Aerobic Exercise & Strength Training- Does It Help Or Hurt?

One of the greatest obstacles to the realization of our fullest potential in any field is the idea of convention. Convention can heartily sustain the life force of myths and concepts poorly understood by the public at large, even when confronted by volumes of well researched science that contradicts them. Nowhere is the hold of convention more pronounced than in the related fields of diet and exercise, where training protocols are often prescribed or implemented based on what is popular or what everyone has traditionally done. Not much thought is given to whether the programs are necessarily the best practices for the goals sought. The universal recommendation that aerobic exercise needs to be a part of everyone’s strength training regime is a case in point, as volumes of research highlight the negative impact of aerobic exercise on strength training, power development and muscle development. Not that there is anything wrong with aerobic and distance training, as it does indeed serve several purposes. Its health benefits are many and well documented. However, most employ aerobic exercise as a way of reducing body fat, building endurance or improving recovery time. All these benefits can be better achieved through other more anaerobic based and time efficient forms of conditioning such as high intensity training [1,2,3,4] and attention to dietary intake. More importantly numerous studies have shown that concurrent aerobic exercise can in many cases negatively impact strength and power gains as well as increase the likelihood of overtraining and bring about negative hormonal responses to exercise even when used in relatively small amounts. [1, 5,6,7,8] Such findings disqualify aerobics as a universal requirement for everyone, especially those interested in optimizing strength, power and or muscle mass to their fullest potential. A group that includes not only athletes whose disciplines require maximum strength and power output but also those seeking the toned, tight and sculpted body and those wishing to increase strength and skeletal muscle as a means of decreasing the motor related decline that comes with aging. [9]

The Impact of Aerobic Exercise on Adaptations For Power & Strength

The human body is a very specific machine, one that is individually adapted to the very stresses that it encounters throughout the course of everyday life. The process of increasing strength and muscle mass is in fact a stress response adaptation to a very specific form of overload. When lifting weights, for example, at a level of intensity or with a load sufficient enough to trigger a need for our body to adapt, a number of hormonal, neuromuscular and chemical events occur. Events that lead to an adaptive anabolic environment that can promote increases in muscle size and or increased ability to generate force. (See my Article on How Muscles Get Bigger & Stronger) By engaging in sustained steady state aerobic exercise such as distance running, our body is exposed to a very different form of stress-and the adaptations for this form of activity are far different than those required for increased power, strength and muscle mass. The physique of a sprinter is far different from that of a marathon runner as the two activities create different physical adaptations thus it should come as no surprise that many studies confirm that continued aerobic exercise can bring about decreases in muscle power. This may be due to neuromuscular and hormonal adaptations favorable for reducing the amount of energy expended while exercising- factors which would make an endurance athlete more efficient as opposed to maximizing mechanical power.[1] The sheer volume requirement of endurance type training as well may be a consideration as well as it appears to interfere with the recovery required for maximal results from strength and power training.[7]

The Impact Of Aerobic Training On Power and Rate Of Force Development

Explosive movements require great power or speed of execution

Repetitive activity associated with aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the ability to generate force in the high velocity, low frequency region of the force velocity curve- in other words it makes our muscles less powerful.(30) Power and strength are closely related but not exactly the same thing. Strength is defined as the capacity for gross muscular effort. Power on the other hand refers to the speed at which effort can be performed. Its development is paramount for athletic performance since most movements in any sporting discipline are executed as forcefully and as quickly as possible.[1] Even in sports that one might consider primarily aerobic in nature such as basketball or soccer due their extended duration of play actually consist of repeated bouts of explosive movements that make up a very small proportion of playing time. [9,10] A good example of differences between power and strength would be a comparison between a powerlifter bench pressing 440lbs and an Olympic level 100m sprinter exploding out of the blocks. Both movements require the ability to generate larger forces at high speeds, but the sprinter’s acceleration would be almost twice as powerful as the powerlifter. Contrast that with the amount of high speed force required by a baseball player to swing a bat from maximal backswing to contact with the ball where the baseball player generates just under ten times more force than the powerlifter bench pressing 440lbs. The baseball player would not likely be able to lift as much as the powerlifter, but he or she might be more powerful. That being said, you can be strong and not powerful but you can’t be powerful without a certain base of strength as the two are very directly related. (The most powerful athletes, Olympic lifters are indeed the strongest.) Now we have an understanding of the significance of strength and power, we can look at how it can be affected by distance type training.

