Ratcheting up workouts

Sidney Wilson is a Wilhelmina Fitness model, celebrity personal trainer and up-and-coming actor who is guiding "Early Show" co-anchor Erica Hill's efforts to improve her exercise routine as she seeks to incorporate and fit healthier habits into her busy days. Sidney is blogging about how Erica is doing, and offering viewers tips along the way, as well.

WEEK FIVE: Ratcheting up workouts

Erica has just one week until she retakes a battery of tests and discovers whether this experiment actually improved her fitness performance and physical appearance. Well, I can tell you that it has, without her even having to step on a scale. Erica's energy, endurance and overall mood have all improved over the past five weeks. Best of all, she's taken to working out like all trainers hope their clients will -- with a passion to make it part of their lives. That's why I didn't feel so bad when I made this her toughest week yet.

Erica worked out in her office, her home and twice at Chelsea Piers, where there's a sand volleyball court that proved the perfect place to test her stamina. Many of us know what it feels like to throw a Frisbee at the beach. Now imagine doing it with a Frisbee that weighs 15 pounds. I had her working with a medicine ball and kettlebell on this unstable surface to challenge her core. She also ran sprints in the sand to improve her speed. That's never an easy thing to do, but it may help trim some time off that mile she'll have to run next week.

Every workout was a challenge. We did some weight lifting, isometrics and plyomterics to increase her strength and some running, cycling and calisthenics to work on her stamina. A well-balanced fitness plan requires both cardio and strength training. A jog or brisk walk is a great way to strengthen your heart, but to strengthen your entire body requires creating resistance. Don't leave it out.

Since this was the fifth week of "The Erica Hill Experiment," I tried to teach her as many exercises as I could, not only to make her stronger, but more independent. Next week will end my supervision of Erica's routine and I want to make sure she has the tools to go at it on her own, which I'm sure she will.

Actually all of us can. I may be a personal trainer, but my most important client will always be me. For this experiment to yield results, Erica needed to make herself a priority. She was able to do that and, when it comes time to take her fitness tests next week, I'm sure even she'll be impressed.

WEEK THREE: Achieving the right heart rate for workouts

Week two was a little rough. Erica missed one of our three workouts that I've asked as a minimum. But after I assigned her some homework (a five-mile run), she pulled it out and put the time in to get all of her daily exercise requirements completed by the weekend.

Week three was even better. Erica came to work this week and she worked hard; maybe a bit too hard at times. I like to tell my clients to "get vicious" during their workouts. It's really another way to tell them that they need to bring up their intensity and increase their heart rate. I had Erica back at Chelsea Piers to work with a heavy bag and in the ring for a rigorous kick boxing session. That was all good. Erica and I have been doing the kick boxing routine for three weeks now. She's found a rhythm that comes with routine. That comfort zone has enabled her to punch faster, kick harder and sweat even more. It's total body conditioning, for which she has commanded great control. But when I suggested Erica take a cycling class as well, her comfort zone was challenged.

Erica's warm-up went well, but before long, she found herself struggling to get her heart rate below 90 percent. At one point, it peaked at just over 100 percent. Erica realized her problem early and made the right adjustments to keep her workout safe, but a sustained heart rate above 85 percent is not advisable. So what did Erica do to bring it down? She breathed; deeper and slower breaths. Erica has had trouble breathing from the beginning and, during this workout, I was able to see that she realized it, too. While Erica may not have been in any danger for that period of time, not breathing became a detriment to her workout. Yes, you want to get vicious with your workout. You need to elevate your heart rate and increase your intensity, but you also need to make sure you're getting plenty of oxygen into your lungs. So when you find yourself getting too intense with the workout, slow down a bit and breathe.

Finding your heart rate

To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. A 40 year-old healthy individual would have a maximum heart rate of 180. His or her ideal range during a workout would be between 108 and 144.

I also recommend picking up a heart rate monitor. You can find one at most any sporting goods stores and online, too.

WEEK TWO: We start doing cardio and more with Erica

When we first tested Erica for strength and stamina, she did really well. Erica's body composition (her body fat percentage) came in at 21.4, which is considered fit. As a trainer that tells me I have a great base from which to work. We also asked Erica to run for one mile. She did that in ten minutes and ten seconds, that's average for women in their 30s. However, Erica's aerobic capacity wasn't what we'd hoped - or even average. Her score was a 37, which is only moderate. That score tells me that we'd really need to work on her cardio, which is something all of us should be doing for 30 minutes a day. It's good to get it all in at once, but you don't have to. 15 minutes on the bike and a brisk 15 minute walk with the dog can do the trick. Just be sure the walk and bike are done with a bit of urgency. The key is always to raise your heart rate. To find out what yours is subtract your age from 220 (maximum heart rate). Your workout intensity should fall 65% to 85% above that resting level.

Erica began week two ready to go and we trained hard. I decided to have her do two minute drills involving a variety of the calisthenics; the range of which you might remember from your days in gym class. And guess what? They still work. Jumping jacks, jumping rope, mountain climbers all help elevate the heart rate and target toning too. Erica and I may have been in a gym, but we rarely worked with weights. Using your own body weight is a terrific place to start an exercise program. A few push ups a day can go a long way to developing a stronger upper body.

Kickboxing was another workout we decided to do for week two. The exercise targets your core, arms, and legs and is another great way to elevate the heart rate. But the main reason we went to kick boxing was because Erica enjoys it. Doing the physical activity you like not only helps keep you interested, it motivates you to become even better at doing the activities that make you happy. I've learned this week that Erica's happiness has been a key in keeping her focused on this project.

Scheduling hasn't been easy for Erica during this experiment thus far and this week was no different. As an anchor for The Early Show, wife, and busy mother of two boys, Erica shares the hectic schedules of many working moms. Plans with her mother and son to see a Broadway show when we'd normally be in the gym cut our week short, but getting that family time in is also very important. Family time keeps you happy and maintaining a level of happiness is really another goal of this project. Eating right, exercising with regularity and getting a good night's sleep are all components for that healthier and happier life too.

My focus in this project is to keep Erica on the right track to better fitness and help her meet the daily recommended dose of exercise (that's 30 minutes a day). Our workouts are typically an hour, so to make up I've been assigning homework. In week one Erica ran three miles. But since we didn't get to a third workout in week two, I increased her home work to five miles. And she did it. Going into week three I'm sure Erica will continue to impress.