'Cardio' v Aerobic

Following the post on aerobic training a few months ago a number of people have asked what the difference is between 'cardio' and aerobic training, so here I will aim to make a distinction between the two and clarify my position on them.

As the name suggests, 'cardio' is training for the heart; very simply, that will be achieved by raising your heart rate for an extended period of time. On the other hand 'aerobic' and 'anaerobic' relate more to how hard your muscles are working. Activity is considered aerobic when we can breathe in adequate oxygen for our energy demands to be met by the low-intensity aerobic system, one of three pathways our muscles use to generate energy. Activity which is performed at a higher intensity creates a situation where we can't breathe in sufficient oxygen to meet energy demands and the working muscles must rely on anaerobic methods of energy generation. Our anaerobic energy systems are relatively short-duration in nature whereas aerobic energy production can be maintained for very long periods of time. That doesn't make it better, just different! Both aerobic and anaerobic training will elevate the heart rate, with the latter raising it further; both therefore can be considered 'cardio'. Because treadmills, rowers, bikes, cross trainers and steppers are universally known as 'cardio machines' it is hardly surprising that we have a situation where the majority of people believe that these machines are the only way to exercise their heart in a gym, with swimming, running, cycling and any active sports fulfilling the same role outwith the gym. Weight training is considered to serve a completely different purpose by most. But does it elevate your heart rate? You better believe it! Measure your heart rate after a set of squats and you may be surprised at just how high it is! Even exercises which don't involve as much muscle mass as the squat will create a response similar to that experienced during aerobic exercise. Structure your programme appropriately, for example using supersets or a circuit-style approach, and your heart will receive a training effect just as effective as that achieved with traditional cardio. Really, anything which raises your heart rate to an appropriate level for a reasonable length of time can be considered cardio.

So the advice to do cardio for health reasons is sound, but you need to separate the terms 'cardio' and 'aerobic' as they are not the same thing. As I've discussed before, aerobic training can actually be detrimental to your health because of increased oxidative stress, inflammation, depressed immune function and elevated cortisol levels. Weight training and anaerobic training, e.g. sprint intervals and strongman training, provide the 'cardio' benefits without the downsides, still improve your aerobic fitness and are also more effective when it comes to fat loss. So, unless you particularly enjoy aerobic exercise, I really can't see the point of doing aerobic work when you can get your cardio from much more effective forms of training!

Finally, it should be noted that most of the time our muscles are fuelled by aerobic metabolism, this is not something which only happens during exercise. Likewise, our heart rate fluctuates up and down over the course of the day depending on what we are doing. Activity must therefore reach a certain threshold level before it can be considered 'training' so please don't believe that a hectic day at work or at home running around after the kids is a substitute for exercise! This is why it would also be incorrect to claim that classes such as Zumba or Pilates are forms of aerobic exercise. They may be benficial for other reasons, but they are certainly not challenging enough to be considered as effective aerobic or cardio training methods.

Ouch!

Ridiculously sore abs today after yesterday's session of barbell presses and chins. Everyone should experience this before asking for 'abdominal' exercises in their programme!

Destination Unknown?

Training without a goal is common. Poor adherence to exercise is also common. Maybe there's a link...

People start exercising for many reasons but most of them are vague 'I really should start exercising' sort of reasons. Two or three tough training sessions later, a nasty case of DOMS, and suddenly carpet bowls or zumba seems like a more pleasant option. Those who continue training long-term, often throughout their lives, tend to be training for a reason. It might be to perform better at a sport, to change shape, to make work or life easier, or to improve health. So take a leaf out their book and set yourself a goal.

You may have heard of the SMART acronym, meaning goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timeframed, or some variation of this. One example would be to run a 10k race on 10 June 2012 in under 1 hour. Or lose 21 pounds of fat by 30 April 2012. Or gain 6 pounds of muscle by 30 April 2012. I would need to know more about your personal circumstances to say whether these goals are achievable but they are certainly not unrealistic for most people if they truly commit to them.

You might think that being so precise with your goals is unimportant, but it is all too easy to fall off the wagon or accept substandard results if you don't go through this process. For example, if you simply say you want to 'lose weight' then by losing 2 pounds you can technically say you have achieved your goal even though it's a pretty unimpressive result. Likewise, simply saying you want to 'do a 10k' means you can walk half way, do it in 2 hours, and still say you have been successful. If you set an ambitious but realistic target then you will have to work hard to achieve it but the rewards are much higher at the end.

Another worthwhile strategy is to tell as many people as possible about your goal; this makes it much harder to back out of it as you would need to admit your failure to a number of people!

