Working out cardio + lung capacity

I started studying Martial Arts when I was 6 or 7, and did so for another 6 years. I worked out and excercised 3 times a week, sometimes more, and I was in fairly good shape (if there is such a thing as good shape for a 10 year old kid)

I'm 16 now, and am talking about getting certified, and am finalizing some issues with my future career (I'm enlisting in the Marines).

I used to have very mild asthma, and I believe it was excercise induced. I was issued an inhaler, and used it for the first 6 months I got it, but never used it after that. I don't weeze (even after running a mile on my treadmill 5 minutes ago, I'm breathing perfectly fine). EVen in extremely cold weather, where my mother told me I was going to have an asthma attack one day if I continued to skip my medication, I never had a problem. I'm thinking maybe I was misdiagnosed? My mother does have it, but hers is from allergies. Again, I was tested for allergies, and do have them, but I take no medication and have no problems.

Ive let myself go for the past year. I'm about 5'11, 185lbs. I eat what I want when I want, and how much of it I want. My metabolism doesn't seem to mind, and I'm really not overweight. I'm really more on the skinny side if anything.

This time next year, I'm going to be a senior in Highschool, and making some decisions that will deturmine how I live the rest of my life. I realised that if I start getting into some good habits now, then when the time comes for me to head off to Paris Island (Marine Corps Recruit depot, not a place to dive :05: ), my life will be a lot easier.

I've got a bench and some weights, my brothers dusty bowflex (in the garage.. This is Boston.. Garages are cold in the winter), and my mothers 1000 dollar treadmill on the porch at my disposal, as well as my own freeweights.

Right now, my main concern is my cardio and aerobic health. I dont really smoke (often.. we're talking a smoke maybe once a month) but I used to get second hand smoke from my stepdad. He doesnt smoke indoors and when we're in the car he tries not to, and I know he has been trying hard to quit for years.

I can hold my breath for about 45 seconds before my lungs start sreaming, and maybe 50 seconds before it gets too bad and I have to exhale. My chest moves in and out uncontrollably as if my lungs were trying to breathe. Is this a lack of willpower, or a lack of health? I really do think its the latter. I even tried closing my eyes and getting into the zone, even playing my favorite song that relaxes me the most. Nothing.

Right now I'm running a 9:30 pace for a mile on the treadmill (I just started today), and I want to bring it down to below 7 minutes. I really need a good pair of runnign shoes though..

The $1k treadmill told me my heartrate was 185bpm, but I think that was horseraddish. I took my pulse after I ran, and it was about 120bpm (although I could feel my rhythm returning to normal). Right now, at rest, I'm 85bpm. Good or no for a kid my age/size?

Any workouts you guys can reccomend? I really think if I dove right now, I'd suck down a tank in like 10 minutes.

There's this really great book on fitness by Cameron Martz at divefitness.com... he occasionally posts on here also i think but it addreses a lot of issues that divers face like how to improve your SAC by working out your cardio and how to avoid plateau-ing by mixing it up.

You know, I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma as an early teen, too, and it sounds like your symptoms are similar to what mine were (I grew out of it). It really wasn't just triggered by exercise- it had to be a combo of exercise and the presence of an allergen (dust or mold for me). Bottom line, though, is that if you are exercising and aren't having problems, then there's probably nothing to worry about.

I really appreciate Ben's endorsement of my book, "Fitness for Divers." If you spend some time tooling around DIVEFitness.com, there is plenty of free advice you might find helpful, including workouts that I update weekly (mostly <g>).

The Bowflex is a great machine- it's what I would get if I needed something for my home. There have been a number of recalls, however, so you should make sure the affected parts are replaced on your brother's machine. Check directly with Bowflex to see which recalls apply.

Treadmill running is fine for fitness, but eventually, you will need to condition yourself for running on pavement. I have to confirm this with my Marine buddies, but I don't think they spend much time on treadmills at Paris Island. <g>

Start out with fresh running shoes fitted by a running store, not a foot fashion store. Don't lift in them, go to the mall in them, play paintball in them... just run. Spend at least one run each week outside to condition your bones and joints for the impact of pavement running. Stress fractures are extremely common in military training, yet they are entirely avoidable with training. You have nearly two years, so this should not be a problem for you.

A heart rate of 185bpm when maxed out on the treadmill is probably accurate, though a little high for a training rate, and you should see your resting heart rate decrease as your fitness increases. It's normal to start anywhere between 60-100bpm, though athletes often have resting heart rates in the 40s. Keep in mind that the best measure of resting heart rate is first thing in the morning before you get out of bed.

