One of the keys of our training philosophy at DNA is that less is often more. We use a MINIMAX function in our program design, minimizing training volume while maximizing benefit. (“MINIMAX” is an optimization term, in case you’re wondering, not something I made up! There’s that hoity toity operations research education at work.)
Many of you are used to higher training volumes, for a variety of reasons. For years, we worked hard to create as big of a calorie deficit as possible, which meant lots of time “doing cardio” – toiling away on the elliptical, running for hours, or sweating on the bike in front of the TV. Most weight training involved machines and little or no attention to muscle balance, intensity, or recovery time. Since we trained muscles in isolation, workouts took hours. Add up three rounds of ten reps on each muscle and 30-60 minutes of cardio, and you’re practically living in the gym!
If I have accurately described your pre-DNA approach to fitness, or if you are a distance athlete, chances are that you have a deep psychological association between time spent training and value of training. For years, you believed that you needed to spend lots of hours working out to succeed in your sport or to get fit.
Last week at DNA, we focused on muscular endurance. I have yet to talk to anyone who found it easy; most people were “good-sore”and ready for some rest. Did you realize that you spent fewer than three hours training, even if you trained every day? Some of our workouts were shorter than 10 minutes, but may have left you in a puddle on the floor immediately afterwards. You know that you achieved high intensity, but 15 minutes later, the guilt set in when you started to feel like you should do MORE.
Should you do more?
Not really. That’s the beauty of DNA’s programming: we design workouts to achieve high performance while allowing room for recovery. Your body should be challenged, but not beaten down, so having a little left in the tank shortly after a workout is actually helpful. Put this feeling in the context of the caveman: after chasing an antelope, killing it, and eating it, did caveman need to have a little in reserve just in case a tiger shows up? Probably! Your brain yells “quit” during intense exercise as a survival mechanism. While pushing through the workout leads to improvement, the idea is to stress your system for a short time, not to inflict persistent fatigue or chronic inflammation.
“High Intensity” Defined
The jury is out on the value of “chronic cardio.” Some authors believe it puts your system in a perpetual state of stress, triggering release of too much cortisol (stress hormone), leading to chronic inflammation and aging you faster. Other people argue that plenty of low-intensity cardio offers great benefits. Who’s right?
Like anything else, exercise is just one input to your system. Ever seen a pudgy half-marathoner? I’ve seen lots. Why is their body composition out of line with their activity level? Possible causes, and usually more than one is in play:
- Undereating – not eating enough energy to support their activity, so the body hangs on to every calorie for dear life
- Overeating – exercise makes them hungry and they overfuel after running
- Eating the wrong things – lots of refined carbs and other forms of sugar, and not enough protein
- Low muscle mass, so the body isn’t burning as much energy as it could (low metabolic rate)
Plenty of slow running is not necessarily bad, and but it just isn’t necessary when you train with a balanced program of high-quality targeted training, and it takes a lot of time that you don’t necessarily have to spare.
“That’s great, but I still feel like I didn’t do enough!!”
Realizing that not pummeling yourself for hours is acceptable is a good step toward overcoming the perceived need to work out for more time, as is paying attention the benefits you are getting through your workouts and how much better it feels to be not-completely-dead afterward. However, you may still feel fidgety or just can’t get past the feeling of need to do more. What should you do?
Fortunately, there’s a fitness component that you can add without overtaxing your system. If you have read Mark Sisson‘s work, you are familiar with the concept of “moving slowly.” Get outside, and go for a walk, and EASY hike, or a mellow bike ride. Walk the dog, the stroller, the neighbor who wants to get moving; pick something fun, pick some tunes, and just go. Explore downtown, Sabino Canyon, or someplace completely new to you (Milagro Canyon?). Chances are that you will find it fun and refreshing, and a great change of pace from your old 4-mile run. You’ll burn a few extra calories, produce some vitamin D, and help your circulatory system clear out some of the metabolic products of intense exercise. The idea is to move slowly, but if you feel the need to join in a pickup basketball game, that’s fine – just realize that you may be more worn out later.
Most of all, don’t feel guilty about not spending hours doing cardio. If your nutrition is on point as well as your training at DNA, you’ll get great results and still feel good after working out!
