Mastering Cardio

“My cardio, my conditioning, is a weapon.”

- Carlos Condit

Introduction:

You know those people who eat whatever they want, & don’t work out but somehow manage to never gain any weight?

Yeah, I hate them too. 

I used to think they had some kind of “God-given” metabolism, but it was just a direct by-product of their lifestyles. Knowingly or unknowingly, these people incorporate “Zone 2 Cardio” into their lives. In other words, they don’t lead sedentary lifestyles. Spending an hour in the gym doing strength training exercises is not enough. What’s more important is what you do for the remaining part of the day when you’re not in the gym. Do you sit on the couch or constantly move from place to place?

I’ve tried a lot of fitness practices over the past couple of years, & I have to say, Zone 2 cardio is by far the most efficient way to incorporate cardio into your workouts. Those of you who own an Apple watch probably already know what Zone 2 cardio is. 

Scientific Benefits:

Zone 2 cardio is training at a relatively moderate/light intensity for long durations. 

This form of steady-state cardio is effective because it trains the slow-twitch muscle fibers in our body to become more powerful & efficient. Zone 2 cardio promotes the development of new capillaries in our body. These tiny tubes will bring more blood, nutrients, and oxygen into our cells, increasing performance/ fitness. The increased processing speed of nutrients, such as carbs & fats, will also lead to a better metabolism. Zone 2 cardio specifically prioritizes using fats instead of glycogen (carbs).

In school, we learned that the mitochondria are the “Powerhouse of the cell.” The mitochondria’s importance is due to the amount of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) it can produce in the presence of oxygen. Think of ATP as the body’s energy currency. When we perform Zone 2 cardio, the amount of mitochondria present in the cells of our slow-twitch muscle fibers grows, both in terms of size, & quantity. 

TLDR: Through Zone 2 cardio, we increase the amount of blood flow, which increases the amount of oxygen that can be funneled into mitochondria, which increases ATP, leading to greater work capacity, & energy levels throughout the day. Phew!

Heart Health:

Steady-state cardio is usually the healthiest way to go about things when we want to train our cardiovascular system. Zone 2 cardio causes the heart to stretch & thereby strengthens it. The heart starts twitching instead of stretching when we go beyond 90% of our maximum intensity. That is not ideal for heart health in the long run. 80% of your cardio training should be in Zone 2; the remaining can be done at a higher intensity if you desire to do so. Just remember, if you start doing high-intensity cardio exercises without a proper foundation built through Zone 2 cardio… You might risk doing a lot more harm than good. 

Scientific data suggests we need around 150-200 mins of Zone 2 cardio per week. You don’t need fancy equipment to determine whether you’re in Zone 2 or not. You can tell that you’re in Zone 2 when you’re a little out of breath, & it’s challenging to maintain a conversation, but you’re still able to do so with a little bit of additional effort (broken sentences are fine). You should also be at the upper bound of your ability to breathe nasally. 

Beyond Science:

Looking past science, when we observe how some of the most shredded athletes train, there’s always some form of Zone 2 cardio involved. Boxers & martial artists are revered for their low body-fat percentages & lean physiques. Bruce Lee used to run 4 miles every morning or incorporate some form of medium-intensity cardio for 20-25 minutes to start his day. Muhammad Ali incorporated a ton of jump-roping, & jogging during his fighting days. Mike Tyson would get out of bed, & run immediately at 4 am every morning. 

Application:

My favorite method for incorporating zone 2 cardio is simply speed-walking around 10k steps daily. It’s simple & it can be integrated with daily tasks. For example, I’ll throw on a podcast, & listen to it on a long walk. Not to mention, going on long walks can be miraculous for your creativity, & peace-of-mind. 

You can split sessions up throughout the week or complete all 150-200 minutes in a single day. Andrew Huberman, for example, mentioned that his favorite way to incorporate this is by going on a 1-4 hour hike on Sundays. You’d get outdoor exposure, spend time in nature, & close off the week positively. When dealing with a hectic week, I split my Zone 2 cardio into 4-5 sessions throughout the week, usually at the end of my strength training workouts. Do whatever is convenient; just make sure to get 150-200 mins every week. 

Peace out,

J.R.