Cardio training

[Étienne Lajeunesse]

Hi! How important is it to work on cardio vs GST?  Do we need to work a lot on it? Thanks!

[Alessandro Mainente]

It is not a problem of VERSUS but rather a problem of how one can improve the other one. 

[Étienne Lajeunesse]

Ok, I'm asking because doing cardio is not my favorite thing to do, well not in the usual ways... so I wanted to know if it was very important?

[Darin Phoenix]

Hi Etienne, 

Cardiovascular training is definitely an important part of your overall fitness plan. It definitely helps if you can find something that you enjoy. I love to jump rope so cardio is like playtime for me now. Improving your cardiovascular training will also have numerous carry over benefits to your strength workouts.

[Étienne Lajeunesse]

Hi Darin,

I think I'll put myself into work, then!  

Thank you very much!

[Mathews McGarry]

Yeah, benefits of cardio endurance are numerous - if you decide to go for a run, just play some of your favorite tunes and just do it. Alternatively, you can try Zombies, Run! app - my friends are in love with it

[Leo Trinidad]

Doing cardio definitely helps a lot with recovery. Coach suggested a minimum of 1x a week of cardio. Doing too much cardio however will be a detrimental factor to your training.

[Étienne Lajeunesse]

OK, only once a week? That's not too hard! How much time per training?  30 minutes, an hour?

[Lloyd Sparks]

I would recommend high intensity interval training. It will get you the best results with the least involvement of time. It also more closely resembles the kind of activity gymnasts do with short, intense bursts of speed.

All you need is a place to sprint. Do about 100 yards full sprint, then walk or jog the same distance. Do 3 to 5 sprints. It will take you all of 10 minutes. You should probably do them at least 3 times a week, but you can do them every day.

[Darin Phoenix]

Hi Etienne,

You won't receive much benefit from doing cardiovascular training once per week. To receive any benefit I think you would need to consider at least 3 times per week for 30 minutes. I am pretty sure that I have read that the Chinese Men's Gymnastics team would consistently complete 5km steady state jogs on a daily basis. As Leo stated it can definitely aid in recovery but apart from that the numerous general health benefits from adding some type of cardio training to your routine make it an essential part of any correctly structured training program.

[Étienne Lajeunesse]

3 hours ago, Darin Phoenix said:

You won't receive much benefit from doing cardiovascular training once per week. To receive any benefit I think you would need to consider at least 3 times per week for 30 minutes. I am pretty sure that I have read that the Chinese Men's Gymnastics team would consistently complete 5km steady state jogs on a daily basis. As Leo stated it can definitely aid in recovery but apart from that the numerous general health benefits from adding some type of cardio training to your routine make it an essential part of any correctly structured training program.

In this perspective, I can totally see the outcome of what cardio training could bring.  Is there a better type of training like continuous jogging or interval sprint (like Mr. Lloyd Sparks brought) or even, like yourself, with skipping rope, to benefit Gymnastic training?  

 

[Janno Rillo]

11 hours ago, Lloyd Sparks said:

I would recommend high intensity interval training. It will get you the best results with the least involvement of time. It also more closely resembles the kind of activity gymnasts do with short, intense bursts of speed.

All you need is a place to sprint. Do about 100 yards full sprint, then walk or jog the same distance. Do 3 to 5 sprints. It will take you all of 10 minutes. You should probably do them at least 3 times a week, but you can do them every day.

I think the benefit of adding low intensity cardio training into the mix is to add a different stimulus to your cardiovascular system, which helps recovery and metabolic efficiency. Isn't HIIT beating you up even more?

[Winter Phoenix]

Hi Etienne,

I would introduce some variety of cardio training, long steady state and interval training. I personally love jump rope due to the skill aspect which challenges me while working hard. 

[Alessandro Mainente]

Thre is no high intensity interval training without a basic aerobic capacity, so please do not give this suggestion if you do not know the student's ability.

Protocol on this type of ability must be personally planned by a coach in a face to face tutelage.

[Ferdinand Berr]

I also want to add a little bit of endurance work to my weekly schedule.

Running and similar stuff is unfortunately out of the mix because of shin splint problems, but I've thought of something like Tabata (8x 20s work/10s rest, 3 sets of those with about 2 min rest in between), which should be pretty much bang for the buck. Do you have ideas for exercises I could work on within this Tabata system? I have to exclude rebound/plyometric movements like Burpees because of my shin splints, but I've thought of something like bear walks or other movements from the fundamentals course - those should be sufficiently taxing when done for 20s intervals plus I'd work on some deficiencies in the same time.

Would doing Tabata one time per week be sufficient or should it be done at least two times? Would you recommend doing it on GST rest days or on GST workout days? At the moment I want to focus on F1, H1 and Stretch to get a better foundation/reduce deficiencies before I add in more serious endurance work, try to get back to running and other stuff.

For lower intensity endurance work I'll try to go swimming from time to time, though I lack any form of talent or passion for this sport=D Biking is probably not the best idea with shin splints.

[Lloyd Sparks]

Janno, HIIT is stressing your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to all tissues, but it is not stressing your muscles, joints and connective tissue in the way strength and mobility training with GB does. HIIT can be done in a low impact manner, so I wouldn’t look at it as “beating you up.” I like HIIT because it produces much better results in terms of VO2 Max and fat burning than low intensity cardio does and does it with much less investment of time. Also, low intensity cardio, if done for long periods, will result in cortisol release, which has a catabolic effect on the body, limiting your strength and mobility gains.

