Metabolic Cardio Part I

Metabolic Cardio (Part I)
by Vince Mcconnell

Introducing
Varying

Intensity

Cardio

Intervals


It's that time of the year when building muscle tends to be the Number One workout priority. Bulking up is the order of the season. All too often, however, with that muscle comes an annoyingly high level of fat.

When accumulated layers of fat have to come off in order to exhibit that spanking new muscle tissue one faces a dilemma that even professional bodybuilders must deal with.

Do you "bulk up" to add muscle size at the expense of your waistline?

Or, do you sacrifice muscle size (and strength) to avoid your six-pack becoming a brewery?

Know that it is absolutely essential that you:

increase your caloric intake
meet your protein needs, and
submit your body to progressive-workload exercise in order to promote muscle growth.
After you have the aforementioned nutritional and strength-training pieces of the puzzle in place, your primary concern is recuperation. In fact, if you are not adequately recovering from your workouts you can rest assured that you are tapping into your muscle stores to provide valuable energy and use as repair materials.

Since there is a need for increased caloric intake and limited extracurricular activities for an anabolic environment to be promoted, you will want to do some "damage control" to avoid running the risk of being mistakenly harpooned in the hot tub. How appealing is all that spanking new muscle if it's hidden under layers of lard?

So the "Catch-22" of hypertrophy-phase training comes to center stage. Now that we have identified and clarified the problem, let's look at a solution.

Metabolizing With VICI

When all the dust has settled in the weight room and in the kitchen, precision aerobic exercise is the secret weapon in keeping your body fat in check while increasing muscle size. When the goal is to build muscle (hypertrophy), your objective with cardio training is to do just enough to keep unwanted body fat at bay while not interfering with replenishment and recuperation that is so vital in the muscle-building process.

Also, conventional slow, long-duration cardio workouts tend to "overtrain" the fast-twitch muscle fibers and to convert the intermediate muscle fibers to slow-twitch suitors. This is the opposite of what you want to happen as fast-twitch (white) muscle fibers have a greater propensity for hypertrophic response.

Enter Varying Intensity Cardio Intervals which are quite different from the typical aerobic workouts commonly subscribed to. Variety is the key component in metabolic-enhancing cardio workouts. Never allowing your body to adapt, or settle in, to a particular workload is vital in renewing your metabolism. The best way of regulating that variance is through implementing higher-intensity bursts, or work intervals, in combination with active rest intervals.

Empirical evidence shows that high intensity cardio exercise in non-obese subjects has been shown to be more effective than training at a lower intensity level (Tremblay, 1994).

Higher-intensity aerobic intervals have also been shown to increase exercise and resting energy expenditure separate from any change in muscle mass (Hunter et al 1998). Higher-intensity exercise has resulted in greater fat loss despite less total energy expenditure (during a session) when compared to a higher level of energy expenditure achieved in a lower intensity exercise session (Tremblay, 1994).

The total energy cost of the (Moderate Intensity Cardio) MIC program was substantially greater than the (High Intensity Interval Training) HIIT program. The scientists found that the MIC group burned more than twice as many calories while exercising than the HIIT program. HOWEVER, skinfold measurements showed that the HIIT group lost more subcutaneous fat. According to the scientists, " . . .when the difference in the total energy cost of the program was taken into account, the subcutaneous fat loss was nine fold greater in the HIIT program than in the MIC program." Bottom line: the HIIT group experienced 9 times more fat-loss benefit for every calorie burned during exercise. Tremblay, et al; (Metabolism (1994) Volume 43, pp.814-818)

Another key feature of Varying Intensity Cardio Intervals is that it is more motivating than conventional cardio workouts that rival watching grass grow, observing water boil, or viewing a rerun of the "Snail Marathon". Varying the intensity is what keeps this form of aerobic exercise exciting and challenging and is the key characteristic in metabolic-enhancing cardio workouts. The best way of regulating that variance is through implementing timed higher-intensity bursts, or work intervals, in combination with timed active rest intervals.

