Dr. Peter Attia, a leading health podcaster, says VO₂Max is the #1 measure 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 kettlebell to train your cardiovascular system approximately 5 hours a week.
And that’s my - and probably your - greatest 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 further into your CNS (Central Nervous System) making them much harder to get rid of , 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 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 consume 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 converts your fast twitch fibers into slow twitch fibers.
And that’s exactly the opposite of what we’re trying to do .
Third, excessive cardio ( considering the individual) elevates circulating cortisol levels which lowers :
It reduces 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 shed quickest but need the most over 30
Causes fatigue… something many men already battle , so we definitely don’t want to add more !
Has potential to harm mitochondria if misprogrammed… which may seem minor at first until you RANDOM that mitochondria damage → mitochondria death → YOUR death!
So, it’s not that I take issue with Dr. Attia’s reading of the research…
I just have a different view with his solution(s).
They are quite unrealistic for most of us over-40 types.
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 JOINT HEALTH
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 explain that next.
But first, resolve your joint limitations to the best of your ability.
If you’re going after 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. For real, I’ve had to have this conversation with myself several times over the last 15 years .)
2- Focus on GETTING STRONGER
Work on strengthening those fast-twitch muscle fibers .
Then grow them.
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 increases your metabolism and is another way to reverse / prevent sliding into a disease state like Type 2 Diabetes .
And as a result, you’ll increase your chances of living longer .
3- Focus on POWER TRAINING
Why?
Power training develops fast-twitch fibers and reaction time, often compromised 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, 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* indicated HIIT - which, when you come right down to it - is a form of power training -
Was advantageous 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.