Cardio for Olympic Weightlifting?
Summary
TLDRThis script addresses the common question of whether cardio training benefits Olympic weightlifters. It clarifies that dedicated cardio for weightlifting does not enhance performance and can interfere with developing weightlifting-specific traits due to contradictory muscle adaptation demands. Elite CrossFit athletes, though strong and enduring, are rare exceptions. The script suggests a balanced approach to cardio for general health, recommending varied, short-duration activities to avoid local muscular fatigue and maintain cardiovascular conditioning without hindering weightlifting progress.
Takeaways
- 🏋️♂️ Cardio for Weightlifters: The speaker does not recommend dedicated weightlifters to do traditional cardio training for the purpose of improving weightlifting performance.
- 🤔 Cardio vs. Weightlifting: Engaging in cardio can interfere with the development of weightlifting-specific traits due to contradictory training demands on the body.
- 🔄 Energy and Resources: The body has finite energy, time, and resources for training and recovery; adding cardio can either reduce sport-specific training or add more work to the body.
- 🌟 Elite CrossFit Athletes: While some elite CrossFit athletes demonstrate high levels of strength and endurance, they are rare and do not represent the average CrossFit participant.
- 🚫 Cardio Not Proven for Weightlifting: The speaker argues that even the best CrossFit athletes do not match the weightlifting abilities of elite weightlifters, indicating cardio is not beneficial for weightlifting.
- 🧘♂️ Cardio for Health: The speaker acknowledges that some weightlifters may want to do cardio for general health and well-being, not for weightlifting performance.
- 🏃♂️ Cardio Methodology: To avoid contradictory muscle stimulus, the speaker suggests doing varied activities for short periods to maintain heart and lung activity without causing local muscle fatigue.
- 🔄 Variety in Cardio: Mixing different movements and muscles in short bursts is recommended to provide cardiovascular benefits without hindering weightlifting progress.
- 🚶♂️ Walking for Conditioning: Walking 10,000 steps is not enough for significant conditioning and can introduce unnecessary stress if done at a high intensity.
- 💡 Cardio for Weight Loss: The speaker advises against using cardio for weight loss, suggesting nutrition adjustments are more effective and do not interfere with training.
- ❌ Last-Minute Weight Cuts: Using cardio for last-minute weight cuts before a competition is discouraged as it drains energy and limits recovery during a critical period.
Q & A
Why does the speaker not recommend dedicated weightlifters to do actual cardio training for the sake of weightlifting?
-The speaker believes that actual cardio endurance training, such as running or rowing at moderate efforts for extended periods, can interfere with the development of weightlifting-specific traits. It asks the body to adapt in contradictory ways, potentially limiting progress in weightlifting due to the additional workload and energy demands.
What is the speaker's stance on the relationship between cardiovascular conditioning and weightlifting ability?
-The speaker clarifies that having a high level of cardiovascular conditioning itself does not harm weightlifting ability, but the problem lies in the training process which can interfere with the development of maximal weightlifting traits.
What does the speaker suggest about the general population's ability to achieve elite levels in both strength and endurance simultaneously?
-The speaker suggests that while elite CrossFitters demonstrate the possibility of high levels of strength and endurance, the average CrossFit population does not achieve this, indicating that such achievements are rare and not representative of the average person's capabilities.
Why do elite athletes represent an exception rather than the norm according to the speaker?
-Elite athletes represent what is ultimately possible for those naturally best suited for an activity and who dedicate themselves to it. They are exceptions because not everyone can replicate their abilities, even with the same training and dedication.
What is the speaker's view on the effectiveness of CrossFit for weightlifting?
-The speaker argues that despite the abilities of elite CrossFitters, they still cannot match the weightlifting abilities of the best weightlifters, indicating that CrossFit is not evidence that cardio training is beneficial or even neutral for weightlifting.
How does the speaker suggest incorporating cardio training with weightlifting if one wishes to do so?
-The speaker suggests finding a balance by likely reducing some weightlifting training to allow for the addition of conditioning work. The methodology should involve mixing multiple movements for brief periods to avoid local muscular fatigue and maintain continuous activity.
What is the recommended duration for each activity when mixing cardio with weightlifting according to the speaker?
-The speaker recommends 20 to 60 seconds per activity before alternating, emphasizing the importance of variety and continuous movement to avoid local muscular fatigue.
Why is it important to minimize leg work when combining cardio with weightlifting according to the script?
-Minimizing leg work is important because the legs play a primary role in weightlifting, and excessive leg-focused cardio could lead to contradictory stimulus for adaptation and potential fatigue.
How can accessory work be incorporated into a cardio and weightlifting routine as per the speaker's suggestion?
