I wrote an article the other day with the title being “Aerobics Will Make You Fatter?” and I got some great feed back with people who have been following my first couple of posts. I did receive a great question from my father in law however. He said to me,” I don’t care how I look, but I want to know how I can live a longer and healthier life with keeping a strong heart. How do I do that without traditional aerobics.?” I responded to him that I would have an in depth answer for him sometime this week. So, here is my response…
My father in law asked a legitimate question. How do you get the cardiovascular benefit without performing traditional aerobics, such as riding a bike, walking, jogging, striding away on the elliptical…etc. It’s no hidden secret now to every to know what side I am on here, but here is a well thought out response as to why I have completely eliminated all traditional aerobics from my own training program and from clients training programs. I base my reasoning on what has been recommend for the general population in the health and fitness industry for the past 20+ years or so.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that every receive 20-60 minutes 3-5 days a week of continuous aerobic activity in a week. I will use recommendation because this has been used for a long time. We then have to take in account that people will want to perform their weight training another 3 days a week and we will say that takes another 30 minutes per day. We are looking at on average 6 days a week for 30-60 minutes a day. Weight training being done on one day and your “cardio” being done on another because we’ve always been told to do those on separate days. Here my problem with this. Who in their right mind has time to come to gym 4,5,6 days week. Or who has time to walk for 4-5 hours a week. Not just that, but you would want to come to gym that much.
So, I look at it this way. We are different times. People have different wants and needs.We are a busier and my social society than ever before. People just do not have the time to be doing these drawn out boring “cardio” workouts. I know I want to go into a training session for myself knowing what is going to give me the most “bang for my buck.” What is going to make the most sense. I struggled for a few years trying to run for miles and miles on end trying to get back into shape. Guess what? I got fatter and slower? I started doing my own research because I said to myself, there’s got to be another way? Well, that’s what we have come to find out. People have done the research and there are more effective ways of starting or maintaining an exercise or training program. I have done the research myself with my own clients. We will get people healthier and more fit with a more systematic approach to an exercise program. Prioritizing with what is the most important to achieving your health and fitness goals. Here are a couple of studies again in regards to what is more efficient when you are going to start an exercise program…
Hunter et al
This study compared three groups:
Diet only, Diet plus aerobic training and aDiet plus resistance training group to determine what effect diet-induced weight loss in combination with exercise training has on body composition and resting energy expenditure.
With similar weight loss – the results showed that only the resistance training group maintained their lean mass and resting energy expenditure (metabolism). The aerobic training and diet only group actually lost muscle and lowered their metabolism. In other words – the strength training group lost more fat and maintained metabolism – meaning that if the program continued for a longer period of time or a greater weight loss, they could continue to lose more fat than the other groups.
Byrne et al
This study compared two groups – Resistance training and aerobic training (walking). The resistance training group increased metabolism while the walking group actually reduced their metabolism)
Bryner et al.Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and did not lose any lean muscle, even at only 800 calories per day. Additionally, the resistance training group actually increased metabolism compared to the aerobic group which decreased metabolism.
—
Kramer, Volek et al.
Overweight Subjects were assigned to three groups: Diet Only, Diet plus aerobics, Diet plus aerobics plus weights
The Diet-only group lost 14.6 lbs of fat in 12 weeks but when they added in the aerobic program – that group lost only one more pound than the diet group (training was 3 times a week starting at 30 mins and progressing to 3 x 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).
However the Weight Training group lost 21.1lbs of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively) in the same time frame.
To truly answer my father in law’s question of how he maintain is cardiovascular health I would have him answer this question. If there was a putter that would save you 4-8 strokes off your round of golf would you use it? So here’s the relative question, If there was a more efficient system for your health and fitness plan to cover all components…mobiltity/flexibility, core stability, strength, metabolic conditioning…in half the time you are doing it in right now wouldn’t you want to do it?
My recommendation for “anyone” would be to start prioritizing your workouts or training sessions with what makes the most sense. You can accomplish anything that you need to accomplish in 30 Minutes x 3 days a week. Focus of the primal movements that the body does. Doing movements the body was made to do…
Push
Pull
Lift
Squat
Twist
Lunge
Balance on 1 leg
Perform these movements in “alternating sets” or “giant sets” with incomplete rest between exercises and you will get the most “bang for your buck.” This is what we would call Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning. Performing resistance training exercises with this incomplete rest will be working the same energy systems as you would be doing traditional cardiovascular workouts. This is a lower impact than running or sprints and even walking. This is something that you can do in half the time and reap even more benefits that traditional cardiovascular activities. Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning is the future. The bodybuilding and long cardio days are over. Eliminating cardio and isolation exercises would be the best thing anyone can do. Take a look at my “you tube” video I posted awhile ago at a brief example of metabolic conditioning. (Type in Metabolic Conditioning)
A wise man once said, "Two/Thirds of the worlds problems be solved if people would adapt to change." Great point there. It's the same thing here, if you are not willing make a change in your health and fitness goals, how are you going to keep getting your self stronger, healthier, or more fit?
So, ask yourself this question? What makes the most sense? Doing something that has been completing debunked anproven to be not very effective? Or changing the way fitness done? Your call!
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, 1999.
