TEST YOUR INTENSITY: WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING?
It’s easy to feel like you’re not working out hard enough, but it’s also just as easy to push too hard during your workouts. Both could negatively affect your results in the gym. At The Summit Fitness Studio, our personal trainers in Rittenhouse believe the tests in this article will help readers decide whether they’re exercising too hard or not working out hard enough.
Talk Test. The first and easiest way to test your intensity is to do the “talk test” during your next workout. If you’re on a bike or a treadmill, you should be able to chat with someone next to you a sentence or two at a time. If you can only say about two or three words at a time, you might need to take your intensity down a notch. On the contrary, if you can easily speak in long paragraphs with no problem while working out, you may not be pushing hard enough.
Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Another way to measure intensity is to use the rating of the RPE scale. This is how you rate how hard you feel like you’re working during exercise and that will allow you to adjust your intensity accordingly. Throughout your workout, check in with yourself at various points to make sure you’re staying at your target or ideal intensity level.
Heart Rate. Finding your heart rate is most helpful during cardio and HIIT workouts, so to test your intensity you’ll need to figure out your maximum heart rate. The easiest way to do this is to subtract your age from 220. Take that number, then multiply by whichever intensity you’re aiming to determine what your heart rate should be. A low intensity should be between 50 and 60 percent. A moderate intensity should be between 60 and 75 percent. High intensity should be between 75 and 100 percent. Please note that this is only an estimate and those with any health concerns may want to use a number lower than 220. Please consult a personal trainer or a physician if you are unsure.
If you need help adjusting your intensity, or you need general workout advice – check out The Summit Fitness Studio and work with some of the best personal trainers in Philadelphia! Finding a balance with your workouts can take practice and time, but with the help of our trainers, we’ll you get started on the right path so you can achieve your goals faster. Call today at 267-455-0100, or go to our contact page, to book your free consultation to discuss your goals with one of our many experienced trainers.