Cardio Training Guidelines

Maximum Heart Rate = 209 - 0.7 × Age

The examples below are for someone with a maximum heart rate of 184.

General Guidelines
- If you're not out of breath at all, no matter how long you do it, it's not exercise
Moderate Intensity
- Moderate intensity aerobic exercise: Optimal for weight loss
- 64-76% of maximum heart rate (118-140)
  - Some sources say 60-70% (110-129), probably for beginners?
- 150-200 minutes/week
High Intensity
- High intensity aerobic exercise: Optimal for improving cardiorespiratory endurance
- 77% or more of maximum heart rate (142-171)
- 75-100 minutes/week
- If more than 150 minutes, mortality rate actually increases
HIIT and Conditioning Exercises
- Afterburn effect
  - Can last up to 38 hours
- High intensity
  - No need to reach maximum heart rate within 1 minute. That's too strenuous.
  - 80% or more of maximum heart rate (>147)
- Rest
  - Heart rate: 100-120
  - 1-2 minutes to catch your breath (until it drops below 120), 3 minutes is sufficient
- Aerobic
  - High intensity 0.5-1 minute → Moderate intensity 1-2 minutes, 7-10 sets
- Anaerobic
  - 30-60 minutes (if too long, stress hormones are released)
  - Fast and heavy
  - Single-joint and machine exercises not recommended
  - Tabata
    - 20 seconds maximum speed → 10 seconds rest, 8 sets
Other Guidelines
- Aerobic exercise must last at least 10 minutes, 15 minutes is effective
- Reach high intensity heart rate → Rest for 1 minute → Repeat