[Darin Phoenix]

Hi Lloyd, 

Making statements like low-intensity cardio releases cortisol which has a catabolic effect on the body is shaky ground. I understand that it certain circles this may be the current trend and perhaps your personal preference, however disregarding valid methods of training shows a confirmation bias on your behalf. That is why athletes, even strength athletes have used it as a valid part of correct programming since the dawn of exercise. 

[Paul Wallbridge]

Every person/athlete is different both physiologically and mentally. What works for ten, doesn't work for another five, etc. Find the structure that works for you. If you enjoy long distance running and you're still hitting your goals, do long distance running. If you can't stand long runs and prefer fartlek or hiit then do that. If you hate running and love riding, great!

the most important thing is to enjoy what you're doing and not get to wound up in science and propaganda. Unless you're targeting international competition, most effective training techniques will probably get you to your goal... eventually.

[Étienne Lajeunesse]

3 hours ago, Paul Wallbridge said:

Every person/athlete is different both physiologically and mentally. What works for ten, doesn't work for another five, etc. Find the structure that works for you. If you enjoy long distance running and you're still hitting your goals, do long distance running. If you can't stand long runs and prefer fartlek or hiit then do that. If you hate running and love riding, great!

the most important thing is to enjoy what you're doing and not get to wound up in science and propaganda. Unless you're targeting international competition, most effective training techniques will probably get you to your goal... eventually.

By that, you mean to be creative and do whatever it feels good to do?

[Lloyd Sparks]

Hi Darin. Thanks for commenting on my post. The cortisol response is complex and I only meant to make the point that people who do a lot of running tend to be thin and stiff. Normally training male runners have low resting total testosterone levels and cortisol levels in the high-normal range. (Testosterone, Cortisol, and Creatine Kinase Levels in Male Distance Runners During Reduced Training, J. A. Houmard, D. L. Costill, J. B. Mitchell, S. H. Park, W. J. Fink, J. M. Burns, Int J Sports Med 1990; 11(1): 41-45) We all have biases. My training is in age management medicine, which is evidence-based. I tend to be skeptical of training regimes that are based on tradition. I’ve been able to get much better improvements in VO2 max and fat loss for my patients through HIIT than with long sessions on the treadmill at "fat burning" intensity.

[Jon Douglas]

3 hours ago, Étienne Lajeunesse said:

By that, you mean to be creative and do whatever it feels good to do?

Not as an overall program design rule,  but frankly, if you are completing your strength work as planned then yes, kicking and chasing a ball or something, or getting active playing sports, is fine. It doesn't need to be planned out in a recreational athlete.

If you were a pro, it would be appropriate to look at how much extra volume is added, but for most of us just adding playtime is no issue

[Janno Rillo]

4 hours ago, Lloyd Sparks said:

Hi Darin. Thanks for commenting on my post. The cortisol response is complex and I only meant to make the point that people who do a lot of running tend to be thin and stiff. Normally training male runners have low resting total testosterone levels and cortisol levels in the high-normal range. (Testosterone, Cortisol, and Creatine Kinase Levels in Male Distance Runners During Reduced Training, J. A. Houmard, D. L. Costill, J. B. Mitchell, S. H. Park, W. J. Fink, J. M. Burns, Int J Sports Med 1990; 11(1): 41-45) We all have biases. My training is in age management medicine, which is evidence-based. I tend to be skeptical of training regimes that are based on tradition. I’ve been able to get much better improvements in VO2 max and fat loss for my patients through HIIT than with long sessions on the treadmill at "fat burning" intensity.

Lloyd, I think that pure distance runners are not a good comparison group to cross-training meant in this topic (doing something too much can rise your cortisol in any activity). Also I suspect that the patients that you mentioned having success with HIIT are not doing regular full-body stength training as their primary training? I believe HIIT works well if that's your main activity. GB style of strength training (complex movements, isometric holds, quite high tempo with minimal rest) has quite big stimulus to your cardiovascular system, you are training your heart to work under load. Like other muscles, your heart muscle needs to recover from such effort as well. Maybe HIIT as a recovery tool works for some people, I know for sure that for people like me it's counterproductive (If I would add HIIT to my non-GB days, then I would just break down in 1-2 weeks). Therefore I think that HIIT cannot be a common recommendation for everybody.

[Jon Douglas]

Definitely a caveat that I did not exactly have HIIT and hill sprints in mind when I posted earlier!

[Mavis Hendershot]

If you are a heart patient then you have to be on cardio for longer time.

[Michael Tolles]

I believe every one here the therapists and trainers NEED to read The One Minute Workout by DR Martin Gibala. One of if not the top reasercher on HIIT and endurance training in the world. This book $14.00 and 500 pages is a synopsis of the latest reaserch and colaboration with the top reachers on exercise physiology in the world. HIIT is not new it has been around for over 100 years and used by olympic gold medalists in the past. There is also a Tim Ferris podcast with Dr Gibala #217. The book is an easy read explaining his proof using VO2 max, aerobic capacity and muscle biopsy, looking at mitochondria and the enzymes and have proof that HIIT is the most effective and efficient method of training for endurance. it is not theoretical conjecture. He also colaborated with cardiologists and has excerpts from them and they are now using HIIT in cardiac rehab as well as other forms of rehab. They also discuss the risks and benefits of traditional and HIIT rehab. For all you therapists and trainers that wish to be up on the best information this is a must read. You can use HIIT at differnt levels which he explains in the book. You may also look up his reaserch papers and publcations if you want the more technical read. This book has just been released this year.