One of the ways I like to train my body while doing cardio is with different heart rates and intensities. If you think about it, most fitness-related exercises or activities won’t be performed at a single heart rate, so why should we train just one?

Consider mountain biking, soccer, hockey, football, basketball, baseball … just about any sport … your hearing rate goes up and down steadily when you go from rest periods to light periods and full stroke. So it makes perfect sense to use the concept that training through different listening frequency zones will not only get us fit for all events, but will also achieve better overall fitness.

Now, this idea does not rule out the use of a heart rate monitor … not at all. It is important to be able to monitor your heart rate levels to ensure that you are training in a zone that is not too low. Knowing your heart rate may also be necessary for special populations such as those with heart conditions, those who are pregnant, those with very high or low levels of fitness.

The argument will emerge that we must keep our heart rate within a certain range for optimal “fat burning.” While there is a strong case for achieving optimal fat burning range, doesn’t it also make sense that being above this range burns more calories? We will also go in and out of this optimal range when we change the intensity of the exercise, so that we get the best of both worlds of burning fat and calories … PLUS we can train the heart through multiple heart rate zones!

The bottom line is that this ‘interval training style’ will produce the best overall fitness levels for most people.

Now go out and do your exercise!