Theory To Application

"A 4-minute training program of very hard 20-second repeats, in the words of the researchers, "may be optimal with respect to improving both the aerobic and the anaerobic energy release systems." Read that quote again -- the implications for your own training may be profound!" (Tabata, et al).

The classic example of metabolic cardio intervals is Fartlek training. Let's use running for an example in this method (Fartlek is Swedish for "speed play"). You begin your running session with a gradual warm-up for 6-8 minutes before heading into the interval phase. This interval phase consists of repetitions of a running phase (sprint) followed by a jogging (or walking) phase.

An example would be to go to a track and run the straight-aways and walk the turns. Though this can become quite boring because the scenery never changes, it's excellent for regulating the work to rest ratio and gauging your progress. If you are one who needs the scenery, you can perform the same method by running to a specific object (i.e. telephone pole, mailbox, tree, etc.) that is 100-120 yards away and then jogging about the same distance (or walking half the distance of the run phase). Repeat this sequence for 8-12+ minutes before going into a cool-down phase for 4-6 minutes.

Another example of metabolism-boosting cardio is to hop on the stationary bike (preferably the semi-recumbent version) and begin pedaling at a brisk pace (80+ rpm) but with light tension. Increase the tension level every minute for four minutes and you'll be at your "base level". Now, increase the tension and kick it in to a 20-second sprint before lowering the tension to the base level and pedaling moderately for 10 seconds. Next give it another 20-second jolt at the higher tension before slowing down for another 10-second active rest. Repeat this 20-second/10-second relay 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. Finish with 4 minutes of gradually backing off, coming down in intensity the same way you increased intensity during the initial four minutes.

Target Heart Rate Rhetoric

Following "code" and exercising in your "target heart rate zone" works about as well as baking bread in a microwave -- it kind of gets the job done on the outside but leaves things a mess on the inside.

A better way of making steady progress is by listening to your own "perceived exertion rate". There are many "groups" who claim to have franchise on this protocol, however I came across this method when I was a 12 year old competitive athlete doing some extra running for an edge on my competition (if I only knew then what I know now!!!).

Back in the 1980's, Dr. Gunnar Borg packaged this measuring tool into a "science" and called it "Rating of Perceived Exertion" or RPE. Regardless of where it came from, it works much better than trying to gauge and regulate your training by some supposed formula of "predicted target heart rate". This is another of those issues where there are too many dynamic variables in motion to be able to accurately rely on a bunch of numbers.

Running On The Fine Redline

Of more significance is your VO2 Max, or the maximum amount of oxygen that can be used by the body per minute. VO2 Max is believed to reveal aerobic fitness, cardio-respiratory fitness or endurance potential. The higher the number the more fit the individual. I mention this only to bring attention to the issue of heart rate monitoring not being the end-all, be-all.

The accurate measurement of your VO2 Max requires specific equipment that is beyond the availability to most of us. That being the case, the "most practical accurate" manner of gauging your cardiovascular conditioning is through awareness of your anaerobic threshold. This is where there is a purpose for a heart rate monitor. Though this is an "inexact science", you can determine (through perception) your anaerobic threshold by assessing the point where lactic acid builds up in the system. This occurs when the energy needed exceeds the oxidative process and non-aerobic metabolism begins. Generally, the anaerobic threshold is where you begin to "redline" your system and experience a sudden increase of breathing, increased fatigue and the onset of a burning sensation in the muscles.

The heart rate monitor can be used for regulating your training in a fashion that grades you with yourself in terms of determining any significant fluctuation workout to workout. You can determine at what point, heart rate-wise, you hit that anaerobic threshold. This will permit you to be aware of discrepancies that reveal overtraining and to better streamline your cardio training efforts for the results you desire.

What About My Heart?