The effects of a 20-week exercise training program on resting metabolic rate in previously sedentary, moderately obese women.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Mar
Resistance Training Conserves Fat-free Mass and Resting Energy Expenditure Following Weight Loss
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008
My father in law asked a legitimate question. How do you get the cardiovascular benefit without performing traditional aerobics, such as riding a bike, walking, jogging, striding away on the elliptical…etc. It’s no hidden secret now to every to know what side I am on here, but here is a well thought out response as to why I have completely eliminated all traditional aerobics from my own training program and from clients training programs. I base my reasoning on what has been recommend for the general population in the health and fitness industry for the past 20+ years or so.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that every receive 20-60 minutes 3-5 days a week of continuous aerobic activity in a week. I will use recommendation because this has been used for a long time. We then have to take in account that people will want to perform their weight training another 3 days a week and we will say that takes another 30 minutes per day. We are looking at on average 6 days a week for 30-60 minutes a day. Weight training being done on one day and your “cardio” being done on another because we’ve always been told to do those on separate days. Here my problem with this. Who in their right mind has time to come to gym 4,5,6 days week. Or who has time to walk for 4-5 hours a week. Not just that, but you would want to come to gym that much.
So, I look at it this way. We are different times. People have different wants and needs.We are a busier and my social society than ever before. People just do not have the time to be doing these drawn out boring “cardio” workouts. I know I want to go into a training session for myself knowing what is going to give me the most “bang for my buck.” What is going to make the most sense. I struggled for a few years trying to run for miles and miles on end trying to get back into shape. Guess what? I got fatter and slower? I started doing my own research because I said to myself, there’s got to be another way? Well, that’s what we have come to find out. People have done the research and there are more effective ways of starting or maintaining an exercise or training program. I have done the research myself with my own clients. We will get people healthier and more fit with a more systematic approach to an exercise program. Prioritizing with what is the most important to achieving your health and fitness goals. Here are a couple of studies again in regards to what is more efficient when you are going to start an exercise program…
Hunter et al
This study compared three groups:
Diet only, Diet plus aerobic training and aDiet plus resistance training group to determine what effect diet-induced weight loss in combination with exercise training has on body composition and resting energy expenditure.
With similar weight loss – the results showed that only the resistance training group maintained their lean mass and resting energy expenditure (metabolism). The aerobic training and diet only group actually lost muscle and lowered their metabolism. In other words – the strength training group lost more fat and maintained metabolism – meaning that if the program continued for a longer period of time or a greater weight loss, they could continue to lose more fat than the other groups.
Byrne et al
This study compared two groups – Resistance training and aerobic training (walking). The resistance training group increased metabolism while the walking group actually reduced their metabolism)
Bryner et al.Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.
The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and did not lose any lean muscle, even at only 800 calories per day. Additionally, the resistance training group actually increased metabolism compared to the aerobic group which decreased metabolism.
—
Kramer, Volek et al.
Overweight Subjects were assigned to three groups: Diet Only, Diet plus aerobics, Diet plus aerobics plus weights
The Diet-only group lost 14.6 lbs of fat in 12 weeks but when they added in the aerobic program – that group lost only one more pound than the diet group (training was 3 times a week starting at 30 mins and progressing to 3 x 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).
However the Weight Training group lost 21.1lbs of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively) in the same time frame.
To truly answer my father in law’s question of how he maintain is cardiovascular health I would have him answer this question. If there was a putter that would save you 4-8 strokes off your round of golf would you use it? So here’s the relative question, If there was a more efficient system for your health and fitness plan to cover all components…mobiltity/flexibility, core stability, strength, metabolic conditioning…in half the time you are doing it in right now wouldn’t you want to do it?
My recommendation for “anyone” would be to start prioritizing your workouts or training sessions with what makes the most sense. You can accomplish anything that you need to accomplish in 30 Minutes x 3 days a week. Focus of the primal movements that the body does. Doing movements the body was made to do…
Push
Pull
Lift
Squat
Twist
Lunge
Balance on 1 leg
Perform these movements in “alternating sets” or “giant sets” with incomplete rest between exercises and you will get the most “bang for your buck.” This is what we would call Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning. Performing resistance training exercises with this incomplete rest will be working the same energy systems as you would be doing traditional cardiovascular workouts. This is a lower impact than running or sprints and even walking. This is something that you can do in half the time and reap even more benefits that traditional cardiovascular activities. Metabolic Resistance Training/Conditioning is the future. The bodybuilding and long cardio days are over. Eliminating cardio and isolation exercises would be the best thing anyone can do. Take a look at my “you tube” video I posted awhile ago at a brief example of metabolic conditioning. (Type in Metabolic Conditioning)
A wise man once said, "Two/Thirds of the worlds problems be solved if people would adapt to change." Great point there. It's the same thing here, if you are not willing make a change in your health and fitness goals, how are you going to keep getting your self stronger, healthier, or more fit?
So, ask yourself this question? What makes the most sense? Doing something that has been completing debunked anproven to be not very effective? Or changing the way fitness done? Your call!
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, 1999.
The effects of a 20-week exercise training program on resting metabolic rate in previously sedentary, moderately obese women.
Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2001 Mar
Resistance Training Conserves Fat-free Mass and Resting Energy Expenditure Following Weight Loss
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008
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