tnation cardio
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The Best Damn Cardio Article Period
by Nate Miyaki
The best damn cardio exercise is also the easiest. You might have
heard it befor e, but if you're like most people, you're still not
listening. END_TEASER --> The Best Damn Cardio Article Period by
Nate Miyaki
There are only two types of people I hate in the fitness world: (1)
people who are intolerant of other people's exercise choices, and
(2) runners! I should qualify that second part. I hate people who
dogmatically insist that any form of long duration, sustained
cardio activity is the best and only way to lose fat and change a
physique. Actually, I don't really hate anyone (although I would
like to slap a guillotine choke onto a few people), but I'm going
for a little Hollywood dramatic effect here. Anyone who's been in
the physique game long enough -- as an athlete or a coach - will
tell you that the hierarchy of body composition transforma tion
goes something like this: nutrition is by far the most important,
weight training is next, and the "C" word is a distant third.
Traditional cardio is at best a minor importance in the physique
enhancemen t game. And under many circumstances, it becomes the
worst form of exercise a relatively fit body type could do for body
composition enhancemen t. So if you chose to run, make sure you
understand the real reasons why you're running. You're running for
performance enhancement, or sport specific training, or stress
relief, or general health, or endorphi n rush, or to prove
something to yourself, or just because you like to do it. But if
you're running to drop body fat, remove that last little layer of
flab from around your midsection, or look good at the beach, you're
doing it for the wrong reasons -- unless your last name is
Hasslehoff.
Cardio in the Real World Most strength trainers, or anyone
who's ever taken a physiology class, have heard the ol' sprinter
vs. marathon runner comparison a thousand times. You know the
drill. Marathon runners that engage in primarily low intensity,
aerobic activity are usually skinny-fat, jiggle when they wiggle,
and are so injured and beat-up that they look like they've come
straight out of a Resident Evil movie. Sprinters that engage
in primarily high intensity, anaerobic work are generally more lean
and muscular. It's amazing to me how many intelligent people
understand this on a conceptual level, but don't practically apply
it within their training protocols. "Yeah, marathon runners are
losers." Then that same allegedly intelligent person will go out
and do cardio three times a day to try and reach low single-digit
body fat percentages. No physique athlete has any business spending
two hours on a stationary bike, unless there's a hot chick with a
nice ass on the elliptical machine sweating in front of you. And
even then, either man-up and make your move or go home and cry to
your buddies about what could have been, but don't waste your time
on a glorified coat rack. The fittest "looking" people in the
world, and the smartest coaches in the world -- the Testosterone
crew, bodybuilders, figure girls, fitness models, etc. -- base
their exercise programs around strength training. They all lift
weights -- both the men and the women. Cardio may be a part of the
plan, but it's not the foundation. Christian Thibaudeau didn't
become The Beast (as an athlete or coach) on an elliptical machine.
And on a side note, I would say most physique athletes do cardio
out of tradition rather than necessity. Diet and strength
training are what changes physical appearance. Cardio is
supplemental at its very best.
Cardio Science Traditional cardio is for pussies, and sucks
for fat loss, period. That's the end of today's lesson, my young
apprentice. I wish you could just take my word for it, go out, lift
like a madman, eat with the disciplin e of a warrior, and travel
down the most efficient path to "rippedness". But I know the Nation
followers are more educated than the average fitness population and
need a little more science to back up those claims. Cool with me.
And besides, I wouldn't take me at my word either. I've fallen
asleep in many scientific lectures in the past, and watched the
clock drag in several others, so I'll save you the dissertation and
give you the cliff notes version of the science behind why the
majority of your training should be anaerobic (strength
training/interval cardio) vs. aerobic (traditional cardio) in
nature: The physique transformation process is m
ore complicated than the simple calories in vs. calories out theory. The real keys are to use your diet and exercise protocols to elevate your resting metabolic rate AND manipulate your anabolic, lipolytic hormones and enzymes. Strength training has a much more powerful effect on these processes than aerobic training. Many who focus on just "calories" and th e slash and dash mentality end up with destructive patterns -- extreme calorie cuts and/or excessive aerobics. This sets off an alarm state in the body where the body sheds muscle tissue to lessen energy demands and stores/hoards body fat as a survival response. Once this physiological state is reached, it becomes impossible to lose any more weight no matter how many calories you cut or how much aerobic work you try and add. What you end up with is someone who is on starvation level calories and performing excessive exercise, yet is still flabby. Muscle loss due to excessive aerobics dr astically lowers the resting metabolic rate and inhibits natural hormone production. When this type of person goes back to even just normal, healthy calorie and exercise levels, they gain all of the weight back plus a few extra. This generally results in a vicious cycle of huge swings in body weight and appearance. Whether it's housewives following fad diets or bodybuilders