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By Landice, March 9, 2011 11:06 am

Running on the L8

Whether you refer to yourself a competitive or recreational runner, the fact of the matter is, if you’re investing time and effort into your training program, your end goal is improvement.  As a runner, improvement means being able to run faster than you have before over a given distance and/or performing at a level that you were previously unable to.  Although competitive running events are most often the best proving ground for the hard work that you lay down on a week-to-week basis, self assessment sessions can prove to be equally beneficial and are an integral means of evaluating the effectiveness of your training program.

There are a wide variety of ways to assess your body’s response to a given training progression. One of my staple, albeit very simplistic and unscientific, assessment sessions while competing as a long course triathlete, involved my favorite Sunday long run route:  A 25k (15.5 mile) run over undulating terrain.  I’d know that I was coming into “good form” when I could complete the course while running within 10% of my race day goal paces without having to push too hard to do so.  There are a variety of very controlled and precise tests that one can pay for to assess improvement as well; VO₂ max and lactate testing sessions are 2 options that come to mind.  These tests are typically executed within the confines of a laboratory setting and provide a plethora of data for the testing subject.  Unfortunately, they also come with a price tag and can be hard to access in some parts of the country.

A simple, yet very effective means of assessing your aerobic fitness on a month to month basis is by employing the “T20” test.  This test can be carried out on a flat section of road, the track or even the treadmill.  You’ll want to make sure that you’ve kept your training fairly light for the 3 – 4 days preceding the test to ensure that your system is well rested and ready to perform up to its full capacity.

The testing session involves 3 segments:

1. The warm up segment.  Approach this the same way that you would a normal track or treadmill based workout.  See my prior training tips if you are unfamiliar with proper warm up protocol.
2. The testing segment.
3. The cool down segment. Once again, employ the same cool down protocol you would upon completion of a normal track or treadmill based workout.

Equipment: You will need a heart rate monitor and stop watch.

Course & Conditions: You should strive to execute the testing session on the same course and  under similar conditions every time you employ it as air temperature, humidity levels, wind, course gradients, etc. will all have an effect on your ability to maintain a specific pace at a given heart rate/oxygen consumption rate.

Unlike a race, there is no need to run at maximal effort during the testing segment.  Upon conclusion of the warm up routine, the athlete will run for 20 minutes continuously (hence the term “T20”).  The athlete should use the first 10 minutes of the testing segment to gradually build to 85% of maximal heart rate.  In order to do so, he or she will need to gradually increase pace along the way.  If you choose to run on the track or treadmill, a safe pacing strategy would be to start off at your estimated marathon race pace and to then build by 3 – 5 seconds per mile every quarter mile/400 meters until heart rate finally reaches 85% of maximum.  Once you have attained said heart rate, maintain your pace through the end of the 20 minute segment.  Although allowing your heart rate to drift a couple of beats above 85% is just fine, try to limit it to no more than that.  Reduce pace if need-be in order to maintain the goal heart rate along the way.

Upon completion of your cool down, note the amount of distance that you traveled during the second 10 minute segment of the 20 minute run.  Denote this distance, along with the corresponding heart rate, in your training journal.  You would be wise to also denote the environmental conditions that you faced when executing the test and your degree of fatigue leading into the test (i.e. how you felt during your warm up, and during the hours preceding the testing session).

As previously mentioned, for the distance runner, one of the main objectives of one’s training program is to increase the speed at which one can run for sustained periods of time; a key ingredient in your ability to do just that is to increase your running economy.  Simply put, running economy is a measurement of the amount of oxygen your body consumes at a given speed.  Oxygen consumption rates can be correlated very closely to heart rates, as it is the blood that transfers O₂ to the working muscles; as the athlete begins to push harder, the muscles demand for O₂ increases and blood must be pumped to the musculature at a faster rate in order to deliver it.

The T20 test is a very simple and effective means of tracking your body’s response to the training load.  If your training program is an effective one, you should note an increase in pace at the same heart rate every time you execute the T20 test.  My recommendation would be to test every 6 – 8 weeks, but testing every 4^th week is also okay as long as you are not unrealistic in your expectations when it comes to self improvement (for a well trained endurance athlete, an increase of even 1 – 2% in pace per month would be considered outstanding).  If you find that your T20 pace fails to improve after 6 – 8 weeks of solid training, it’s time to re-examine your training program and identify where it’s falling short; this is where a good coach can help of course!