Your reaction to holding your breath is pretty much what happens to everyone. Cardiovascular conditioning and breath hold practice will delay your air hunger. Just don't do this in a pool without direct supervision- young men die in pools holding their breath every year, and it's a dumb way to die. In fact, breath holding is overrated as a skill for SCUBA. With proper buddy contact, you shouldn't ever be in a position where this is really necessary.

Cameron

Outstanding! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! Could I find your book in a Borders or similar bookstore? Either way, I will be picking up a copy for sure.

Again, thanks.

-Sam

TAM- Pratice basic PT. Running, situps, crunches, pushups, Pyramids. Running can not be overempasised! Then when you get there you will have that out of the way. You will be surprised at how many people did not spend their time wisely to prepare and just how dumb a cross cut section of the populace is.
And most importantly.. EVEN if you do KNOW it all about a subject.. KEEP it to yourself let you actions speak your words!

TheAlphaMag:

Outstanding! Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! Could I find your book in a Borders or similar bookstore? Either way, I will be picking up a copy for sure.

Again, thanks.

-Sam

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It is available from dive shops (though none in your area right now) and directly from DIVEFitness.com in both softcover and downloadable formats (as a PDF file).

Cameron

A little advice about the asthma, it's a disqualifier for the Marine Corps. So you may want to get a second opinion about what you really have and if it's not asthma don't mention it to the recruiter. Oh, and another thing, I usually only use a treadmill when I'm at sea for long periods of time. Nothing beats getting out and pounding the pavement. You'll need to do 3 miles in less than 27 minutes, easy once you start doing it on a regular basis.

onfloat:

A little advice about the asthma, it's a disqualifier for the Marine Corps. So you may want to get a second opinion about what you really have and if it's not asthma don't mention it to the recruiter.

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Asthma can be a disqualifier to any branch, if you had childhood asthma and is no longer the case it is waiverable. You would have to get a Methacholine Challenge (paid by the military), if you still have it this will surely bring it out.
As far as recommending somebody not to disclose their medical history is a bad thing. I have seen what happens to recruiters when young adults are given that advice and it comes out when something happens, careers end.

Squalus:

Asthma can be a disqualifier to any branch, if you had childhood asthma and is no longer the case it is waiverable. You would have to get a Methacholine Challenge (paid by the military), if you still have it this will surely bring it out.
As far as recommending somebody not to disclose their medical history is a bad thing. I have seen what happens to recruiters when young adults are given that advice and it comes out when something happens, careers end.

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As Joe mentions here... it is waiverable... I had childhood asthma that I outgrew... I was upfront about it with the recruiter and during my physical, but had no issues during basic training or otherwise regarding difficulty breathing (other than not being in prime shape ). (Side note: As a precaution, before I took up diving, I also chose to get a physical from a doc that is scuba certified with a sport med focus to specifically check my lungs for lung damage and he proclaimed me with no lung issues or remnants from the childhood asthma).

At age 40, I was able to do 60+ minutes straight of cardio last night (machine gave up before I did and told me to cooldown), but it didn't happen overnight... for me it took about 10-12 weeks to get to that level after I chose to increase my cardio endurance. So Sam, start your exercise regimine in baby steps. With you being young, I would expect/think your gains in cardio should come pretty steadily.

I second the endorsement of Cameron's "Fitness for Diving" book. I find the PDF format handy for portability, so I downloaded it from his website.

bob

I'll second/third/whatever a vote for Cameron's book. If you work through the strength exercises in there and get bored, it's completely your fault Lots of stuff in there to keep it fresh and mixed up. If you are serious about cardio fitness, I recommened picking up a heart rate monitor. Basic ones are less than $50 and the ones with all the bells, whistles, gps, bike sensors and running sensors are closer to $350+. Regardless, good things to know are avg heart rate during the exercise and what it is in "real time." Cameron's book has a section dedicated to figuring out your heart rate zones. There-in lies the magic. A good base of aerobic fitness allows you to do just about anything you set your mind to. There are other ways of exercising in your different zones "by feel," but most people tend to under- or overestimate their effort during exercise.

I have a Bowflex and love it. They got me the parts in short order whenever there was any issues with anything, but give them a call to make sure that the one you have is up to date. Mine is out in my "barn" and the resistance of the power rods is WAY different in the middle of winter when it's 5 degrees F and in the heat of summer when it 90... Regardless, it's a great piece of kit.

I have an aversion to treadmills. I have absolutely nothing to pass along with that respect. My total treadmill time in my life is less than half an hour... I even got a pair of trail running shoes and yak-traks just so that I could run on ice and snow in the winter.

Best of luck!

-Frank