While a heavy bench press requires great strength the movement does not require as much explosive power as a sprinter leaving the start line.

A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology took an in-depth look at how power is affected when individuals do strength training concurrently with endurance training as opposed to strength training on its own. During the three week study, two groups of male participants were made to train twice a week doing the same program of resistance exercise with one group doing an additional two days of continuous aerobic exercise on a rowing machine with sessions lasting anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes in duration. At the end of the study there were similar increases in maximum one repetition lifts and isometric strength tests, but only the strength training group saw an increase in rate of force development (ROFD) and the associated rapid neural activation. No changes whatsoever were observed in the group doing both strength training and aerobic exercise.[12] Rate of force development refers to the speed at which force can be produced and a faster ROFD means you are able to do quicker and more explosive movements- qualities essential for strength increases as well as athletic performance. The study concluded that even small amounts of aerobic exercise can lead to interference in explosive strength development.[1]

How Aerobic Exercise Affects Muscle Development for Maximum Power & Muscle Mass

Other studies have demonstrate that sustained aerobic type exercise not only affects rate of force development, but also decreases peak power development through changes in the way muscles are recruited. There are basically two types of skeletal muscle fibers in our bodies Type I and Type II. (See the chart above for a detailed breakdown of the differences.) Type I fibers are what you would recruit primarily if you were running or doing any form of sustained aerobic activity for a considerable amount of time (usually longer than 30 minutes) and someone like a successful marathon runner would tend to have a fairly high distribution of them as an adaption to the sustained endurance training they undergo. Such fibers are highly resistant to fatigue, have a dense network amount of capillaries transporting oxygen rich blood to them and use triglycerides (fats) as their primary fuel source. (Thus the origin of the idea that aerobic activity is best for burning body fat- which it is not- See my article on Rethinking the Need for Aerobics) Not to get too technical but Type I fibers gain their resistance to fatigue from their ability to generate ATP (an important muscle fuel source) through the use of oxygen (aerobic metabolism) which is provided by the many blood vessels found in such muscle fibers.

Type II fibers are more efficient for short bursts of speed and power. These muscle fibers are not recruited to a significant extent during low intensity exercises such as endurance training.(13) Type II fibers have various sub divisions and use glycogen (and creatine phosphate) as their main fuel source and can use either anaerobic or aerobic oxidative metabolism to generate ATP. Type IIx and type IIb fibers are used primarily for explosive movement or any short term anaerobic activity. Generally, these muscle fibers are found in high distributions on more muscular athletes like bodybuilders, powerlifters and sprinters as an adaptation to the short high intensity training protocols that they regularly engage in. These fibers also produce more power than all the other fibers and rely on an anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism to create ATP. Their development is an important part of any program where strength and power production is a primary goal, and is an important part of any regiment geared towards building lean muscle mass as other muscle fibers do not develop to the extent of these fibers. Type IIa fibers are a bit of a cross between Type II and Type I fibers as they have a fairly high resistance to fatigue and use both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism to operate. They act as a sort of a bridge between long term and short term activity and allow us to perform movements of moderate intensity for periods up to about 30 minutes.

How are muscle fibers affected by aerobic exercise? A decade long Canadian study found that subjects who regularly engaged in high intensity aerobic training verified the idea that our bodies do indeed adapt to the specific stresses it has to regularly undergo. The percentage of Type I fibers in those who regularly participated in distance training was 70.9% as opposed to 37.7 percent in the control group who did not exercise. Endurance training appeared to promote a transition from Type II to Type I fibers at the expense of the more powerful Type II fibers. Interestingly enough, Type IIa fibers in the endurance trained group members actually had a reduced aerobic capacity as a result of the years of training.[14] This decrease in percentage of fast twitch fibers significantly compromises strength and speed capabilities as high intensity conditioning requires an increase in the functional properties of fast twitch Type II fibers relative to slow twitch Type I fibers. Although in a large part individual proportions of muscle fiber types are genetically predetermined, what we do can make a large difference in how our body adapts. The more aerobic exercise you do, the greater promotion of Type I fiber -while the more explosive type anaerobic training you do can increase the proportions of Type II fibers.[15,16,17]

Effects Of Concurrent Aerobic Exercise & Strength Training On Cortisol & Testosterone Levels

