Dr. Peter Attia, a prominent health podcaster, says VO₂Max is the #1 predictor of longevity. It measures your max oxygen uptake and RANDOM 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 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 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 embeds 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 inhibits the normal functioning of your joints and muscles.
The more you train into and through pain, the faster you’re looking at 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 converts your fast twitch fibers into slow twitch fibers.
And that’s exactly the reverse of what we’re after.
Third, an overabundance of cardio ( depending on the individual) raises circulating cortisol levels which lowers :
It lowers 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 lose most rapidly but depend on most over 30
Leads to fatigue… an issue many men face, so we definitely don’t want to add more !
CAN damage mitochondria IF programmed incorrectly … 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 understanding of the research…
I just disagree with his solution(s).
They are quite unrealistic for most of us over-40 types.
Unless of course 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 mobility .
Why’s that?
We’ll cover that in a second .
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 constantly beaten up, sore, and in pain as a result …
You might want to rethink that.
You’re not going to take home gold medals or big sponsorships at this stage.
(Said the pot to the kettle. Seriously , I’ve had to have this conversation with myself quite a few times in the last 15 years.)
2- Focus on building strength
Work on developing your fast-twitch 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 training 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, you’ll improve longevity .
3- Focus on power-focused training
Why?
Power training develops fast-twitch fibers and reaction time, often lost after 40.
Kettlebells are excellent 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, according to your approach .
“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 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.