Just Starting? Do You Need to See Your Doctor?

The Basic Workout Outline

Aerobic Exercise Guidelines

Strength Training Guidelines

Increase Your Physical Activity

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The Basic Workout Outline:

1. Warm Up
2. Stretch
3. Aerobic or Strength Training
4. Cool Down
5. Stretch

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Aerobic Exercise Guidelines:

The following guidelines are based upon "The Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in Healthy Adults," American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand, 1990.

Mode:

Type of exercise - what is aerobic exercise?

Frequency:

3-5 days per week

Duration:

20 to 60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity

Intensity:

50 - 85% of maximal aerobic capacity (VO₂ max), or

50-85% of Heart Rate Reserve, or

60-90% of Maximal Heart Rate

• Low Intensity: 35-60% of Heart Rate Max or 50-60% of Heart Rate Reserve
• Moderate Intensity: 60-80% of Heart Rate Max or 60-70% of Heart Rate Reserve
• High Intensity: 80-90% of Heart Rate Max or 70-85% of Heart Rate Reserve

Go the the Aerobic Exercise Main Page

How to Determine Your Heart Rate Training Range:

1. Heart Rate Reserve: The Karvonen Formula

• Find your Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
• Find your Predicted Maximal Heart Rate (HR max)
• HR max = 220 - age
• Find your Heart Rate Reserve (HRR)
• HRR = HR max - RHR

Find the lower limit of your Heart Rate Training Range:

• Multiply your HRR by 50% and add your RHR
• HRR x .50 + RHR = Low Target Heart Rate

Find the upper limit of your Heart Rate Training Range:

• Multiply your HRR by 85% and add your RHR
• HRR x .85 + RHR = High Target Heart Rate

2. Percent of Heart Rate Max:

• Find your Predicted Maximum Heart Rate (HR max)
• HR max = 220 - age

Find the lower limit of your Heart Rate Training Range

• Low Target Heart Rate = HR max X .50

Find the upper limit of your Heart Rate Training Range

• High Target Heart Rate = HR max X .90

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Strength Training Guidelines:

The following guidelines are based upon "The Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in Healthy Adults," American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand, 1990.

• Minimum of 8 - 10 exercises
• Involve major muscle groups
• Minimum of 2 times per week
• Minimum of 1 set of 8 - 12 repetitions of each exercise
• Resistance that results in "near fatigue"

Go to the Strength Training Main Page

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Go to The Exercise and Physical Fitness Home Page

The Exercise and Physical Fitness Web Page is an ongoing project by graduate students in the Master of Science program in Exercise Science in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University. This project was created by J. Andrew Doyle, PhD, and was last modified on: January 07, 1998.