Comments on: The Definitive Guide to Low Level Aerobic Activity

By: Bodyweight Exercises and Injury Prevention | Mark's Daily Apple

Bodyweight Exercises and Injury Prevention | Mark's Daily Apple — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:27:05 +0000

[...] play, or move slowly. I’m usually ready for a break from pushing, so these are more often than not pure rest [...]

By: Diet and Depression | How to Combat Depression with a Healthy Diet | Mark's Daily Apple

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:20:10 +0000

[...] we’ve discussed how Chronic Cardio increases systemic inflammation, and the importance of low level aerobic exercise (walking), play, quality sleep and regular exposure to sunlight for mental health. This is what [...]

By: Aerobic Bike » Blog Archive » Latest aerobic bike news - The Health Benefits of Moderate Exercise | Mark’s Daily Apple

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:19:26 +0000

[...] The Health Benefits of Moderate Exercise | Mark’s Daily Apple [...]

By: memory foam

memory foam — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:35:38 +0000

Moderate exercise, such as light hiking, has always seemed to benefit me quite a lot. I’ve found that it helps in weight loss, as it lets me work off some calories on those days when I can’t easily arrange for a strenuous workout. Also I find that if I do the strenuous stuff too frequently there’s the risk of joint or muscle pain. Many people end up in this boat due to not balancing intense exercise with low level exercise.

By: Mark Sisson

Mark Sisson — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:17:30 +0000

ebrunner, at the elite level it would appear that there is a new awareness of the dangers of Chronic Cardio…but a ton of people are still hammering away far too much. Agreed that intensity is going to make the difference. But it’s still tough summoning intensity a day after a five hour ride or 90 minute run even if you were at “low levels”

By: ebrunner

ebrunner — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:28:12 +0000

Mark, when I go to the gym, I see very few people performing the true steady-state sufferfests that you warn us against. Most “cardio-freaks” are doing low-level aerobic training, maybe on machines, but low-level nonetheless. How many times do you see someone really grinding it out on a cardio machine? Most are soft-pedaling, walking, chatting, etc. Their biggest problem isn’t lack of low-level work, but rather that they never do anything more intense. I think it’s important to emphasize the importance of the intense weight/sprint workouts within the PB context. And when it comes to the low-level, aerobic stuff, I think you’d agree that it’s best whenever possible to ditch the machines, get outside, and do something enjoyable.

On another note, I’d say relatively few endurance athletes are performing steady-state training these days. The 80-90% of Vo2 (i.e., steady-state) work is now considered a “no-mans land” by most. Maffetone, Mark Allen, etc. all suggest that the bulk of training should consist of low-level aerobic work. Of course, for a well-trained, high-level athlete, low-level aerobic work may mean running 7:00/miles, whereas for less experienced, the same effort level may mean briskly walking, but the heart rates and overall effect on the body is the same. I’ve read that Lance Armstrong’s training from 1999-2005 consisted of long hours (5+hours/day) at heart rates not to exceed 155-160 (he has a max ~200, and LT at 190, so 155 is very aerobic for him). Many of his training rides averaged ~130. Of course, these athletes will add in some work at tempo work at threshold and some Vo2 Max stuff, but that comprises a small percentage of their overall training.

Would you say that the current endurance training protocol isn’t THAT far off from PB?

By: Dylan

Dylan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:16:06 +0000

I really enjoy a game of disc golf.
Walk a few miles on uneven terrain
Throw a disc a far as I can.
Play,exersize,and relax and in one.

By: VeggieGirl

VeggieGirl — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:09:48 +0000

AMEN and thank you for this article!!

I do yoga every morning and night; go for long walks; dance to my favorite music

By: Zach

Zach — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:22:20 +0000

Mark,
If I miss a workout but go for a walk I try to not guilt set in, because it’s so unnecessary. This is a great post to further give understanding that a good walk is a good thing.
Best Regards,
Zach

By: Mark Sisson

Mark Sisson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:42:09 +0000

Robb, after ten years of intensive training and competing in marathons and triathlons, my own epiphany came when I had “retired” and was training regular, mostly unfit clients every day. I’d work out with them doing 12-minute miles or easy easy bike rides. Maybe 3 or 4 hours of very slow work each day(I’d say painfully slow, but it wasn’t painful at all). Then once or twice a week at most, I’d get to the track and hammer some 400s or I’d do hill repeats on my bike. 30 minutes of HIT. That was it. Low and behold I raced faster, recovered quicker and was never as “beat up” from training as I had been just about every day for the previous ten years. That’s when I finally “got it.”