Another area for concern is the impact of concurrent aerobic training with strength training on your hormone levels. Some studies have found that aerobics done in certain quantities can produce a net catabolic (breaking down) effect on muscle tissue.[1] This catabolic effect can be traced to either a decreased release of testosterone or an increase in the stress hormone cortisol from combining the two forms of training.[7] A study of US Army soldiers published in the Journal of Applied Physiology took 35 men and split them into four groups. The first group performed whole body high intensity strength training for four days a week focused on increasing muscle size and strength. The second group did upper body strength training only and the third group performed aerobic type endurance training only. A program consisting of two days of continuous aerobic exercise at 80-85% VO2max for 40 minutes and two days of interval training at 95-100% VO2max. The fourth group did a combination of both strength training and aerobic training protocols. Researchers found a significant increase in exercise induced and total cortisol response after in members of the strength & aerobics training group. Whereas those in the strength training only group saw a decrease in cortisol levels and an increase in testosterone levels. Changes that promote an anabolic environment favorable to increased muscle growth and strength increase. The study concluded that the catabolic effects noticed in the strength and aerobic trained group came as result of extreme stress placed on the adrenal glands which systematically lead to a form of overtraining.[7] Other studies of concurrent strength and aerobic type endurance training found similar increases in cortisol (a catabolic stress hormone) among those training in both modalities.[5,18]

The Role of Aerobics In Promoting Overtraining When Combined With Strength Training

Our muscles get stronger, bigger and more powerful as a direct response to the stress of exercise. However, it must be noted that these changes can only occur if the volume and or intensity of training is not so much that our bodies are unable to adapt to it. When we are unable to recover from exercise induced stress, we are said to be overtrained- and overtraining can bring about a long term decrease in performance and muscle related improvements. Recovery from overtraining can take several days to several weeks [19] and we know now that sustained aerobic exercise combined with strength training may result in less than optimal hormonal profiles and other factors associated with overtraining. (5,7,19)

The human body has a limited set of resources available to it to help recover from the stress of exercise. An insufficient recovery is the central causative factor of overtraining. That being said, given the large volume of exercise that accompanies conventional endurance based aerobic training, the amount of repetitive stress placed on joints during such forms of continuous exercise and the large amount of energy substrates consumed, it is not surprising that the stage is set for overtraining when it is combined with the rigors of high intensity anaerobic training.[1] The increase in oxidative stress during continued aerobic type training may also have a negative impact on net protein turnover. This impact can result in muscle fiber atrophy [20]. All of the aforementioned factors create an environment that prevents optimal adaptation to strength and power training.(1)

Inadequate recovery can also lead to a lasting fatigue that diminishes the ability to develop tension during power and strength movements. Reduction in power generation from overly high training volume then reduces your ability to learn and master power related skills [21,22,23] while also increasing your risk for injury. The common scenario for people starting an exercise program that includes both weight training and aerobics is that they tend to quit several weeks into the program after an enthusiastic start. Considering the amount of stress inflicted on the body by combining both modes of training it is no surprise that an otherwise untrained individual would experience fatigue and a psychological aversion to training over time. It wouldn’t be because of a lack of willpower or consistency but simply because they are overtrained.

Alternatives to Aerobic Exercise for Endurance Development

Aerobic fitness is indeed an important component for both health and athletic performance. However, prolonged aerobic exercise isn’t the only way to increase endurance and cardiovascular capacity nor is it the most efficient. High intensity training and high intensity interval training has been shown to produce metabolic endurance adaptations similar to and in some cases superior to aerobic exercise.[24, 25, 26] (Read my article here on high intensity training and endurance) Other studies found that similar increases in maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and improvements in 1 mile run times can occur not just as a result of high volume continuous endurance training but also from high intensity interval training as well. Interval training however takes less time to complete. It has the added benefits of improving anaerobic capacity and power output whereas conventional endurance training only positively affects the aerobic energy system. [25]

