Cardio: The Minimum Effective Dose
WHAT IS CARDIO?
CARDIO IS OFTEN A TOUCHY SUBJECT IN THE FITNESS WORLD. IT'S EITHER A SOUL-SUCKING TASK, OR "THE PERFECT WORKOUT". RARELY, WILL YOU FIND A PERSON ON THE FENCE ABOUT CARDIO.
LET'S DEFINE CARDIO -
CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONING, CARDIORESPIRATORY TRAINING, OR CARDIO. WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT IS REALLY ANY EXERCISE THAT HELPS TEMPORARILY RAISE YOUR HEART RATE AND RESPIRATION RATE (BREATHING) TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONING OF YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY SYSTEMS. ----REALLY HELPS PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, DOESN’T IT?
JUST LIKE BEING A GIANT BELGIAN BLUE MUSCLE MONSTER IS SUPER COOL BUT TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, BEING A DEVOUT ULTRA-MARATHONER IS NIFTY BUT UNSUSTAINABLE AND COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.
UTILIZING CARDIO PROPERLY IS LIKE AN ART. IT TAKES FINESSE AND PLANNING. IF YOU HAVE A GOAL OF RUNNING A MARATHON, CYCLING A CENTURY, OR SWIMMING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, GOOD FOR YOU! I HAVE TRAINING PROGRAMS WRITTEN FOR YOU!
DON’T FORGET, HOWEVER, THAT THE TASK IS TO REMEMBER THAT YOU’RE PREPARING FOR AN EVENT NOT CREATING A LIFESTYLE THE REVOLVES AROUND FINDING LARGE GAPS IN YOUR DAY TO DEVOTE TO CARDIO.
IN CASE YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IT, THERE’S THE THEORY/PRACTICE OF ‘MINIMUM EFFECT DOSE’ (M.E.D.). M.E.D. IS ABOUT DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THE JOB DONE AND NOTHING MORE. THIS NOT ONLY SAVES TIME (THAT YOU COULD BE AT HOME WITH YOUR FAMILY) BUT SAVES STRAIN AND DRAIN ON YOUR ALREADY OVERTAXED BODY.
M.E.D. SAVES LIVES! <<< IMPORTANT CONCEPT!!
How Do You Know The Minimum Effective Dose?
YOUR NOT A F***ING HAMSTER!!
MINIMUM EFFECTIVE DOSE IS MONITORING YOUR HEALTH ON A REGULAR BASIS AND KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS.
EXAMPLES OF CARDIORESPIRATORY HEALTH MARKERS COULD BE:
- RESTING HEART RATE
- BLOOD PRESSURE
- VO2MAX TESTING
PERSONALLY, I’M NOT THAT SERIOUS. ACCORDING TO MY APPLE WATCH MY RESTING HEART RATE IS ABOUT 48 BEATS PER MINUTE AND I CAN JOG A MILE OR SO WITHOUT GETTING WINDED. MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS PRETTY GOOD (LIKE 120-ISH OVER 80-ISH).
I’M ALL GOOD AS LONG AS I’M GETTING THROUGH MY DAY, I’M ABLE TO DO FITNESS-Y THINGS WITHOUT GETTING OUT OF BREATH, AND I CAN CLIMB THE THREE FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO MY APARTMENT WITHOUT CRUMBLING INTO A PUDDLE OF BREATHLESS MUSH ON THE TOP LANDING.
WITH MY CLIENTS, I’VE FOUND IT BEST TO APPROACH MED IN THIS WAY:
- WHAT IS THEIR CURRENT STATUS?
- WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS?
- WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS?
- WHAT IS PRACTICAL AND SUSTAINABLE FOR THEM?
The Borg Scale Of Perceived Exertion
THE WHAT?
BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR CARDIO OPTIONS, I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT I ADDRESS THE BORG SCALE OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (SEE ABOSE).
EVERYONE OBVIOUSLY STARTS AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF FITNESS; THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO PUT YOUR LEVEL OF INTENSITY IN PERSPECTIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE COULDN’T JUST SAY, “GET YOUR HR UP TO 180 BPM!! GO! GO! GO!”. WHY NOT? WELL, WHAT IF 180 BPM IS WAY TO HIGH FOR A 70-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO HASN’T SEEN A GYM, LIKE, EVER? FOR ME, 180 IS LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK (JUST KIDDING!). IF YOU LISTEN TO YOUR GUT AND MAKE IT RELATIVE TO OTHER EXERCISES YOU’VE EXPERIENCED, IT WILL MAKE YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY A LOT LESS STRESSFUL; NOT TO MENTION SAFER.
I OFTEN TELL MY CLIENTS THAT “BURPEES ARE ONLY HARD UNTIL YOU FIND SOMETHING HARDER.” ET VOILE, WE HAVE THE BORG SCALE. IT SEEMS SELF-EXPLANATORY. THE SCALE STARTS AT 6 AND END WITH 20. THE LEVELS BEGIN WITH LAZING AROUND ON THE COUCH AND END WITH SPRINTING AWAY FROM A RABID RACCOON HOLDING A LIVE GRENADE WHILE RIDING AN ANGRY GRIZZLY BEAR.
WITH ALL THAT SAID, IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO AMP UP YOUR CARDIO PROGRAMMING, BELOW ARE A FEW IDEAS TO GET YOU STARTED (ALONG WITH SOME SPICY OPINIONS). IF YOU CAN IMAGINE YOUR END POINTS, BASED ON EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR DESIRED INTENSITY SHOULD FALL.
IF YOU CAN TALK, YOU CAN BREATHE.
