Dr. Peter Attia, a prominent health podcaster, says VO₂Max is the #1 indicator of longevity. It gauges your max oxygen uptake and reflects aerobic capacity, mitochondrial function, and heart health.
Some of his key points:
Use an 80/20 balance between Zone 2 and Zone 5 intensity
Train Zone 2 4 to 6 hours a week (optimally)
Train Zone 5 1-2x week, 60 minutes max
For optimal VO2Max training, you need to train your cardiovascular system approximately 5 hours a week.
And that’s my - and probably your - biggest problem.
Most of us don’t have 5 hours a week to dedicate for “just” cardio.
We still need to:
Strength train
Focus on joint health (stability, mobility, flexibility)
And -
Have a life.
It’s not that I disagree with Dr. Attia per se…
I just disagree with his strategy .
Several reasons:
First, if you have lower back, knee, or hip pain, stiffness, or tightness, one of the best ways to MAKE IT WORSE is to engage in high repetition cardio.
Why?
It embeds those negative compensatory movement patterns and muscle imbalances deeper into your CNS (Central Nervous System) making them much harder to resolve, and keeping you in pain longer.
And pain inhibits the normal functioning of your joints and muscles.
The more you train into and through pain, the faster you’re risking a catastrophic injury or joint replacement.
Second, you require MUSCLE to move.
It’s a documented fact that men lose 10% of their muscle - predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibers - the ones for running faster, jumping higher, and lifting more…
At a rate of 10% per decade if not directly trained.
These are the ones that use the most energy.
And they are the fibers responsible for keeping your metabolism elevated - your ability to burn calories at rest.
Training your VO2Max trains your slow twitch (endurance) fibers.
And too much endurance training actually changes your fast twitch fibers into slow twitch fibers.
And that’s exactly the reverse of what we’re trying to do .
Third, excessive cardio (relative to the individual) elevates circulating cortisol levels which lowers :
It reduces testosterone, increasing fatigue and muscle loss, especially in men over 40.
The number of fast-twitch muscle fibers you have… which are the ones you shed quickest but need the most over 30
Causes fatigue… which is a struggle for many men already , so we don’t need more of that !
Has potential to harm mitochondria if misprogrammed… which might sound trivial until you realize that mitochondria damage → mitochondria death → YOUR death!
So, it’s not that I take issue with Dr. Attia’s interpretation of the research…
I just disagree with his solution(s).
They are very impractical for most of us over-40 types.
That is unless you have all the time in the world, then you should go for it here .
What should you do instead ?
1- Focus on JOINT HEALTH
It’s a widely accepted truth that the reason people end up in nursing homes ( aside from Alzheimer’s and dementia) is that they lose the ability to move .
Why’s that?
We’ll explain that next.
But first, resolve your joint limitations to the best of your ability.
If you’re pursuing that [INSERT YOUR PET LIFT HERE] but you’re always feeling beaten up and achy…
You might want to rethink that.
You’re not going to win any gold medals or corporate sponsorships at your age .
(Said the pot to the kettle. Honestly , I’ve had to have this conversation with myself more times than I can count the past 15 years .)
2- Focus on GETTING STRONGER
Work on developing your fast-twitch fibers.
Then increase their size .
Use the kettlebell Grinds - Press, Front Squat, etc., and keep your reps between 1 and 6.
You can also use the kettlebell ballistics and keep your reps around 10 to 12.
Doing so revs up your metabolism and is another way to avoid or reverse Type 2 Diabetes onset .
And as a result, you’ll improve longevity .
3- Focus on training for power
Why?
Power training builds fast-twitch fibers and reaction time, often reduced after 40.
Kettlebells are great for this.
4- Focus on VO2MAX TRAINING
Now, fortunately, as you get stronger with #3 - Power Training…
You can “slide into” this type of training, based on your setup .
“Yeah, but how well does it work compared to Zone 2 training that Dr. Attia recommends?”
Yes, several meta analyses* showed HIIT - which, when you come right down to it - is a form of power training -
Was superior to MICT - Moderate Intensity Continuous Training - for improving VO2Max in older populations.
But you can still add in 1-2 Zone 2 sessions a week if you have the time.