WHAT ABOUT CARDIO?!
We get asked fairly frequently some version of: “Do I need to be doing more cardio?” or “We do some cardio in class, but is that enough?”
The quick answer: What you’re doing in class is plenty. And more than likely if you are doing extra cardio outside of class you are either blunting your recovery, or you are not bringing enough intensity to the workouts in class.
Usually this question is spurred when someone is concerned with losing weight. Yes, you can lose weight doing extended bouts of cardio. But you certainly don't need to do so, and more than likely you will not lose weight in a healthy, sustainable manner that will set you up to enjoy life as you age.
It has been ingrained in our heads that exercise = long slow runs, or time spent doing some other form of aerobic exercise, and that the longer you can go for, the fitter you are. Hence why you hear so many people say I’m finally going to get into shape, I’m signing up for that marathon and I’m gonna work up to running for 3 hours straight!
And yes, this person is fitter for doing that, and they probably lost some weight in the process of doing that. However, they have gained capacity in the endurance realm only. This is great, however, it is only part of the picture of fitness, and arguably the least beneficial part to keeping us “fit” as we age, AND to keeping body fat off!
CrossFit defines fitness as “Work capacity across broad time and modal domains”.
I.e. can you run for a long time? Can you sprint? Can you swim, jump, climb? Can you pick up something heavy? Can you move your body through space with full range of motion? Etc.
All of these are important as we age, and CrossFit has a great definition that encompasses this aging portion. They define “Health” as your Work capacity across broad time and modal domains - throughout your life.
This is important because as we age, we inevitably lose the ability to perform all the aforementioned tasks. However, this decline can be mathematically hedged. Dr. Peter Attia studied and compiled the amount of muscle and energy required to do things such as pick up a child, climb a hill, get off the couch, etc. He also studied the amount of atrophy that occurs, and the fitness level you must have based on the natural declines in order to perform these tasks in old age. His studies reveal that in general, we lose about 10% of our capacity per decade after the age of 30, and 15% per decade after the age of 50. So say you still want to be able to pick up your grandkids, climb a hill, or have the strength to stand up off the couch by yourself when you're 80 years old, take a look at the chart below to see how much you would need to be able to lift:
If you can squat 150 pounds at the age of 30, it’s probable that you will be able to squat 54 pounds at age 100.
As you can see, these numbers are not unrealistic to obtain, and many people are probably there without much additional exercise. However, if you're anything like me, you don't want to simply exist in old age being able to do the bare minimum to function in this world. So let's take a look at where you need to be if you still want to be running up hills, lifting multiple bags of mulch as you work in your yard, or carry your golf clubs for 3 hours as you walk 18 holes of golf…
Using the same math as the first table, if you can squat 300 pounds at the age of 30, it’s probable that you will be able to still squat 108 pounds at age 100.
Obtaining these numbers will take a little more work, and likely some coaching to ensure that you are building strength in a safe and sustainable manner.
So yes, gaining cardiovascular endurance is great, and we will certainly work on it a lot with CrossFit, but we will also gain strength, power, speed, stamina, agility, coordination, balance, accuracy, and flexibility. I.e. all the things that are going to help us kick ass as we age, rather than simply looking “thin” or "toned".
We urge you to make losing weight an afterthought, and rather focus on what your body can do. We don’t think it’s even a debate anymore that those that do CrossFit are the most capable athletes out there and are set up for a thriving lifestyle as they age. Looking good is a side effect of the hard work that is done 1 hour a day, preferably 5-6 days a week.
Have questions? Want to learn more about what the best prescription is for you and your hobbies? Shoot us a message and we would love to talk specifics for your unique situation.
And if you're interested, here are a few of my favorite paragraphs from the aforementioned Peter Attia's book, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity:
"The strong association between cardiorespiratory fitness and longevity has long been known. It might surprise you, as it did me, to learn that muscle may be almost as powerfully correlated with living longer. A ten-year observational study of roughly 4,500 subjects ages fifty and older found that those with low muscle mass were at 40 to 50 percent greater risk of mortality than controls, over the study period. Further analysis revealed that it’s not the mere muscle mass that matters but the strength of those muscles, their ability to generate force.
The data demonstrating the effectiveness of exercise on lifespan are as close to irrefutable as one can find in all human biology. Yet if anything, I think exercise is even more effective at preserving healthspan than extending lifespan.
Therefore, I will find a way to lift heavy weights in some way, shape, or form four times per week, no matter what else I am doing or where I might be traveling.
I think of strength training as a form of retirement saving. Just as we want to retire with enough money saved up to sustain us for the rest of our lives, we want to reach older age with enough of a “reserve” of muscle (and bone density) to protect us from injury and allow us to continue to pursue the activities that we enjoy."
Here’s to kicking ass in our 90’s!