When you're big as a house (like Mr. Universe, Reg Park, pictured above) and you do plenty of heavy strength training, you need a special kind of cardio training. |
Hail to the Dinosaurs!
One quick note, and then we'll talk about
cardio training for older Dinos - or really,
for Dinos of any age.
1. It's Here - the Sept-Oct Dino Files!
The Sept-Oct issue of The Dinosaur
Files is available in PDF format with
immediate electronic delivery.
Go here to grab the little monster - and
get ready to enjoy some serious, super
inspiring and extremely valuable tips on
no-nonsense strength training and
muscle building:
Sept-Oct Dino Files (PDF)
www.brookskubik.com/dinosaurfiles-sep-oct2018.html
And, of course, let me know how you
like this issue!
2. The Best Cardio Workout for Older
Dinos
I've been getting tons of questions from
readers about how to combine strength
training with cardio training.
Most of them come from older Dinos --
and they're asking how to program sprints,
hill sprints, long distance running, finishers,
prowler pushes, high rep bodyweight work
or high rep kettlebell swings.
So here's the bottom line -- and as always,
I'm going to be perfectly blunt.
Most of the "cardio training" that you see on
the interwebs or in the magazines isn't going
to work very well for you.
That's because you're a strength athlete --
and strength athletes require a different
kind or cardio -- especially if they're older
trainees.
Cardio training for strength athletes requires
a careful balance between doing enough to
get results and NOT doing so much cardio
that you affect your strength training or
your recovery ability.
You also need to train your cardiovascular
system in ways that avoid excessive wear
and tear on your joints.
And please note -- both problems are of
special concern to (1) a bigger, heavier
lifter (which describes many of us), and
(2) an older lifter (which also describes
many of us).
I mean, face it -- the things that are okay
for a 17 year old who weighs 145 pounds
are hardly going to work for a 60 year old
who weighs 220 pounds.
And if strength training is your preferred
form of exercise, and it's important to you
to squat, deadlift, pull, push and press hard
and heavy -- then face it, too much cardio
work is going to have a NEGATIVE effect
on your training.
I don't care how you program it, running
10 miles a day is going to cut your squat
and deadlift big time.
That's why very few (if any) top weightlifters
or powerlifters do much if any cardio. Lifting
heavy iron is their job, and they don't want
to do anything that will hurt their lifting.
But still, there are benefits to doing cardio
work -- especially for older trainees.
So here's a middle of the road position --
although you should avoid the middle of
the road when you do it.
Try walking.
In many respects, walking is a perfect cardio
exercise for guys who do lots of squatting,
pulling and pushing.
It's easy to do.
You can do it pretty much anywhere.
It doesn't require any special equipment
other than a good pair of shoes.
You can start as easy as you want, and build
up gradually over time.
It won't cut into your recovery ability and it
won't affect your strength training (unless
you go nuts and overdo it).
For a healthy lifter with no pre-existing foot,
leg, back or hip issues, it's pretty safe -- as
long as you wear good shoes and you start
slow and easy and build up the speed and
the distance g-r-a-d-u-a-l-l-y.
Of course, if you have any kind of health
issue -- high blood pressure, heart problems,
joint issues, etc. -- then check with your
doctor before starting a walking program.
Note: "Gradually" means "slowly, steadily,
sensibly and progressively." It does not, as
many believe, mean "overnight" or "
"immediately."
Many doctors -- including at least one former
Surgeon General of the United States --
believe that 30 minutes of daily walking is
one of the very best things you can do for
your health and fitness.
Bernarr McFadden believed the same thing.
He was such a big fan of walking that he
even wrote a book about it. He titled it
"The Walking Cure." Good title.
There are other kinds of Dino-style cardio
training that you can try. I detail them in
Gray Hair and Black Iron. It will give
you tons of tips on effective cardio training
for older Dinos and for strength athletes.
But start by walking. It's good for you.
As always, thanks for reading and have a
great day. If you train today, make it a
good one.
And remember to grab the Sept-Oct issue of
The Dinosaur Files. You can read it after
you go for that walk we were talking about.
Yours in strength,
Brooks Kubik
P.S. Go here to grab Gray Hair and Black
Iron:
http://www.brookskubik.com/grayhair_blackiron.html
P.S. 2. My other books and courses - and
links to my Kindle and PDF books - are
right here:
Hard-copy and PDF
http://www.brookskubik.com/products.html
Kindle
http://www.brookskubik.com/kindle.html
P.S. 3. Thought for the Day:
"Shoes on feet, and feet on the ground,
makes a darn good cardio workout."
-- Brooks Kubik
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We have over 25 books and courses in the Kindle store - including these little monsters:
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