The Main Source Of Contention- Inclusion Of Aerobics For Body Fat Reduction

Perhaps the most common reason for employing aerobic exercise with strength training is for purposes of reducing body fat. Conventional thinking has long been that aerobics burn significant amounts of calories- enough to create a negative energy deficit that would bring about a reduction in body fat. For this reason, most employ aerobics into their training regime as a way to keep their body weight under control. Considering that aerobic exercise does indeed use fats as an energy source it is easy to see some logic to that approach. However, when compared to high intensity anaerobic training modalities, the idea of aerobics as the best way to lose body fat comes into question. Studies confirm that high intensity training methods create greater post exercise energy expenditure and fat utilization [62,63 64] and favor negative energy and lipid balance to a greater extent than low to moderate intensity aerobic type exercise.[1] That being said you don’t need aerobics to burn fat if the intensity of your anaerobic training is sufficient and if you maintain a sensible diet. (See my article on High Intensity Training & Weight Loss Here)

Are there benefits to aerobics? Absolutely. By no means should this article be construed as a negative hit against such forms of exercise. For many aerobics exercise offers not only numerous health and performance benefits but psychological ones as well. It can be an excellent tool for relieving symptoms of depression and elevating mood. Many people run or do aerobics not so much for a physical effect but for the high that comes with exercise. High intensity training has been shown to elicit similar psychological advantages as well in elevating mood and combating depression [27] but it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to gravitate towards that form of training. Thus, if your goals revolve around maximizing strength and power for athletic performance, the science of the matter would suggest that adding aerobics to a program of weight training could be counterproductive. Those seeking the toned and taut look that comes from building quality lean muscle mass while minimizing body fat levels should also note that aerobics isn’t the only way to shed body fat and that they might be better served avoiding it altogether and instead focus on high intensity training protocols and proper diet to reduce body fat and increase aerobic fitness levels. On the other hand, runners and endurance athletes as a whole would benefit greatly by adding strength training to their exercise programs as it may help maintain normal levels of testosterone. [5]

While some studies have found seemingly contradictory findings regarding concurrent strength and aerobics training, these differences appear mainly to be due to differences in protocols, exercises used, length of the studies and the age and fitness levels of the participants selected. Studies using high intensity strength training as a control however seem to confirm the effects of overtraining as a result of performing both training modalities concurrently as well as a decrease in power generation and strength friendly muscle fiber development. Also of importance is the increased cortisol production observed in those studies of concurrent aerobic and strength training protocols. In two decades of experience as a trainer, I have consistently seen significant increases in muscle mass, strength and power generation in endurance athletes I have worked with when they cease endurance training altogether in the offseason or as a result of injury. However, these increases occurred without any subsequent loss of aerobic fitness capacity when they eventually resumed distance based training. In the end, it is up to you to determine what your goals are and ensure that the program you use helps you attain those goals as opposed to being locked into the idea that aerobic exercise is a universal requirement for everyone.

Celebrity NYC personal trainer Kevin Richardson is an award wining health and fitness writer and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training and one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City. Get a copy of his free weight loss e-book here.

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References

1. Marcus EC, Wagner PP, Chiu L. Power Athletes and Distance Training- Physiological and Biomechanical Rationale for Change. Sports Med 2007

2 Chen ZP, Stephens TJ, Murphy S et al. Effect of Exercise on skeletal muscle AMPK signaling in humans. Diabetes 2003

3 Tremblay A, Simoncau JA, Bouchard C. Impact of exercise intensity on energy expenditure, lipid oxidation and body fatness. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001

4. Chilibeck PD, Bell GJ, Farrar RP, et al. Higher mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation following intermittent verseus continuous endurance exercise training. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1998

5 Bell GJ, Syrtuik D, Martin TP et al. Effect of concurrent strength and endurance training on skeletal muscle properties and hormone concentrations in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol 2000

6. Hennessy LC, Watson AWS. The interference effects of training for strength and endurance simultaneously. J Strength Cond Res 1994

7. Kraemer WJ, Patton JF, Gordon SE, et al. Compatibility of high intensity training and endurance training on hormonal and skeletal muscle adaptations. J Appl Physiol 1995

8. Dudley GA, Djamil R. Incompatibility of endurance and strength training modes of exercise. J Appl Physiol 1985

9. Taylor J. Basketball: applying time motion data to conditioning. Strength Cond J 2003

10. Wisloff U, Helgerud J, Hoff J. Strength and endurance of elite soccer players. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998

11. Beham DG, Sale DG. Intended rather than actual movement velocity determines velocity specific training response. J Appl Physiol

12. Hakkinen K, Alen M, Kramer WJ , et al. Neuromuscular adaptations during concurrent strength and endurance training versus strength training. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003

