How hard should you exercise to attain better  cardiovascular fitness?

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends an exercise prescription using a "target heart rate zone"1.  The heart rate zone is estimated using your measured or estimated maximal heart rate or your estimated VO2max. 

Since every individual has a different genetic make up and may be in different physical condition these estimated numbers are often incorrect.
    
Using technology and a simple progressive exercise protocol ADVANCED FITNESS PERFORMANCE can find your correct target heart rate zone.

Improving your cardiorespiratory fitness(combining your heart lungs and multiple large muscle groups) is much like training one muscle group.  Lets say you want a bigger arm biceps muscle. The major principle of training is overload.  "The principle of progressive overload states that for a tissue or organ to improve its function, it must be exposed to a stimulus greater that it is normally accustomed to. "2
  
If you then wanted to improve your biceps muscle you might perform curls.  Should you use a 2 pound weight, a 15 pound weight or a 30 pound weight?  Two pounds would probably not overburden the biceps and 30 pounds might cause injury. 

The stress needed to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness is similar to the biceps analogy.  For every individual there is a heart rate zone that is not too low ( not beneficial) and not too high (cause injury).  This target heart rate zone is specific to the individual, the mode of exercise and his or her cardiorespiratory status.

Exercise in your specific target heart rate zone to safely improve your cardiorespiratory fitness. 3,  4

     Let ADVANCED FITNESS PERFORMANCE  find your zones.