Arthur Jones on how much exercise is "enough"

[Visaria]

At the moment, i'm on an personal trainer course given by a world class researcher and bodybuilder/physique model who also happens to be my training coach. I'm finding that most of the stuff that is on the internet is incorrect and in direct contrast to what i'm being taught.

One of those is that doing cardio as well as doing strength training is not a good idea. They are at the opposite ends of the strength endurance spectrum. If you do both, your body is trying to adapt one way and then another way which means, instead of optimal results, you obtain the worst of both worlds.

Under the supervision of my coach, i lost 30 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle in 4 months. That was done solely with weight training, absolutely NO cardio and a calorie controlled diet. In the process, i reversed my border line diabetes and can see a faint outline of my abs (6 pack).

 

[Frederick Foresight]

One thing I've definitely learned is that "cardio" doesn't have to be on some dedicated machine sitting in a gym somewhere. The main cardio that I do is playing basketball with my son a couple times per week, or possibly also doing some yard work depending on the time of year. I exert myself just as much doing those activities as I would on an elliptical machine, and the basketball or yard work is a lot more fun for me.

So a great week for me would be five whole-body workouts, each lasting 30 minutes, plus one or two 30-minute sessions of basketball with my son. Sometimes it just doesn't work out like that though. Some weeks, like those when my son is enrolled in flag football, I can only squeeze in 3 workouts because I have to run him all the way on the other side of town for practice right during the time frame I would normally be working out. So I've definitely become more flexible over the years in terms of what I can realistically accomplish, fully understanding that family obligations might require me to do certain things at times that aren't so convenient for me. But hey, I'm in better shape than most guys my age, and to me the fam is worth getting sidetracked for anyway.

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Nice-looking family. But what's with the arms, bro?

 

[Baron]

But what's with the arms, bro?

Not sure what you're asking.

 

[Visaria]

Good arm muscle definition there Barron...i'm guessing you though you still have a load of fat you want to shed though?

 

[Visaria]

Nice-looking family. But what's with the arms, bro?

Funny thing is that us guys always pose like that...trying to flex both the biceps AND triceps even though they are opposing muscles.

 

[Baron]

Good arm muscle definition there Barron...i'm guessing you though you still have a load of fat you want to shed though?

I have visible abs. But I could still lose 5 more lbs probably.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

Not sure what you're asking.

Impressive.

 

[ElCubano]

I don't do a split routine. I do a full body workout each time. But each workout has different exercises. So the leg portion of the workout would be a set of squats and a set of lying leg curls, but the next day it would be a set of leg extensions and a set of stiff legged deadlifts.

how long is your workout routine? and how many days do you go to gym? I do whatever I feel like that day, TRX, weights, cardio and then yoga at the park 2 times a week.

 

[Visaria]

I have visible abs. But I could still lose 5 more lbs probably.

You can go leaner...just cut the calories but ensure your protein intake is adequate.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

One of those is that doing cardio as well as doing strength training is not a good idea. They are at the opposite ends of the strength endurance spectrum. If you do both, your body is trying to adapt one way and then another way which means, instead of optimal results, you obtain the worst of both worlds.

Coincidentally, I'm presently reading Clarence Bass's latest book, Take Charge - Fitness at the Edge of Science, and just finished a chapter the other day that cites research contradicting what you wrote. I checked his site, and sure enough, found a piece he wrote about this research:

http://www.cbass.com/Weights_Aerobics.htm

To be fair, I do think you're right if either cardio or resistance training is taken to the extreme. But I think a reasonable balance can be reached. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Besides, I only do a brief form of ~high intensity interval training for my own cardio.