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By Landice, March 9, 2011 10:00 am

Cross training, by definition, is training in a variety of ways to improve overall athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury. Elliptical machines (also known as elliptical cross-trainers) are often used by runners and other athletes to add variety to their training schedule.

An article in Runner’s World Magazine outlines eight benefits of cross training for runners. Many of these benefits are also true for other athletes, not just runners. The list includes:

• Injury prevention – For runners specifically, overuse injuries are common. Cross training can help prevent injury by providing adequate recovery time after injury (preventing reinjury), correct biomechanical irregularities and muscular imbalances.
• Rehabilitation — In the event of an overuse injury, cross training can help an athlete maintain fitness without being further injured or prolonging the recovery process.
• Greater running fitness – Cross training can enhance a runner’s efficiency, increase a runners power and increase the amount of time a runner can spend working out without fatigue or injury.
• Active recovery – While rest is important in any workout routine, studies suggest the athlete who performs active recovery workouts between primary workouts will perform better than the athlete who does not.
• Enhanced Motivation — Performing the same workout routine day after day will get boring, no matter how much you enjoy the exercise. Adding variety by training on an elliptical rather than the treadmill every now and then can help increase your motivation to run.
• Rejuvenation — Reducing training intensity buy working out on an elliptical during the off season, allowing your body to rejuvenate, will help improve performance during the next season
• Enjoying other sports – Training for a variety of sports could help improve performance in one specific sport
• Fit pregnancy — Using an elliptical to train during pregnancy can help a mother stay aerobically fit without the dangers of running or high-impact sports.

No matter what sport you prefer, be it running, rowing, or rock climbing, adding variety to your workout routine by cross training is a valuable aspect of any training routine. While runners use the elliptical to cross train, other athletes, such as rowers, will benefit from cross training on the treadmill. The key is in understanding how to appropriately use cross training to most benefit your exercise routine.

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By Landice, March 2, 2011 10:00 am

If you’ve ever been inside a gym or fitness center, chances are you have seen and probably even worked out on an elliptical machine. You may even have an elliptical set up in your home gym. But do you know what the difference is between an elliptical and a treadmill? Which machine will give you the best workout and burn the most fat?

The bottom line in any fitness plan is this: frequency and intensity of your workout, coupled with your caloric intake is ultimately the determining factor in how much fat you will burn. An equally intense hour spent working out, whether on a treadmill or elliptical will burn roughly the same amount of calories.

One primary benefit of the elliptical over the treadmill is the reduced impact on the elliptical. When choosing an exercise machine, first consider whether or not you can exercise on it without being injured.

Note: You should first consult your physician before beginning any exercise routine.

For individuals who are overweight, the elliptical is a better choice because the elliptical is a non-impact machine, and will build bone density because it is a weight-bearing exercise. Treadmill workouts have the same weight-bearing characteristics, but working out on a treadmill does require impact, which could be hard on knees, ankles and feet.

If you’re looking to burn fat while working out on an elliptical, there are several program options to help motivate you to reach your fat-burning goals. The Landice Executive Trainer Elliptimill comes with 5 built-in programs, as well as time, distance and calorie-burning programs. These programs will adjust resistance and incline based on the information input, such as the user’s weight and age.

If you’re comfortable managing your own workout, select the manual program option, which allows the user to manually set incline and resistance to vary workout intensity and burn more fat.

To burn fat while workout out on an elliptical, remember these key factors during your workout:

• Interval training — Short bursts of high intensity exercise is important in any cardiovascular exercise.  Increase the intensity of your workout for a 1-3 minutes with 1 minute of rest in between.
• Speed — Varying speeds is one method of interval training. Increasing speed will increase heart rate, reaching a cardiovascular workout level while burning fat.
• Intensity — Intensity is a factor of interval training.  Increased intensity by adjusting incline or resistance of the machine.

It is also important to note that it is easy to feel like you are working out harder than you actually are on an elliptical machine.  Use the heart rate monitor to measure the intensity and fat-burning qualities of your exercise routine.

