This weeks educational topic: CARDIO YO!!! To get things started, I wanted to discuss the topic of CARDIO in a bit more depth. Those that have worked with me for a while know my stance (I dont always do cardio, but when I do, I do intervals and sprints~most interesting man in the world). My specialty for those that do not know, is in not just nutrition, but rather human metabolism and physiology. My greatest interest and specialty is in having a deeper understanding of how the body works on a cellular level and how different types of exercise, movement, and nutrient affect its function. I dont know much about swinging a kettle bell or swimming technique, but when it comes to changing the composition (more muscle, less fat) of your body, Id like to think I know a thing or two about a thing or two. I love working with clients that are truly trying to change not just their body, but their outlook, lifestyle and help them reach their full potential!! Its not that I think everyone needs to be a gym junkie like myself (got to get my kicks somehow), BUT without a doubt if your physical and mental well being are not in check, you simply will not be able to reach ANY of your life goals, fitness related or not, as effectively. Yes, I have ADD and get off topic, but to get back to the subject of cardio....I have worked with hundreds of clients with all types of needs, phobias, conditions, goals etc. As mentioned above, I particularly love working with clients trying to change their body and life, thus the subject of cardio is something that I feel like has turned me into a broken record player!! Well I heard walking 2 flights of stairs a day burns 200 more calories a week. Sigh. The body is a machine that constantly adapts to imposed demand (you lift heavy weights and break down muscle tissue, the body says oh, we need more muscle to adapt to this new demand!, you start eating less calories because you think it will help you lose weight, the body says oh! we are in a energy scarce environment, therefore we should start conserving energy and lower metabolic rate). Dont try to trick your body....you will lose every time. Cardiovascular training is a complex system with too many variables to think there is a black and white answer such as I think I need to do an hour of walking each day to reach my goal. Ill try to summarize some key points about the topic over all : -aerobic and anaerobic metabolism is not so black and white as aerobic is with oxygen (walking), anaerobic is without oxygen (sprinting). The truth is the body can store energy (ATP) and even small amounts of oxygen molecules. So the body is never really without oxygen (unless youre Sandra Bullock lost in space because George Clooney let you down) but depending on the amount available, your body needs different ways to keep up with energy demands. Without getting into too much biochemistry, we will focus on the THREE MAIN energy systems: Creatine Phosphate system, Glycolytic (sugar burning), Lipolyitic (fat burning). -DING DING DING did I get your attention with that last sentence? Fat burning system? How do I do that? Is that the fat burning zone on cardio equipment? Whoah there brotato, hang on. The body is always burning a mixture of fuels at any given point in time, and just because an activity, such as walking, might be predominately use the fat burning system DOES NOT mean that it is necessarily most effective in the long or short run to do a lot of that activity. -What is the formula to be lean and mean? Well most world fitness experts agree it goes something like this (in this specific order): ROCKSTAR NUTRITION + HEAVY LIFTING + SOME CARDIO (ANAEROBIC INTERVALS) + ACTIVE LIFESTYLE = HEALTHY METABOLISM AND STUDLY BODY. -Call me vain or insecure, but I really dont care how much weight I can lift, how fast I can run etc. I really only want to feel good, look good, and feel good about the way I look (be comfortable in my skin). Whether someone admits it or not, most feel similarly. - What about jogging? That burns more fat right Sure you can pick activities that might burn more fat within the given workout time (30-60 min) but then what happens when the workout is over? Jogging at a leisure pace makes the body more efficient at conserving energy, so although it is predominately a fat fueled activity......guess what? Your body recognizes that it is a sustainable intensity and will make itself more fat efficient so that it can hang on to as much precious stored energy (fat) as possible. The same logic could be applied to strength training. If someone said Ill just lift medium weight at a leisurely intensity to build more muscle. Most would agree this sounds silly and probably wouldnt work and yet most also do exactly that with their cardio!! What happens when you force yourself by willpower and effort to lift maximal amounts of weight within an appropriate rep range (3-5 sets of 8-12 reps typically)? Well you quite literally break down muscle tissue and the body freaks! Hey cells! We need to build more muscle to help us be able to keep up with this new demand that is placed on us in this environment for survival!!!! Tell the endocrine system to start releasing anabolic (building) hormones to go build some buffness!! -Besides just the energy systems being used, as I alluded to above somewhere, different types of activities create a different metabolic/hormonal response. Example: chronic cardio can over time lead to higher cortisol levels which can start breaking down tissues in the body to produce sugar (gluconeogensis) and increase circulating R.O.S. (reactive oxygen species) which will further lead to cellular damage and oxidative stress. EXAMPLE 2: hard strength training can stimulate higher growth hormone, testosterone, thyroid hormone, levels in an attempt to heal the body from a hard workout and make it stronger than before. Im kinda mentally done typing. Anybody that made it to the end, I greatly appreciate it! I spend countless hours of my own time trying to provide as much help as I can give.......so its awesome when you all use it and practice it! Thanks for listening and until the next educational topic (or our next session ) enjoy your weeks and never settle for less than your best!
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 19:11:32 +0000
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