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By
Phil Stevens |
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I
recently read a post on World Fitness Network by Darrin that
pretty much sums up the twisted misconception of the average
person of aerobic vs. anaerobic fitness in the world today.
“If I were to say to a
room full of average Americans, “I’ve run 4 times
a week, every week, for the past 10 years, without an exception,
even when I was sick,” I’d get most of the audience
nodding their heads in appreciation and admiration. I’d
probably even get some spontaneous applause and a few people
would be so impressed they’d be speechless.
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If instead, I said to that same room
full of average Americans, “I’ve lifted weights 4 times
a week, every week, for the past 10 years, without an exception,
even when I was sick,” I’d get
- Blank stares (confusion)
- Frowns (disappointment)
- Shaking heads (how could he waste
so much of his time?)
- Scoffs (“he must be so vain
to be that focused on how he looks”)
- Etc.
You get the picture.”
Sad fact is this is not at all far
from the absolute truth today. Where and how did this conspiracy
begin? It all really began and gained popularity in the late 70's
and early 80’s when Jim Fixx published his book "Complete
Book of Running" championing the health benefits of jogging.
Sadly Mr. Fixx also passed away at the age of 52 of a heart attack
after his daily run. Though reports say that this was not due to
the running but a family history of heart disease, one has to ask
what good did all that running do? Then it caught hold. The media
outlets, TV, magazines, newspapers, celebrities took it up, then
the gym’s or fitness facilities. They loaded there floors with
endless treadmills and other cardio machines that could capture
your dollars and time and require NO manpower or expense on their
part for instruction, or even a need for qualified trainers.
The infatuation with aerobic exercise
as THE WAY, much like the no fat diet, has stuck, and stuck hard,
despite the facts pointing to resistance training being far superior
in many aspects, and a MUST for the aging populations. Loading the
skeletal and muscular systems causes progression, adaptation, and
preservation of muscle, the metabolism, other hormonal functions,
bone density, cardiovascular health, insulin sensitivity, and the
simple strength, or excess there of, to continue to make life easy
to live and therefore enjoyable.
Then we have the whole camp of, “Well
I don’t want to get HUGE, I just want to get toned.” So
what happens women, and now increasingly young men, turn to classic
aerobic exercises, or even worse turning resistance training into
completely aerobic activity by using such pitiful loads as to not
stress the body at all in an anaerobic capacity. What is the result?
They no doubt lose weight, which makes them happy, but sadly while
the scale goes down, the body fat % goes up. They eat away at their
own metabolism, lean muscle tissue, leading to a downward spiral
of appearing 'thinner', but actualy getting fatter.
By default, your body when put into
any activity on a regular basis wants to make that activity easy.
The body is lazy. If your undertaking aerobic activity the fastest
way for the body to make it easier is? Lose weight. What’s
the quickest way to lose weight? Drop the heavy muscle tissue your
are not using. Why? The body has no need for it; it is expensive
(metabolically speaking), heavy, and you aren't using it when engaging
in aerobic activity. However, the body WILL hold on to those stores
of fat you are using as your primary fuel for your aerobic activity,
and of course to sustain life. These people are looking to get toned
but TONE in and of itself is reliant on the very muscle they are
avoiding to work and build. Muscle tone or tonus is a continuous
and passive partial contraction of the muscles that these misguided
people are actually eating away. What are they left with? Finely
sculpted bone, flabby flesh and fat, wearing the same size of clothing
and eating less, OR, completely starving themselves and being just
flat out skeletal.
I am not saying cardio is evil,
not at all. I am not even saying aerobic activity is wrong if
you have a goal that lines up with the need for it like running
a marathon. Cardio and aerobic activity is very beneficial for old
and young alike. I am saying that popular culture and popular media
has it all wrong. Most people are using the wrong tool to do the
job and get the results they desire.
Not only is their placement of aerobic
based activity as their primary exercise for health wrong, but also
the choice of these activities is wrong if a strong, toned, athletic,
HOT body is your goal. Without a doubt the foundation should be
in anaerobic activity and by doing so you will get the most bang
for your training buck. Anaerobic training will give you the most
expedient and noticeable progress in health and physique, and with
much less SUCK!, than grinding away hour, after endless painful
hour on a treadmill, the street, etc., while likely thinking you
are creating a huge stimulus for a dramatic change.
People feel aerobic activity is
the way, because it takes a long time and you "feel" it
- it burns - it sucks. NO! And this is from a guy who’s
been there. I ran distance, and ran a lot for several years, usually
twice a day. If you enjoy it fine, but I know I didn’t. I took
it on for the reason most people do - because you should. It’s
the way to get in “shape,” and get lean. I didn’t
do it due to the fact it was fun, and believe me training can and
should be fun. I and most people stick to running not with a thought
of fun in mind, but the thought of, if I keep this up and get good
at it, guess what? It won't suck as bad and then I will know I made
it. It wont be fun, but man it’ll be great cause it wont suck
and then I can tell all my friends.
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Again base your
training in anaerobic activity (which dependent on the individual
can be as varied as sitting and standing up in a chair, to
lifting many hundreds of pounds) then add on the cardio after
the fact to raise your stamina and burn some fat.
If you want to
keep that precious muscle, raised metabolism, bone density,
ability to eat more then a bird, the ability to traverse what
life throws at you, and look good into your later year, you
MUST lift heavy loads. Start with two to three targeted resistance
training session a week, try out some more anaerobic forms
of cardio activity like sprinting, Tabata, etc., then tack
on one or two low intensity, walking, jogging, hiking, biking,
aerobics classes, etc., to target fat loss, aid recovery,
and keep up your endurance.
Just get the picture
and spread the word that most of what you desire is accomplished
through finding an anaerobic activity you enjoy and have fun
with, work hard at, and push your strength capacity with,
be it a sport, resistance training, or both.
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About The Author
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Coach Phil Stevens is an accomplished
strength athlete with considerable experience in both powerlifting
and strongman competition. Phil is the 2007 APA World Champion
in the 242-pound class (total). He currently holds the APF
275-pound class raw National bench, squat, deadlift, and total
records. Phil’s marquis lift was his 700-pound raw deadlift,
performed on February 14, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Phil has been ranked in the “Top 10” in the deadlift Nationally across all powerlifting federations, also serves as the Arizona State Chair for the North American Highlander Association, as well as the founder of Lift For Hope, an annual strength-competition
with proceeds donated to Charity (www.Lift4Hope.org).
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