Good Morning Fellow Americans:
Today we honor those who lost their life 10 years ago and those who have fought to protect our freedom and defend our great country since those terrible attacks by those cowards from the Middle East.
Similarly, but not nearly as powerful, this is the third anniversary of Body Designs. “Yup”, or should I say “Yep”, I guess it’s an East Coast thing, we, like our country (in spirit anyway) are still goin’ strong!
So, what better topic to continue this “long run” than to discuss the difference between “hitting the wall” and “getting a second wind”?
Hitting The Wall: While most commonly seen during aerobic activity (especially running or cycling), this condition can also occur during a weight training workout. You know you’re about to “bonk” when your glycogen stores in your liver and muscles become so depleted that your body experiences a sudden does of fatigue and loss of energy.
Once at this point of no return, the journey back to homeostasis (a place where the body feels comfortable) can be a long one. In mild instances, a brief rest period and the ingestion of high sugar liquids (i.e. fruit juice) may be sufficient to carry one through the rest of the workout. However, if glycogen stores were already extremely low when the workout began, the best thing to do is to stop completely.
The “wall” can usually be avoided by ensuring that glycogen levels are high when the exercise begins. For the basic client, a well balanced diet will guarantee enough muscle glycogen stored at almost any point during the day. However, to ensure that there is enough fuel in the liver (which is the tank for immediate energy), make sure you eat some fruit (bananas or apples) and/or yogurt (non-fat Greek) 30 to 90 minutes prior to your first step or set. And if you are an early AM trainee, a little cup of java never hurt either.
Getting Your Second Wind: No matter how fit someone is, during the first few minutes of vigorous cardiovascular exercise (i.e. running on a treadmill), it is not uncommon for one to have muscle aches and feel somewhat out of breath. The problem is that the body isn’t able to transport oxygen to the active muscles quickly enough to avoid these feelings. As a result, the body’s muscles burn carbohydrates anaerobically, causing an increase in lactic acid production, which makes taking the next step seemingly impossible. But, if you continue to “leg out” your workout, the body gradually makes the transition to using its aerobic metabolism and begins to burn carbohydrates and fats. This shift is call “getting your second wind”. The trainee now experiences an “easier” time exercising even though the body is working harder and longer.
So remember, the more often you train, the more fit you’ll become and the sooner you will be able to get your ”second wind” and continue training for a relatively extended duration. And what does that all get you? Faster results!