Dr. Izumi Tabata and his colleagues at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan compared brief, higher-intensity cardio interval training with longer, moderate-intensity sessions. High-level members of the Japanese Speed Skating team had been employing the high-intensity protocol for several years, so this is real-world application we are dealing with -- not some smoked-filled theory.

The Tabata protocol (like VICI) is unique among aerobic training programs both for its intensity and also its streamlined duration. Tabata compared two groups that were separated into a 'short higher-intensity interval' group and a 'longer lower-intensity steady pace' group.

Here's how the Tabata study was conducted: In the moderate-intensity group, 7 active young male physical education majors exercised on stationary bicycles 5 days per week for 6 weeks at 70% of V02max, 60 minutes each session. V02max was measured before and after the training and every week during the 6-week period. As each subject's V02max improved, exercise intensity was increased to keep them pedaling at 70% of their actual V02max. Maximal accumulated oxygen deficit was also measured before, at 4 weeks and after the training.

A second group followed a high-intensity interval program. Seven students, also young and physically active, exercised 5 days per week using a training program similar to the Japanese speed skaters. After a 10-minute warm-up, the subjects did 7 to 8 sets of 20 seconds at 170% of V02max, with a 10-second rest between each bout. Pedaling speed was 90 rpm and sets were stopped when RPM's dropped below 85. When subjects could complete more than 9 sets, exercise intensity was increased by 11 watts . The training protocol was altered one day per week. On that day, the students exercised for 30 minutes at 70% of V02max before doing 4 sets of 20-second intervals at 170% of V02max. This latter session was not continued to exhaustion. Again, V02max and anaerobic capacity was determined before, during and after the training.

In some ways the results were no surprise, but in others they may be groundbreaking. The moderate-intensity endurance-training program produced a significant increase in V02max (about 10%), but had no effect on anaerobic capacity. The high-intensity intermittent protocol improved V02max by about 14%; and anaerobic capacity increased by a massive 28%!

Tabata and his cohorts suggest this is the first study to demonstrate an increase in both aerobic and anaerobic power. What's more, the students participating in this study were members of varsity table-tennis, baseball, basketball, soccer and swimming teams and already had relatively high aerobic capacities. This is significant because many exercise studies are conducted on untrained subjects who are likely to realize a high rate of improvement regardless of the training to which they are subjected.

Rubber To The Road

There are basically three different phases in a VICI workout:

Prep Stage
VICI Stage
Warm-Down Stage
The Prep Stage phase is where you will assess how you are feeling on that particular day while you warm up. This phase allows you to get your mind and body prepared for the challenge to come. View it as "building momentum" that will be utilized in the next phase. Make certain to start very conservatively and gradually increase intensity (rpm's and/or tension).

Finding your "redline" for that day marks the VICI Stage phase. You want to start out with lesser intensity for the first several "sprints" and increase your effort as time progresses. Make certain to listen to your body each workout in order to optimize the work completed. Work along that fine line of exhaustion without going over it. You want to be able to complete the entire workout so adjust intensity of intervals accordingly. In certain workouts, there will be a steady-paced segment in between series of intervals.

The objective is to complete as much workload, or density, within the VICI time frame as possible without "tapping out". This is where that "calorie counter" on most cardio machines can come in handy. Forget about its conventional use. Simply use the "Calories Burned" reading to determine the workload completed in that session. Make note of that number in a training log and progress from there the next time you perform that particular workout.

The third phase, the Warm-down Stage, is simply a moderate, steady pace that allows the body and mind to come back down. You will gradually decrease intensity until you come to the conclusion of the session. Make certain to walk around until your heart rate is between 80 and 95 beats per minute before starting your stretching.

WARNING: Do not attempt VICI, or any high-intensity cardio, unless you are in good condition. If you have any doubt regarding this issue, consult with a qualified health care professional. Though these workouts are fine for most individuals and help promote cardiovascular proficiency, VICI workouts are demanding. As is said regarding the Tabata cardio program, if you have cardiac and/or vascular problems, VICI-type exercise programs will find them!