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By Landice, February 23, 2011 11:22 am

As society has become more mechanized, Americans are becoming increasingly sedentary. People rely on vehicles to get around, rather than walking, running or biking. A sedentary lifestyle is a precursor for an unhealthy heart.

Environmental factors contributing to a sedentary life include the example set by parents in the home, as we discussed in this article published on NeighborsGo, but also the type of entertainment an individual may choose.

Choosing to spend the evening in front of the television, rather than being active can lead to a habitual sedentary life. Making the choice to spend 30 minutes to an hour exercising at least three days a week can significantly enhance cardiovascular health.

In a recent episode of Think (NPR) with Kris Boyd, Dr. Ben Levine and Dr. Tony Babb discuss the importance of exercise in cardiovascular health. First distinguishing between the different kinds of exercise – strength training and dynamic (aerobic) exercise, the doctors explain that endurance and strength can increase the health of the human heart.

Endurance training, which is typically long intervals of training, will make the heart dilate, while strength training will strengthen the walls of the heart. As muscles get larger with strength training, they will use sugar more efficiently.

While it is important to note that not all obese individuals are lacking in exercise, the key is in putting diet and exercise together. Weight loss results when more calories are put out than are taken in. To burn 1 lb. per week, an individual must burn 3,500 more calories in that week than are consumed.

A sedentary lifestyle is bad for cardiovascular health. Period.  According to the American Heart Association, “Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke and is linked to cardiovascular mortality.”

The steps to a healthy heart begin with exercise. In the radio interview, the doctors encourage listeners to get moving. Find a type of physical activity you will enjoy, whether indoors or outdoors and get started.  If the weather is bad outside, walk or run on a treadmill or get on an elliptical trainer for just 30 minutes.

According to a study by the American Heart Association, regular physical activity can also reduce or eliminate these other risk factors:

• High blood pressure – aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure.
• Cigarette smoking – smokers who become physically active are more likely to cut down or quit smoking
• Diabetes – people at their ideal weight are less likely to develop diabetes.
• Obesity and overweight – regular physical activity can help people lose excess fat.
• High levels of triglycerides – High triglycerides are linked to coronary artery disease in some people.
• Low levels of HDL – Physical activity can increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

The bottom line, there is significant medial evidence that regular physical exercise not only leads to a healthy body weight, but also contributes to cardiovascular health. Get up and get moving!

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By Landice, January 19, 2011 3:32 pm

Ready to accomplish your goals?  The Cardio Trainer ElliptiMill has the tools you need to fine-tune your workout.

The Cardio Trainer comes with five built-in programs with variable time and 20 variable effort levels. It also has five user-defined programs. This gives the user the ability to personalize their workout and maximize their training.

It comes with three fitness tests: Balke, Firefighter, and Army. The Army fitness test also includes Autmatic Shift Transmission Technology. The machine is able to compensate for changes in speed and level to keep the user on pace. It also displays metabolic equivalent speed and distance.

The Cardio Trainer is able to store data and statistics for two users. There are two built-in heart rate monitoring programs.

The control panel features a two-color, high definition motivational display, so the user can get feedback on every aspect of their workout!

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By Landice, January 4, 2011 9:00 am

The Landice Executive Trainer EilliptiMill helps set you up for success. All of the tools you need to achieve your fitness goals are literally at your fingertips.

The Executive Trainer control panel features state-of-the-art graphics and a computer-animated video display. Those graphic capabilities are really shown off in the five built-in programs with variable time and 20 effort levels, as well as the five user-defined programs.

There are also time, distance, and calorie programs, five body-specific training programs and two built-in heart rate monitoring programs. Additionally, the user can personalize four heart rate monitoring programs.

Building on the Executive Trainer’s immense personalization capability, the ElliptiMill comes with six fitness tests—Balke, Firefighter, Army, Navy, USMC, and USAF. The military tests feature Automatic Shift Transmission Technology. That means the ElliptiMill has the ability to help you stay on pace. Increase pedal speed and the machine will automatically up-shift to the next effort level. If you decrease your pace, the ElliptiMill shifts down, decreasing your metabolic equivalent running speed.

