After getting my ass kicked on a through-hike I’ve decided to improve my lower body’s endurance.
After 20-30 minutes, cardio apparently becomes bad for your strength and LBM (reference: some recent T-Nation article on why jogging sucks) so I’ve been trying a different method of cardio conditioning I’d read about Christian Bale’s trainer using for his preparation for “American Psycho”.
(It was also in my CAN-FIT-PRO textbook for my certification, but that was a decade ago and I can’t remember what it’s called.)
Instead of doing 30-45 minutes of cardio in one chunk before or after your weights, you split it up and include it as an exercise in your circuits, just like a resistance exercise.
For example:
Landmine Press x 8
TRX Row x 8
Landmine Twist x 25
Treadmill x 5 minutes @ 110% of tempo pace
Repeat circuit 3 times = 15 minutes accumulated cardio without the accumulated fatigue, free radicals, etc, whatever else was in that article about cardio being horrible for you.
Two circuits and you’ve accumulated 30 minutes.
Have you heard about this before? Does it have a name?
I am a pathological know-it-all and I hate not knowing things.
Thanks in advance,
ElbowStrike
PS - It seems to be working. Numbers going up on weights/reps and cardio machines. So far, great success.
[quote]ElbowStrike wrote:
After 20-30 minutes, cardio apparently becomes bad for your strength and LBM (reference: some recent T-Nation article on why jogging sucks)[/quote]
This is such a can of worms, I’ll just say, that depends on a few different things.
[quote]Instead of doing 30-45 minutes of cardio in one chunk before or after your weights, you split it up and include it as an exercise in your circuits, just like a resistance exercise.
…
Have you heard about this before? Does it have a name?[/quote]
You could call that a plain old circuit and be fine. Technically a complex is understood to be several exercises using the same piece of equipment, but this sounds kinda-sorta like Martin Rooney’s “Hurricane Training.” Basically, intense sprints (like a treadmill on high incline and high speed) alternated with two or three exercises (basic ab work for easier versions, more intense lifting like O-lift variations for advanced work).
He wrote a bit about them here:
It also kinda-sorta sounds like Mike Mahler’s “High Octane Cardio”, again where you basically alternate some form of cardio (a round on a heavy bag, a half-lap around a track, etc.) with some kind of resistance training, for whatever total “sets”.
Way back when, I remember getting some good results with this plan. Definitely one of those “it worked so well, why the hell haven’t I done it since?”-moments.
Good to hear. This trumps any other advice or catchy name, so definitely stick with it.
Just as an update, I’ve modified this method of training as I’m spending well over 2 hours at a time in the gym, sometimes 3, and I do have goals and commitments outside of lifting. That and I was starting to pass out at 7:30-8:00 in the evening instead of 9 or 10.
Now I’m doing cardio and weights on different days, but on “cardio” days, I’m still keeping to no more than 10-15 minute sets, then spending 10 minutes on static stretches and foam rolling for my “rests” before going back to another 10-15 minute set of cardio, repeating for a total of 30-45 minutes cardio, 30 minutes of stretching and foam rolling making for ~1-1.5 hrs at the gym.
Chris when results slow down on this training schedule I think I’ll try out one of those two that you referenced. They look like fun.
[quote]ElbowStrike wrote:
Thanks everybody for the feedback!
Just as an update, I’ve modified this method of training as I’m spending well over 2 hours at a time in the gym, sometimes 3, and I do have goals and commitments outside of lifting. That and I was starting to pass out at 7:30-8:00 in the evening instead of 9 or 10.
Now I’m doing cardio and weights on different days, but on “cardio” days, I’m still keeping to no more than 10-15 minute sets, then spending 10 minutes on static stretches and foam rolling for my “rests” before going back to another 10-15 minute set of cardio, repeating for a total of 30-45 minutes cardio, 30 minutes of stretching and foam rolling making for ~1-1.5 hrs at the gym.
Chris when results slow down on this training schedule I think I’ll try out one of those two that you referenced. They look like fun.[/quote]
Interesting program.
I don’t think it’s going to do a lot for your through-hiking - that’s an entirely different animal altogether - but it does sound good for fat loss and extra conditioning.