-Accessory work that doesn't require a lot of focus on stability, such as most ab work or bodybuilding-type accessories, can be mixed into a circuit with brief bouts of monostructural activity like biking, rowing, or running, with little to no rest.
What is the speaker's opinion on using cardio for weight loss or cutting purposes in the context of weightlifting?
-The speaker does not find cardio a good idea for weight loss or cutting, as calorie reduction can be more effectively achieved through nutrition without affecting the training stimulus. Additionally, using cardio for last-minute weight cuts can drain energy and limit restoration during a critical period.
What is the key takeaway from the script regarding the approach to cardio when combined with weightlifting?
-The key takeaway is to keep the heart and breathing rates up and force the cardiovascular system to work hard for an extended period without incurring significant local muscular fatigue or stress, by constantly changing the activity.
Outlines
🏋️♂️ Cardio for Weightlifters: Benefits and Drawbacks
This paragraph discusses the role of cardio in the training regimen of Olympic weightlifters. The speaker clarifies that while dedicated cardio training isn't recommended for improving weightlifting performance, many weightlifters still seek to maintain cardiovascular health. The speaker emphasizes that traditional cardio activities, such as running or rowing, can interfere with weightlifting progress by demanding the body to adapt in contradictory ways and by adding extra strain on the body's limited energy and recovery capabilities. The paragraph also addresses the CrossFit example, noting that while some elite CrossFitters demonstrate exceptional strength and endurance, this level of performance is not attainable for the majority of individuals and does not necessarily translate to improved weightlifting abilities.
🚴♀️ Balancing Cardio with Weightlifting
The second paragraph focuses on how to integrate cardio into a weightlifting routine effectively. It suggests that to avoid excessive total training volume, one might need to reduce weightlifting sessions to accommodate conditioning work. The key is to perform cardio in a way that doesn't cause significant local muscular fatigue, which can be achieved by alternating between different exercises for short periods, thus preventing the muscles from becoming overly fatigued while still providing cardiovascular benefits. The paragraph also touches on the idea of using accessory exercises that don't require much stability, which can be incorporated into a circuit with brief cardio bursts. Additionally, it dispels the myth that walking 10,000 steps significantly contributes to conditioning for those already engaged in regular physical activity, and it advises against using cardio for weight loss or cutting, recommending nutrition as a more effective tool for managing body weight and composition.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cardio
💡Weightlifting
💡Cardiovascular Conditioning
💡CrossFit
💡Contradictory Stimulus
💡Volume and Frequency
💡Methodology
💡Accessory Work
💡Local Muscular Fatigue
💡Weight Loss
💡Cutting
Highlights
Cardio training is not recommended for dedicated weightlifters as it may interfere with the development of weightlifting-specific traits.
High levels of cardiovascular conditioning do not inherently harm weightlifting ability, but the training itself can be contradictory.
The body has finite energy, time, and resources for training and recovery, which can be compromised by excessive cardio.
While elite CrossFitters demonstrate high levels of strength and endurance, they represent a small fraction of the training population.
Even with the same training conditions, not everyone can replicate the abilities of elite weightlifters due to individual differences.
CrossFit is not evidence that cardio training benefits weightlifting, as even the best CrossFitters cannot match the abilities of the best weightlifters.
To maintain cardiovascular health alongside weightlifting, one should find a balance by potentially reducing weightlifting volume and frequency.
Conditioning work should not cause contradictory stimuli for muscle adaptation, focusing on the heart and lungs instead.
Mixing multiple movements for brief periods can provide cardiovascular benefits without causing local muscular fatigue.
Variety in cardio exercises is beneficial, spreading the effort across different muscle groups.
Incorporating accessory work that doesn't require stability focus can be mixed into circuits with brief cardio bouts.
Walking 10,000 steps may not significantly contribute to conditioning unless done at a high intensity or on challenging terrain.
The key to effective cardio alongside weightlifting is to keep the heart and breathing rates up without significant local muscular stress.
Using cardio for weight loss is not ideal, as nutrition offers a more effective and less disruptive approach.
Cardio for last-minute weight cuts before competition is discouraged as it drains energy and limits restoration during a critical period.
Training should be used for skill development, and nutrition should be the focus for managing body weight and composition.