alternating between competition shape and off-season obesity is irrelevant, it's still "yo-yo'ing." Sometimes the damage to the metabolism and hormones becomes so great over time that it's irreversible without medical intervention. The calories burned during an exercise s ession are relatively small compared to the amount burned the other 23 hours of the day during the recovery process (at rest). Most fat oxidation occurs between tra ining sessions, not during. As such your exercise sessions should primarily be geared towards building muscle and boosting the metabolism, not "burning fat. Upon cessation of an exercise session, s trength training raises the metabolic rate (the after-burn effect) for longer periods of time than aerobic work -- up to 48 hours. This is because all of the steps involved in the recovery process from strength training (satellite cell activation, tissue repair, protein synthesis, etc.) require energy (calories). Aerobic sessions elevate cortisol levels . Long sessions can lead to excessively high levels, and too frequent sessions can lead to chronically elevated levels, neither of which is good for body compositio n enhancement. Cortisol can force the body to break down its own muscle tissue, convert it to glucose (gluconeogenesis), and use it as fuel. It also leads to increased fat accumulation, especially around the midsection. Strength training raises cortisol levels , but it also raises Testosterone and growth hormone -- potent muscle building/fat burning hormones that offset cortisol. The net hormonal effect (assuming proper dietary support) is protein synthesis/lean muscle gain. The body burns predominantly fat during aerobic work. As a result, the body adapts by up-regulating the enzymes that store body
fat. The body burns predominantly glucose/glycogen during
strength training. As a result, the body adapts by up-regulating
the enzymes that store muscle glycogen. Strength training has more
powerful, pos itive nutrient partitioning effects than cardio,
meaning nutrients are diverted more towards muscle cells (where
they can be used to build/maintain lean muscle tissue) and away
from fat cells (where they can be stored as body fat). There are
certain "intermediate" muscle fibers that can take on the
properties of either slow-twitch or fast-twitch muscle fibers,
depending on different modes of exercise. Endurance-based training
leads to the conversion of those fibers into slow twitch fibers.
Strength training leads to the conversion of those fibers into fast
twitch fibers. The latter is the more desirable result for physique
enhancement because fast twitch fibers have the greatest potential
for hypertrophy. This process is what firms and shapes the body,
boosts metabolic rate, and leads to increased fat burning even at
rest.
Cavemen and the Lost Art of Walking We can even look at our
evolutionary past for clues. In terms of "formal activity" or
"exercise," our bodies were designed to be anaerobic in nature.
Yes, for most of the day we performed sub-maximal (and what could
technically be termed aerobic) activities. We walked around,
gathered food, tracked prey, cooked, cleaned, etc. But we didn't
run to keep the heart rate up or reach some type of fat burning/ae
robic zone. None of what we did was formal exercise; we just
completed the necessary tasks of the day, whatever that may be. In
fact, we used as little energy as possible during most of the day
in order to conserve energy for when it was absolutely necessary
for survival. And when it was time to move, we frickin' moved,
baby. We sprinted away from predators or towards prey. We climbed
trees, hoisted objects, swung weapons, and clubbed stuff to death
with maximal exertion. Th ese are all predominantly anaerobic
activities. We're not meant to reach arbitrary fat burning zones
for arbitrary amounts of time. We're meant to alternate periods of
kicking back with periods of kicking ass. That 's how you
efficiently build an attractive, functional body. So we can take
two things away from our cavemen brethren: (1) the majority of our
formal exercise sessions should be anaerobic in nature, and (2),
walking is one of the most underrated forms of activity around. And
I don't mean walking on a treadmill or anything "exer cise"
specific. I just mean real, outdoor walking as an informal
activity. Remember, that's what we did in our evolutionary past. We
walked every day to hunt, gather, travel, track, etc., all just as
part of our regular day. We didn't sit at a computer all day eating
M&M's. Walking gives us many of the same benefits as
traditional aerobic activity (calorie burning, lowered blood
pressure, lowered resting heart rate, lowered cholesterol,
increased cardiac output, increased capillary density, increased
nutrient/oxygen delivery, etc.) without all of the drawbacks
(musculoskeletal injury, joint wear and tear, elevated cortisol,
muscle loss, lowered metabolic rate, etc.). Simply put, it's the
aerobic activity we were meant to do. Just like everyone can
benefit from a little more Nate Miyaki in their lives, everyone can
benefit from a little more walking in their lives. This covers the
entire spectrum, from the severely overweight and deconditioned
beginner to the advanced physique athlete looking to peak.
Practical Shit What, being entertained and educated isn't
enough? You actually want to know how you can apply this
information to your own training protocol? Okay, if you're ready,
let's get this thing rolling: Fat people (over 20% body fat) 1. If
you're over 20% body fat, you need to star t being honest with
yourself you're not bulking up or retaining water or using the
extra mass to your advantage in a sport (unless it's sumo wrestling
or competitive eating). You're fat, plain and simple. 2. Diet has
and always will be the biggest facto r in the fat loss equation.
