Question about hitting my 10's

[leanmom]

Hey everyone! Yesterday was my first cardio session and i think that it went really well. I was extremely proud of myself!

When i read to book it said that you'll know if you've hit your high point because of the burn in your muscles and the feeling that you cant take another step. Well i didn't feel the burn in my muscles, but i did feel it in my lungs! Or maybe i was so distracted by the burn in my chest and pain in my side that i didn't notice? I know this may seem silly but i really want to make sure i'm going this right. My legs felt fine though and i'm not sore at all today, at least not from the cardio my upper body is another story! I know i must be crazy to want to be sore, but at least i'd know i worked hard enough!

At the time i didn't feel i could go any higher, but of course the second i got off i wondered if i could have pushed myself harder.

Am i doing something wrong?

[Chris]

Nope, you're doing it exactly right! Questioning if you could have gone harder is you already thinking about your next workout. Next time, DO go harder.

This was your first 10. Your next 10 might be different. 12 weeks from now you'll look back on this 10 and think it was easy... or maybe not. Point is, if you feel like this was your best effort, you've done well... If you feel like you could have done a tiny bit more, that's fuel for next time, and you've done well...

Also remember that cardiovascular training is more about pumping blood and improving your fitness than feeling it burn in your legs. It's a 10 if you feel it huffing and puffing too, even if your legs don't agree.

Nice work!

[Marc]

You're doing it right!

I've noticed that my legs either burn or dont depending on my body posture on certain machines. I feel you've hit your 10's when you feel like your lungs are going to explode and you cant go any harder!

We'll talk again after your cardio session on thursday after you've done legs on a wednesday.......now thats another story!

Good work!

[leanmom]

lol, thanks! I'm looking forward to that!

Thanks for the input you guys, i've been trying to glean as much information from here as possible! I've found that this first week at the gym is kind of trial and error. Hopefully by week 2 i'll have it down!

[Rhone]

I agree with Marc that what you feel will depend on what exercise you're doing. I primarily run for my cardio, and I don't get a burn in my legs but during my high points my heart is beating close to my maximum heart rate and I'm breathing hard and heavy.

On the other hand, with an elliptical machine, I feel like it's much harder to get my heart and lungs working to their fullest, but I can get my legs to burn pretty quick.

[sshultz]

I think most people have that same problem. Since the legs are used every day to carry us around, they have a pretty high tolerance for what they will take. People who need the cardio, like me, usually feel like their lungs can't keep up with their legs. That does change, though. I got to the point where it was about even when I'm cycling.

[Hamoth]

I really wonder about this 10 stuff myself.

I'm in week one, and so far have lost a lot of fat just from the lifting. The cardio however left me wondering how seriously I should take this 10 business.

I was hammering the elipse so hard that it was wobbling from side to side, I was nearly shouting with exertion on each of my rapid strokes, the whole gym was kinda looking at me, and I felt like I was going to puke.

When I got to minute 20-21 for cool down, it wasn't nearly enough. My heartrate was around 190 - I don't really know what a max is, but that is certainly higher than I've ever had it before. I had to go jog another 5 minutes just to let it come down to 160 so I could go home.

If 10 just ranks the pain, I can go till I damage myself and have done this in the past. In an aerobics class I went as hard as I could and ruptured both my anterior compartment fascias. I have a strong endorphin dump and a high pain tolerance.

Maybe I should post an intro thread about the challenges I'm facing adn what my questions are...

Anyway, I do wonder at how much pain is good and when it means you are dying and how you can tell the difference.

[Griff]

I think it's a bit more difficult to feel the 10 hit for cardio than it is for lifting. For me, it's all about going full speed on that 10 interval. During the week I use a cardio machine. I go the full 20 mins, sometimes longer. I set out at 5 then move up to 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. On my last cycle, it is much more difficult. So I may be 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9.5. That last 9.5 is very difficult to sustain for any length of time greater than 1 minute for me. That's how I know I've hit my "10."

[Chris]

It doesn't necessarily have to be "faster" try increasing the resistance on your elliptical machine for your higher intensities. 190 is probably a "10". Max HR is roughly 220-age.

[Hamoth]

Thanks!

I found that if I tuck my hips a little and focus on not bouncing so much as if I were on stairs but keeping my posture steady and shoulders level while letting my legs spin beneath me that I could get a good burn going that helped set barriers to break without overdoing my heart.