Dr. Peter Attia, a renowned health podcaster, says VO₂Max is the #1 measure of longevity. It gauges your max oxygen uptake and indicates 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 - primary problem.
Most of us don’t have 5 hours a week to allot 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 approach .
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 imprints those negative compensatory movement patterns and muscle imbalances deeper into your CNS (Central Nervous System) making them much harder to fix , and keeping you in pain longer.
And pain shuts down the normal functioning of your joints and muscles.
The more you train into and through pain, the faster you’re facing 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 high - 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 opposite of what we’re aiming for .
Third, too much cardio ( considering the individual) elevates circulating cortisol levels which reduces:
It diminishes testosterone, leading to fatigue and muscle loss, especially in men over 40.
The number of fast-twitch muscle fibers you have… which are the ones you lose the fastest but need the most over 30
Leads to fatigue… something many men already battle , so we want to avoid that!
Might damage mitochondria if not done right … 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 understanding of the research…
I just have a different view with his solution(s).
They are HIGHLY impractical for most of us over-40 types.
That is unless you have all the time in the world, then you might as well go for it.
What should you do instead ?
1- Focus on maintaining your joints
It’s a common understanding that the reason people end up in nursing homes (apart from Alzheimer’s and dementia) is that they lose the ability to move .
Why’s that?
We’ll get into that shortly .
But first, resolve your joint limitations to the best of your ability.
If you’re chasing that [INSERT YOUR PET LIFT HERE] but you’re frequently hurting, stiff, or sore …
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. Seriously , I’ve had to have this conversation with myself several times over the last 15 years .)
2- Focus on building strength
Work on improving your fast-twitch muscle 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 boosts metabolism and is another way to reverse / prevent sliding into a disease state like Type 2 Diabetes .
And as a result, Power you’ll boost your lifespan.
3- Focus on power-focused training
Why?
Power training enhances fast-twitch fibers and reaction time, often reduced after 40.
Kettlebells are excellent for this.
4- Focus on VO2MAX TRAINING
Now, fortunately, as you get improved with #3 - Power Training…
You can “slide into” this type of training, depending on how you set it up .
“Yeah, but how well does it work compared to Zone 2 training that Dr. Attia recommends?”
Yes, several meta analyses* revealed HIIT - which, when you come right down to it - is a form of power training -
Was more effective 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.