Fitness

This is another archive blog post from 2008. This one was the 13th of May.

I am deep into the first week of my strength endurance cycle. There are a few things that make a strength endurance cycle a strength endurance cycle and not a pure endurance cycle. The first is using weights and the second is that the workouts are not continuous like running, cycling, or swimming. Workouts usually consist of either sets or intervals. In an interval workout, there is some kind of active rest performed between "sets" or intervals of a resistance workout. A strength endurance workout done in sets has complete rest or light activity, like walking, between sets. Running and cycling have interval workouts, but instead of doing another exercise during the active rest interval of the workout the intensity of the exercise is reduced to a comfortable level. Swimming intervals are a little different because there is full rest involved, as there is when sprint training in running. Though water provides resistance swimming is not considered a resistance workout. The lines blur when you start adding weighted vests and pull buoys. To keep things simple body weight and weight lifting exercises are done with sub-maximal weight can be considered strength endurance workouts.

Interval training is good for losing excess body fat. Interval training is better than continuous exercise at increasing VO2 max and increasing metabolism even after the workout is over. Personally, I used to lose weight like crazy doing continuous exercises, but I quickly reached a point where my body adapted, and I stopped seeing the benefit from it. I tried increasing the intensity and it only worked for a month. I increased the length but soon the workout came into conflict with other things. I started interval and sprint training, cut my workout time by three quarters, and finally, I saw the results return. I got down to 215lb. from 235lb. without dieting, only interval training. I did it in a month and a half.

As a side note; I added to my get up squat jump. I mixed it with an eight-count bodybuilder. Start standing, bend down and put your hands on the deck, jump your feet back to push-up position, do a push-up, jump your feet to your hands, stand up, squat, jump, bend your knees and roll on to your back, sit-up, standup, squat, jump, and do it again. You can't really use weigh for this exercise unless you use a weight vest, but it is a great thing anyway.