Finally, it's also worth setting mini goals along the road to reaching your main goal. For example, if your aim is to lose 6 inches off your hips by 31 March 2012 you could set mini goals of 2 inches by 31 January and 4 inches by 29 February. This helps to keep you motivated by ticking off these mini achievements along the way, while stopping you from being tempted to leave things until the last minute. It also means that if you miss your first mini goal you still have time to adjust your plan to achieve the overall goal on time. For example, you might set a goal of losing two stones by your wedding on 26 May 2012, with a mini goal of 1 stone by 1 March. If you have only lost 10 pounds by this stage then you have plenty time to make adjustments to your training and eating plan and still achieve the overall goal, much better than being disappointed to find you've only lost a stone by the time your wedding comes round.

So over the next week or so think about something you'd really like to achieve next year, something which is challenging but achievable given the time and resources available to you. Write it down along with a start date and a completion date and then phone 5 people to tell them what you have written down! Or be brave and tell us your goal in the comments section below so we can provide encouragement along the way! Next arm yourself with the tools and information you need to achieve your goal, enlist any necessary help and expertise you need, then go get it!

Excuses, excuses...

“I haven’t been to the gym in a while because...” BZZZZZZZZZZ! I thought an excuse buzzer would be the ideal accessory for the reception desk. Jenni said no. Spoilsport. Not that I don’t want to hear the excuses you understand, it's just that guilt is usually the motivating factor for the story and no-one should feel guilty for not exercising. Seriously, it's okay to have priorities other than exercise. We're not the Exercise Police! What's not okay is to moan about being unfit or out of shape because life keeps getting in the way. Below is a list of common excuses for not exercising and why they just don't cut it. It's intended as a thought-provoking bit of fun so please don't take offence! Maybe just a gentle boot up the backside...

1. I don't have time. Easily the most common excuse and easily the worst. Rarely is a lack of time the issue but rather time management and prioritisation. If exercise is low on your list of piorities then that's fine, just don't pretend you'd like to exercise if only there were another 10 hours in the day. Truth be told, you'd fill those with something else and still say you don't have time. The majority of us spend lots of time watching TV, surfing the web, reading the paper and gossiping with friends but can't find 30 to 60 minutes three to four times a week to look after ourselves. Make some time, put your workouts in your diary and don't change them for anything! If you genuinely don't have time to look after your body then maybe you need to take a long hard look at that.
2. I don't enjoy exercise. I'm sure you don't, but I bet you'd enjoy living with some preventable illness caused by poor lifestyle choices like diabetes or heart disease a lot less. Anyway, you just need to think outside the box and find something you do enjoy. Yes, I'd love you to come to the gym but I'm not kidding myself that it's everyone's cup of tea.
3. I need to look after the kids. And the kids would no doubt like to be outside, so be active together; play games, take them for a walk (or a push), teach them a sport, whatever. Exercise should be fun and you can't have more fun than being a kid again!
4. I'm too out of shape. That's what exercise is for! I can never quite understand the idea that you need to be in shape to exercise, not exercise to get in shape. The belief that gyms are filled with lycra-clad goddesses is, sadly, not true so don't worry, you'll fit in fine just as you are.
5. I'm too tired. And why do you think that is? A lack of activity and a rubbish diet, that's why. The more you sit about the more you want to sit about! Exercise, a good diet and adequate hydration have a remarkable effect on energy levels. If you really must use this excuse then please at least be honest and just say you're too lazy!
6. It's too hard. Yes, but when did anything worthwhile ever come easy? If you want the results then put the work in. If you're not willing to put the work in then clearly you don't want the results badly enough and you should stop moaning about a lack of progress.
7. I have a sore back/knee/ankle/little finger/ear. Yeah, and probably a sore bum from sitting on it. Why do you think you have sore knees? Perhaps a lack of activity? Or a sore back? Maybe because it's too weak to withstand the demands of daily life. The vast majority of people find that their aches and pains of many years miraculously subside when they start lifting weights. Even genuine injuries caused by sports or accidents can usually be worked around and helped. Whenever anyone downright refuses to squat because "they hurt my knees" but are happy to use the leg press instead we know #6 applies - it's simply too hard. That's fine, just admit it.
8. I don't know what to do. That's what we're here for. If you forget easily then we can remind you. If you still forget then go to Jenni's classes and she'll remind you every week. And eat fish.
9. It's too dangerous. No, a heart attack is dangerous. Exercising under appropriate supervision is in fact incredibly safe. Just make sure your instructor is suitably qualified because taking advice from unqualified, or under-qualified, instructors is asking for trouble (and yes, we do know some locally!).
10. My job is active enough. Ya think? And that's why you're in the shape of your life? There's a difference between being 'on the go' all day and working at an intensity which brings you health benefits, never mind fitness benefits. I know of few jobs which help keep you healthy, none which actually improve your fitness, but plenty which make you unhealthy. And if you believe your job is active because you're tired at the end of the day then see #5.
11. I can't afford it. Until the government come out with a 'walking tax' then this one is just hopeless. Exercise needn't cost money. Ok, so you might need to spend some time in the weights room if you want to look significantly better, but improving your health can be free. And, if you're short of a bob or two for gym membership, have you ever noticed how much cheaper your shopping is without the biscuits and crisps in the basket?!