You need to get your ass on a targeted nutrition plan. This is
where 80% of fat loss comes from, and amazing fat loss results can
be achieved with diet alone. I would check out one of Christian
Thibaudeu's carb cycling diets and/or one of John Berardi's fat
loss plans. 3. Walk 30-60 minutes a day -- 5 days a week. Th is
will help you burn some calories and get some of the fat burning
hormones and enzymes going (hormone sensitive lipase,
catecholamines). Go first thing in the morning, at lunch, after
work, or after weight training, whenever you have the time. And if
you can't fit it in, then (a) you're either lazy as shit or (b) you
really don't give a shit. Either way, you probably shouldn't be
reading T-Nation. Try Vagina-Nation. 4. If you're fat, you're
probably putting a lot of extra weight on your joints, are out of
alignment, and are suffering from some type of chronic pain. I'd
check out one of Mike Robertson's mobility/stability, corrective
exercise routines. Fit People (10%-20% body fat) 1. Train 5 days a
week. All of your training sho uld be anaerobic in nature. 2. I
prefer all of my training to be strength tr aining, but that's my
personal bias. I'd rather wear the 80's MC Hammer jam pants and
string Gold's Gym tank top than the sac-showing, high-and-tight
running shorts. But if you're a cardio-junkie, that's cool too. You
can do a mix of strength training and interval-based cardio. 3. So
5 days of strength training, 4 days of str ength training + 1 day
of interval cardio, or 3 days of strength training + 2 days of
interval cardio. I would do a minimum of 3 days a week of strength
training. Remember all of the metabolic and hormonal benefits of
strength training? 4. Interval cardio essentially means alternating
periods of sprinting/maximal exertion with periods of recovery. You
go hard for something like 30-60 seconds, then back off for 60-120
seconds, and then repeat, i.e. wind sprints. Do a 5-minute warm-up,
20-40 minutes of intervals, and a 5-minute cool down. 5. If you
have more fat to lose, then walk, not as a formal exercise session,
but simply to increase non-exercise induced thermogenesis. This
will help you burn off a few extra calories without catabolizing
muscle tissue. This is an individual-thing, so add in as much
walking as it takes to reach the desired body fat result. What's
worked best for myself, and a good percentage of my clients, is 4-5
days of strength training coupled with 2-3 45-minute walks per
week.
6. This article is more about getting you to bac k off on
traditional cardio than it is about specific strength training
protocols. But you do need a plan designed by experts to get
results. If you're a bodybuilder-type, check out one of Scott
Abel's plans. If you're a power and strength-type, read Christian
Thibaudeau's or Dave Tate's stuff. If you're a sport
performance-type, look at what Charles Poliquin or Eric Cressey
have to say. Competitive Physique Athletes (Less than 10% body fat)
1. Don't take advice from anyone who hasn't gone through the
process themselves. What looks good on paper doesn't always work in
the real world. At the same time, just because someone competes or
is ripped doesn't mean they have any clue about the physique
transformation process. Learn from people who have both a
scientific background AND practical experience. 2. We're back to
diet as the most important fact or to get to low single digit body
fat percentages. Check out Scott Abel's, Dr. Clay Hyght's, or
Shelby Starnes' diet advice. 3. Ditch cardio work completely, even
interval w ork. At this point you don't have a lot of body fat left
to burn, and are more susceptible to tapping into muscle tissue as
a reserve fuel, which results in a loss of muscle and a soft, flat
appearance. 4. You should be strength training 4-6 days a we ek.
Focus on building, preserving, and maintaining your muscle mass
with your training. Let your diet "burn off" the body fat. 5.
Again, if you have more fat to lose, then wal k, not as a formal
exercise session, but simply to increase non-exercise induced
thermogenesis. This will help you burn off a few extra calories
without catabolizing muscle tissue. This is an individual-thing, so
add in as much walking as it takes to reach the desired body fat
result. What's worked best for myself and a good percentage of my
clients is 4-5 days of strength training coupled with 2-3 45-minute
walks per week. Heading to the gym tonight? You better be heading
towards the gym floor and not the stationary bike!
Nate Miyaki is a competitive physique athlete and coach . He is the
owner of Senshi Fitness, a private personal training and nutrition
consulting practice based out of San Francisco, CA. He is also an
expert in Samurai Philosophy and its application to strength and
physique sports. Visit his site at www .natemiyaki.com or follow
him at www.twitter.com/Sens hiFitness.
The Hoff had to run it was part of the Baywatc h mystique. A
lot of runners look like they stepped off the set of Resident
Evil The natural state of mind regarding cardio is
confusion.< /p> This works well if you don't chewing up
muscle. Riding this kind of bike is okay. If you feel funny
walking, get yourself a dog. PHOTO CAPTIONS The Hoff had to run it
was part of the Baywatch mystique. (Baywatch) A lot of
runners look like they stepped off the set of Resident Evil
. (zombie) The natural state of mind regarding cardio is confusion.
(bb with head in his hands) This works well if you don't chewing up
muscle. (girl on stairmaster) Riding this kind of bike is okay.
(guy on motorcycle) If you feel funny walking, get yourself a dog.
(guy walking a dog) -->
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