THE BORG SCALE IS A GREAT TOOL WHEN USED PROPERLY. HOWEVER, IT CAN ALSO BE MANIPULATED BY INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF EXERTION THAN THEY ARE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING.
IN THIS CASE IT IS BEST TO FALL BACK TO MANUAL HEART RATE TESTING (WEARABLE TECH) AND PROBING FOR THE EMOTIONAL AND/OR MENTAL HANGUPS SURROUNDING EXERTION AND INTENSITY.
Types Of Steady State Cardio
L.I.S.S. - LOW-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
M.I.S.S. - MODERATE-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
M.I.S.S. - MODERATE-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
WHAT IS L.I.S.S.?
L.I.S.S., AS THE NAME IMPLIES, IS LOW-INTENSITY. THE RATIONALE BEHIND PERFORMING L.I.S.S. IS USUALLY SOME MISGUIDED NOTION THAT BURNING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF CALORIES BURNED AS FAT HAS SOME GREAT BENEFIT. NOPE! I WON’T POOPOO LISS, BECAUSE, FRANKLY, SOMETIMES IT’S NICE TO GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE AND GO FOR A WALK WITH A FRIEND. THAT’S WHERE THE GREAT BENEFITS END THOUGH. UNLESS YOU’RE ALREADY INSANELY LEAN AND YOU’RE TRYING TO GET EXTRA CRISPY FOR A SHOW, DON’T COME AT ME WITH THIS FAT BURN NONSENSE.
WALKING – GOING FOR A BRISK WALK IS PROBABLY THE MOST ACCESSIBLE, YET LEAST APPROPRIATED, FROM OF LISS CARDIO. BEING THE LOWEST IMPACT ON THE JOINTS (BETWEEN WALKING, JOGGING, RUNNING, AND SPRINTING), AND BURNING THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF CALORIES BURNED AS FAT IT IS ARGUABLY A GOOD CHOICE FOR CARDIO. IT’S JUST SO BOOORRRRINNNGGGG!!!
WHO NEEDS L.I.S.S.?
INDIVIDUALS WHO LEAD A HECTIC LIFESTYLE, ARE DEALING WITH CHRONIC STRESS, HAVE PTSD, OR WHO ARE IN VERY POOR CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITION MAY BENEFIT.
M.I.S.S. - MODERATE-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
M.I.S.S. - MODERATE-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
M.I.S.S. - MODERATE-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
WHAT IS M.I.S.S.?
M.I.S.S. IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMMONLY PRACTICED METHOD OF CARDIO. RUNNERS (A.K.A. JOGGERS), CYCLISTS, AND GENERAL CARDIO ENTHUSIASTS USUALLY FALL SOMEWHERE IN THIS REALM. BASICALLY, ANY ACTIVITY THAT KEEPS YOUR HEART RATE ELEVATED ENOUGH TO KEEP YOU FROM HAVING A CASUAL CONVERSATION WITHOUT PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR BREATH COULD BE CONSIDERED MODERATE INTENSITY. FEWER CALORIES IN THE MODERATE RANGE WILL BE BURNED AS FAT (RATHER, AS GLYCOGEN), BUT MORE CALORIES WILL BE BURNED OVERALL.
JOGGING/”RUNNING” – STOP. NO ONE REALLY RUNS. RUNNING IS OFTEN A POPULAR MISNOMER FOR THOSE ATTEMPTING TO DESCRIBE JOGGING. RUNNING IS PERFORMED AT JUST SUBMAXIMAL SPEED FOR BRIEF DURATIONS. “I WENT FOR A 5-MILE RUN.” << NO, YOU DIDN’T. YOU JOGGED. GIVEN THAT GAIT SPEEDS RANGE FROM WALK, TO JOG, TO RUN, TO SPRINT, IT FOLLOWS LOGIC THAT JOGGING SHOULD FALL AROUND 50-60% OF YOUR MAX CAPACITY AND RUNNING SHOULD FALL AT AROUND 75-85% OF YOUR MAX CAPACITY. THEREFORE, A RUNNING PACE COULD NOT BE HELD FOR THE SAME DURATION AS A JOG. HARDCORE DISTANCE RUNNERS JUST GET REALLY EFFING GOOD AT JOGGING WITH PEAK EFFICIENCY, AND PROBABLY COME CLOSER TO THE 65-70% MARK MORE OFTEN THAN MEATHEADS AND COUCH POTATOES. AS THEY SAY, “YOU’RE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO, AND YOU DO WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT”.
WHO NEEDS M.I.S.S.?
IF YOU HAVE A STRINGENT END-GOAL FOR M.I.S.S., THEN YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT REALM. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, BASICALLY ANY CARDIO ACTIVITY THE REQUIRES A GOOD DEAL OF ENDURANCE WOULD FALL HERE. MANY PEOPLE UTILIZE MISS FOR THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS. I CAN’T BEGIN TO COUNT HOW MANY TIMES I’VE HEARD THAT SOMEONE NEEDS MISS TO “ZONE OUT” OR “CLEAR MY HEAD”. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY REALLY NEED A THERAPIST AND SOME REFLECTIVE MEDITATION. STOP PUNISHING YOUR BODY BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN CAN’T EVEN…..
H.I.S.S.?
M.I.S.S. - MODERATE-INTENSITY STEADY STATE
H.I.S.S.?
NO, H.I.S.S. DOESN'T REALLY EXIST. YOU CAN'T SUSTAIN HIGH INTENSITY FOR LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT "STEADY STATE".
HOWEVER, YOU CAN READ THE SECTION ON I.B.T.