So now you're out of excuses there's only one thing for it: start exercising today! Go out for a walk. Or call the gym and book in for a training programme. Or book into some exercise classes. Or phone the secretary of the sports club you always fancied joining. But do it NOW! What's that? You can't, you're too... BZZZZZZZZZZ!

'Core' Training

There's always something trendy in the fitness industry, something which supposedly revolutionises the way we train and makes us wonder how we ever managed before. At the minute it's 'functional' training and 'core' training. You may have sensed a note of sarcasm in that introduction. If not, I'll try a little harder as we go on.

First of all, why the fuss over 'core' training? Some of it comes from 'research' (yes, all the scare quotes are absolutely necessary) which suggested that people with low back pain had weak abdominal muscles. Strengthen core muscles and, voila, healthy back. Suddenly everything in gyms was done on stability balls and Pilates was the most important class on the timetable. There are too many problems to list with the 'research', but one obvious one is that studies done on unhealthy subjects should not be applied to the general public. Perhaps a bigger motivation for many people is aesthetics and the fact that for some reason a toned midsection has become the main criterion on which physique is measured. Grown men can have the body of a 12 year old boy but if you can see their abs then they are deemed to be in great shape. Many people still believe the old 'spot reduction' myth which says you can burn fat from an area of your body by working the underlying muscles; hammer away at endless ab exercises and your stomach fat will miraculously dissolve into your bloodstream to be excreted at your next visit to the loo. The problem is that it really is a myth. If you don't believe me then have a quick check in the loo next time, although it's probably better that you just take my word for it. Television shopping channels make a fortune selling pointless ab gadgets, recommended by people who most certainly didn't get their physiques from using the thing they're selling. I've lost count of the number of people who have proudly told me that they perform hundreds of crunches or sit-ups every morning and evening. I can't help but ask why because I sure as hell can't work it out.

Don't get me wrong, there is certainly merit in the argument for a strong core. It provides a solid platform from which your arms and legs can operate, and forces generated by your limbs are transferred efficiently through your midsection to wherever they are being directed instead of being lost or diminished in an unstable core. So it's not the idea that's the issue here, it's the current method of choice. Think of any movement from bending over to pick up a child or a shopping bag, to a judo throw or a rugby tackle. Our abdominal muscles function as part of what is commonly referred to as a kinetic chain, performing their role in various whole-body movements in an integrated fashion alongside other muscles performing their own roles. Their job may be to lock the spine in place, providing the aforementioned solid foundation and maintaining the integrity of the spine, or to produce movement, or a bit of both. What they don't do is work in isolation. We've been conditioned to believe that they do by the fact that most gyms have rows of machines designed to work individual muscles which, incidentally, does wonders for the bank accounts of equipment manufacturers, somewhat less for the bank accounts of unsuspecting gym owners who have to buy the damn things and even less for your body. But to return to my argument, we've been led to believe that our muscles should be trained in isolation and it follows that the muscles of the core must therefore deserve their own exercises. Hopefully you can see the major flaw in this.

If not, don't worry, neither can the hundreds of personal trainers who charge good money to train their clients' cores with ridiculous exercises. Here's a more obvious argument: it also appears that the abdominal muscles have little potential for strength gains when trained in isolation, with some experts claiming that if you isolate your abdominal muscles then you are likely to see some improvement for the first 8 weeks or so and then progress will cease. For the rest of your life. How many of you have been doing abdominal exercises for more than 8 weeks? 8 years more like. Okay, you can stop now.

Or how about a quick look at the physiques of athletes. Seriously, if you want to look good then take a leaf out of an athlete's book. Do you really think they get abs like that by doing crunches and Pilates? Nope, just proper training and diet. Oh yeah diet. Remember, if you want to see your abs then you need to have pretty low body fat. I'd guess 10-12% before you see too much of them. Training will build the muscles you want to see, diet will let you see them.

So what constitutes proper training if doing it lying on your back is a waste of time. The answer is easy, convincing people to do it is the hard part. Quite simply, you do the main barbell lifts: squat, deadlift, press, and maybe some Olympic lifting if you fancy learning something a bit more challenging. In other words, whole-body exercises. This isn't just my own thinking by the way; people measure this stuff, and the greatest activity in rectus abdominis (the best known of your abdominal muscles) has been measured during the deadlift, but to be honest there won't be much between them all. People in the industry who tell you otherwise either don't have the experience with these lifts or they are simply too lazy to do them themselves. Either way, don't be misled by their thinking. The weight is perfectly scaleable to your current capabilities and as you increase the weight you increase the demands on your core, as well as on the other muscles involved in the movement. Most of the stuff done in gyms and classes is no more challenging to your core than the daily activities you are supposedly training for, and certainly does not compare with what you will face in most sports.

So do yourself a favour: forget the endless crunches and sit-ups and see just how hard your core muscles work while performing correctly executed and properly loaded barbell exercises!