Transcripts
here's my list of cardio that I
recommend for Olympic
weightlifters I don't recommend
dedicated weightlifters do actual cardio
training for the sake of weightlifting
it will not make you a better
weightlifter based on the fact that I
get this question 12 times a week I
recognize that a lot of you who do
weightlifting even fairly seriously want
to also build and maintain some kind of
cardiovascular conditioning either for
actual life activity or just for a sense
of General Health and well-being I'll
get to how to do this later first
understand I'm talking about actual
cardio endurance training running riding
rowing Etc at moderate efforts for
extended periods of time I'm not talking
about a few minutes of very low
intensity work in a warm-up or cool down
or even for active recovery between
sessions those things are brief and low
intensity enough to have no meaningful
effect Beyond getting your body moving
warm and circulating blood in the same
way that doing one 160% deadlift isn't
going to have any effect on your
strength to be clear having a high level
of cardiovascular conditioning itself
doesn't harm your weightlifting ability
the problem is the actual training
interfering with your ability to develop
your weightlifting specific traits
maximally you're asking your body to
adapt and contradictory ways at a
muscular level you're also now adding
more work to a body with finite amounts
of energy time and resources for
training and Recovery or to avoid adding
more you're reducing your sport specific
training to accommodate the cardio in
either case you're limiting your
potential progress in weightlifting but
what about CrossFit great question I'm
glad you asked first yes Elite
crossfitters show that a human being can
have very highly developed traits across
a broad spectrum including great
strength and endurance
simultaneously however these Elite
crossfitters are a tiny fraction of the
people who train this way the CrossFit
population on average doesn't display
anywhere near this level of ability this
is true of elite weightlifters also even
if you trained exactly the same way with
the same coaching the same nutrition the
same recovery the same dedication as the
best weightlifters in the world you
won't necessarily replicate their
abilities the reality is that Elite
athletes in any sport represent what is
ultimately possible to achieve by the
people naturally best suited for that
activity who also dedicate themselves to
it not necessarily what you are able ble
to achieve personally moreover despite
the great abilities of the best
crossfitters in the world they still
can't match the weightlifting abilities
of the best weightlifters in the world
so no matter how you look at it CrossFit
is not evidence that cardio training is
good for weightlifting or even that it's
simply not detrimental now having
totally broken your heart about what
you're capable of and the myth that
cardio training is going to somehow make
you a better lifter let me actually
answer your question about how to do
cardio training along with weightlifting
if if that's what you want to do for
other reasons the first part of this is
to ensure that you're simply not doing
too much total training that you're
doing a productive level of volume and
frequency this means finding a balance
likely reducing some of your current
weightlifting training to allow for the
addition of conditioning work the second
part is the actual methodology the
biggest concern with doing conditioning
work as a weightlifter is the
contradictory stimulus for adaptation to
the muscles not the heart and lungs in
other words asking your muscles on the
one hand to be the best they can
possibly be at lifting a very heavy
weight very explosively one time but
then also expecting them to be able to
do a low-level effort a million times in
a row for an extended period of time the
good news is that to exercise the actual
cardiovascular system we don't really
have to subject individual muscles to
detrimental stimulus and the way we get
this conditioning work without causing
that kind of stimulus is by not doing
one motion or activity continuously for
very long we mix multiple movements
using different muscles for brief
periods of time but continue to move
constantly for a longer duration in
other words we're doing activity that
demands work from the heart and lungs
continuously and even potentially very
intensely without considerable local
muscular fatigue generally this means
anything from 20 to 60 seconds per
activity before alternating and it means
more variety is better going from a
rower to a bike to a treadmill for 20 to
60 seconds each would be a bare minimum
type variety because it's still all
primarily leg work spreading the effort
across the body more is better and
minimizing work by the legs considering
their primary role in weightlifting is
important a great thing to do is add in
any accessory work that doesn't require
a ton of focus on stability for example
most of your ab work or body building
type accessories can be mixed into a
circuit with brief bouts of
monostructural activity like bike row or
run really most if not all of your
accessory work can be done in a circuit
with little to no rest with or without
the brief cardio work to maintain
elevated heart and breathing rates and
get some cardiovascular benefit what
about walking 10,000 steps and all that
will it kill your lifting gains no but
it also won't do much if anything for
conditioning unless you've been
sedentary for the past 8 years or you're
walking at a blistering Pace on
challenging Terrain in which case you're
now introducing that contradictory
stimulus we're worried about so in short
the trick is getting and keeping your
heart and breathing rates up and forcing
that system to work hard for an extended
period of time without incurring
significant ific local muscular fatigue
or stress and we do that by constantly
changing the activity before we can
develop any significant local fatigue
finally some quick notes on using cardio
for weight loss or cutting in short I
don't find it a good idea first if
you're looking for calorie reduction you
can achieve way more through nutrition
than cardio and do so without affecting
the training stimulus in any way if
you're looking at cardio for last minute
weight cuts for competition that's an
even worse idea because now you're
draining energy and limiting restoration
in the period you need it most the
bottom line for me is that you should be
using training for training and
nutrition for body weight and
composition
[Music]
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