introduction to interval training.
Start by warming up in zone one (65–75%) for 5–10 minutes.
Move into a 1-minute interval in zone two (76–85%). Gradually increase the
workload to raise the heart rate up to the zone two within that minute. Once the
heart rate reaches 76-85% of maximum heart rate, maintain it for the rest of that
minute.
After the 1-minute interval, return to zone one
Repeat this if the client has time and can recover back into the zone one range.
The most important part of the interval is to recover back to zone one in
between the intervals.
Stage III
• For the advanced client who has built a
very good cardiorespiratory base and will
use heart rate zones one, two, and three.
• Focus is on further increasing the
workload (speed, incline, level) in a way
that will help the client alter heart rate in
and out of all three zones.
• Increases the capacity of the energy
systems needed at the power level of the
OPT™ model.
Stage III
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Warm up in zone one for 5 to 10 minutes.
Then, increase the workload every 60 seconds until reaching zone three (86–
90%).* This will require a slow climb through zone two for at least 2 minutes.
After pushing for another minute in zone three, decrease the workload to zone
two for 1 minute.
If the heart rate does drop to a normal rate, overload the body again and go to
zone three for 1 minute.
After this minute, go back to zone one for 5-10 minutes before starting over.
Repeat.
The Importance of Stage
Training
• Simply increasing the intensity for the
same type of training will not produce
consistent increases in fitness levels and
weight control, as the body will soon
adapt.
• By increasing a client’s intensity through
the three heart rate zones seen in stage III
training, the client can take greater
advantage of EPOC and help ensure
greater results.
Circuit Training
• Performing resistance training exercises
one after the other, with minimal rest.
• Allows for comparable fitness results
without spending extended time to achieve
them.
Circuit Training
• Sample Programs
Circuit Training
• Is just as beneficial as traditional forms of
cardiorespiratory exercise for improving or
contributing to improve fitness levels.
• Produces greater levels of post-exercise
energy expenditure (repairing muscle
tissue increases energy use) and strength.
• Produces near-identical caloric
expenditure for the same given time span,
when compared with walking at a fast
pace.
Circuit Training
• Can also incorporate traditional cardiorespiratory exercise into
the routine
• Sample Programs
– Beginner Client (Stabilization Level)
• 5–10 minutes
Warm-up
• 5–10 minutes
Cardiorespiratory training
• 15–20 minutes
Circuit weight training
• 5–10 minutes
Cardiorespiratory training
• 5–10 minutes
Cool-down
Summary
• Different cardiorespiratory training programs place different
demands on the bioenergetic continuum and ultimately affect a
client’s adaptations and goals.
• Stage training is a three-stage programming system that uses
different heart rate training zones.
• Circuit training programs consist of a series of resistance training
exercises that an individual performs, one after the other, with
minimal rest, thus allowing for comparable fitness results in a
shorter time.
• Because movement is involved, it is vital to monitor kinetic chain
checkpoints (posture) with clients who are performing
cardiorespiratory activity.