One of the Executive Trainer’s unique features is the interactive graphic Race Mode. The mode allows the user to keep pace with another “runner” whose speed is predetermined. The user goes head-to-head with that virtual pacer as they try to beat their best ½ mile, 1 mile, 2 mile, 5K, or 10K times. It’s a fun feature that helps keep motivation when working toward your goals.

Users have the option to review automated workout calendars. The machine stores all user activity from the past 56 days. Users can then access that information and view a 56-day progress report.

The ElliptiMill features an adjustable stride length system. This allows the user to adjust the stride length from 17 to 23 inches.

The Executive Trainer ElliptiMill is built to last, making it ideal for multiple users and heavy usage as you work to achieve your goals.

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By Landice, December 24, 2010 10:00 am

Wishing you a great Christmas weekend from all of us at Landice!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

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By Landice, December 21, 2010 12:18 pm

The Landice Pro Trainer treadmill does what it does, and does it well.

The Pro Trainer comes with five built-in programs. Those include: Fat Burn, Intermediate, Advanced, Intervals, and Enduro. The built-in programs can be adjusted for workout time and speed. This helps the user tailor the program to meet his or her specific needs.

The treadmill also comes with two user programs. They run exactly like the built-in programs, however any changes made are stored permanently in the software’s memory. When you run the same user program, it reflects your custom changes. This allows the user to return to the same customized workout, time and time again.

The display shows statistics such as time, distance, elevation, calories, and pace. There’s also the option to display the user’s pulse reading if that feature is added on. Users are able to view statistics in either metric or English units.

The Pro Trainer has the option to add the AccuTrack contact heart rate monitoring system, as well as a wireless chest-strap heart rate monitoring system. Both of these options allow the user to get more feedback on how their body is affected by and responding to their workout.

To test out a Landice Pro Trainer, or any of our other treadmills, find a Landice Dealer near you.

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By Landice, December 16, 2010 12:45 pm

Sturdy, powerful, and good for serious runners, is how reviewers describe the Cardio Trainer treadmill from Landice.

The model is strong in heart rate control functions. It comes standard with a contact heart rate crossbar and transmitter strap. These features are used in conjunction with the four heart rate control programs. Two of those programs are standard and users can customize the other two. There are 20 programmable segments, allowing for incredible customization for your heart rate control programs.

The Cardio Trainer also comes equipped with three standardized fitness tests. You can train using the Balke and Fire Fighter fitness tests. Both use the Heart Rate Control features. Also included is the manually controlled Army 2 Mile fitness test.

The Cardio Trainer has the ability to self-diagnose malfunctions. Once the problem has been located, it’s displayed in the central LCD.  The user is also able to initiate diagnostics.

It comes with five built-in programs with variable time and effort levels, and five user-defined programs. There are time, distance, and calorie goal programs as well. These are designed to help the user work toward specific goals. Continue reading 'Landice Cardio Trainer and Pro Sports Trainer Treadmills'»

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By Landice, December 9, 2010 11:11 am

There are treadmills and then there are treadmills.

The Executive Trainer goes above and beyond your expectations of even what a Landice Treadmill can be.

This model is built for customization.

It stores up to five individual clients. This increased capability allows more users to store treadmill limits and personal info (such as gender, weight, etc) to help create targeted, effective workouts.

The Automated Workout Calendar is a feature unique to the Executive Trainer. All activity on a client’s account is stored over the past eight weeks of use. You can then access your calendar and review your workouts. Clients also have the option of creating a personal eight-week progress report for further review.

The Executive Trainer comes with five built-in programs and five user-defined programs with variable time and unlimited effort levels, allowing you to customize those programs to fit your exact needs.

You can train for Balke, Firefighter, Army, Navy, and USAF tests with the Executive Trainer. All six tests are programmed as features with this model – it’s another feature

No other Landice treadmill model features color displays with state-of-the-art graphics and computer animated video display.  The display capabilities are particularly shown off with user selectable scenery and VSI displays.

As is expected from all Landice treadmills, the Executive Trainer gets high marks from reviewers who especially liked the 400 lb. weight capacity, graphics display and quiet operation.

The Executive Trainer is ideal for users who are looking for a treadmill that is customizable for multiple users as well as those individuals who want maximum personalization and adaptability to fine-tune their workout.

For more information on our Executive Trainer, visit Landice.com.