As you are exercising, exercise with intention and get great results.  All successful exercise programs have two key ingredients in common: intensity and consistency.  The latter of the two, consistency, is easy.  A person is consistent when they are constant to the same principles.  Preferably, that is of great quality workouts and healthful eating habits.  

   Exercise intensity is defined as the amount of work  being done when exercising.  This intensity has an effect on what fuel the body uses and what kind of adaptations the body makes after exercise (i.e. the training effect).  Generally, the more intense the exercise - the more response your body will have to it.

   Aerobic exercise burns a high percentage of calories from fat for fuel, improves one's general fitness, and improves one's ability to use the oxygen delivered to them via the blood.  This is accomplished at a lower intensity and calculates to between 65% - 80% of one's maximum heart rate.  

      The anaerobic threshold is met when working at 80% - 85% of one's maximum heart rate and best improves one's cardiovascular system to still work aerobically at higher intensity levels.  This range is considered medium intensity work. 

   High intensity exercise of 85% - 90% trains the heart to become stronger, more efficient, and will allow the heart to pump more blood during one muscle contraction.  

   Maximum intensity is obtained at 90% - 100% of maximum heart rate.  During this state the body is working completely anaerobically.

   While it is true that low intensity training burns the highest percentage of calories from fat, the truth of the matter is that when trying to lose weight you should aim to expend more total calories.  More total calories will be burned when exercising at a higher intensity.  

   High intensity training also boosts your metabolism to utilize more calories after you have stopped exercising.  This training effect may last up to 24 hours, depending on the length and intensity of the training session.  Whereas, low intensity aerobic training's calorie expenditure goes back down, nearly to baseline levels, the moment you stop exercising.  

   High intensity training will boost your body's production of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).   DHEA is a steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands that acts much like testosterone.  DHEA is considered the "mother hormone" and is the precursor to testosterone, estrogen, and other hormones.  DHEA and its sulfate (DHEAS) are abundant in the body, but their normal roles are not fully understood.  

   Blood levels of DHEA decline with age.  As a matter of fact, there is a steady decline of 2% each year from the early 30's until age 75, and older, when the level of DHEA is about 5% of one's peak.  Peak DHEA production is usually reached in the mid. 20's.

   We can combat this decline by exercising at high intensity levels as Patricia Kroboth observes in the Journal of Pharmacology, Volume 39:  "When exercising at 80%  maximal heart rate, DHEA increased 1.4 times and while exercising at maximal heart rate the DHEA increased 4 times their original concentrations."  

   In other words, move it or lose it. 

   Some very exciting benefits to increased DHEA are improvements in sex, fat metabolism, lean muscle mass, and improved immune system function.  You can also expect it to promote a balanced cholesterol level, decrease insulin resistance, lower cortisol, and improve stress management. 

   As I always say: "Safety first!"  As your personal fitness trainer, I can show you how to safely and effectively implement these principles into your fitness program.