13. Casey A, Constantin-Teodousiu D, Howell Se, et al. Metabolic response of type I and II muscle fibers during repeated bouts of maximal exercise in humans. Am J Physiol 1996

14. Thayer R, Collins J, Noble EG, et al. A decade of aerobic endurance training: histological evidence for fiber type transformation. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1994

15. Dawson B, Fitzsimons M, Green S, et al, Changes in performance, muscle metabolites, enzymes and fiber types after short sprint training. Euro J Appl Physiol 1998

16. Jacobs I, Esbjornsson M, Sylven C, et al. Sprint training effects on muscle myoglobin, enzymes, fiber types, and blood lactate. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1987

17. Jansson E, Esbjornsson M, Holm I, et al. Increase in the proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers by sprint training in males. Acta Physiol Scand 1990

18. Bell GJ, Syrotuik D, Socha T, Maclean I, et al. Effect of strength training and concurrent strength and endurance training on strength, testosterone, and cortisol. J Strength Cond Res 1997

19. Kuipers H, Keizer HA. Overtraining in elite athletes: review and directions for the future. Sports Med 1988

20. Smith LL. Tissue trauma: the underlying cause of overtraining syndrome?  J Strength Cond Res 2004

21. Anshel MH, Novak J. Effects of different intensities of fatigue in performing a sport skill requiring explosive muscular effort: a test of the specificity of practice principle. Percept Mot Skills 1989

22. Arnett MG, DeLuccia D, Gilmartin K. Male and female differences and the specificity of fatigue on skill acquisition and transfer performance. Res Q Exerc Sport 2000

23. Williams LR, Daniel-Smith JH, Gunson LK. Specificity of training for motor skill under physical fatigue. Med Sci Sports 1976

24. Dolgener FA,Brooks WB. The effects of interval and continuous training on VO2max and performance in the mile run. J sports Med Phys Fitness 1978

25. Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki,  M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996

26. Burgomaster KA, Howarth KR, Phillips SM, Rakobowchuk M, MacDonald MJ, McGee SL, Gibala M. Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. J App Physiol  586: 151-160, 2008

27. Singh NA, Stavrinos TM, Scarbeck Y, Galambos G, Liber C, Singh MA. A randomized controlled trial of high versus low intensity weight training versus general practitioner care for clinical depression in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences

The Anti-Aging Properties Of Weight Training & Resistance Exercise

As you read this article you, like every other person alive on the planet, are getting older. From the moment we are born, we begin to age but unfortunately, most of us don’t really pay any mind to getting older until we start seeing tangible signs of the passage of time on our body. Thanks to advances in medical technology and improvements in living conditions. people are living longer than ever.  So much so that by the year 2030, there will be more than twice the number of Americans over the age of 65 than there was in the year 2000.[1] Unfortunately, here in the West the very process of aging is looked upon as an illness in dire need of ‘treatment’- a way of thinking based on the fact that for most Americans aging is indeed a narrative of decline. Increased body fat, significant loss of muscle mass and strength to the point of infirmity in addition to the slew of age associated conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis are erroneously seen as an inevitable consequence of growing older. However, studies of older individuals who regularly engaged in weight training and bodybuilding have always challenged the idea that such infirmities come more as a self-fulfilling prophecy as a result of inactivity and poor dietary choices than a fate that we are all destined to suffer.[2] In this article, we will take a look at the physiological aspect of aging and how weight training and resistance exercise can create what gerontologists today term successful aging- namely getting older with a low probability of disease or physical disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function and having an active engagement with life in your later years.[3,4]

Understanding The Mechanisms Of Aging
So, how exactly does aging occur? We can easily see the results of aging but there are certain biological mechanisms at work that we are often unaware of. The number cells that make up our body are kept at a relatively steady number through the process of mitosis (cells dividing) matched by the number of cells dying. This balance (homeostasis) is necessary for optimal health and body function however this equilibrium cannot be maintained indefinitely. In what is called the Hayflick limit, all animal cells have a limited number of times that they can reproduce. As we get older, senescence sets in- which is a decline in the ability of our bodies’ cells to divide. This usually starts in our early thirties and continues on throughout our lives. One prevailing theory is that the everyday occurrence of cellular reproduction leads to cumulative damage to our DNA and cells begin to die or not function correctly. This process, called apoptosis is actually beneficial as it acts a way of ‘cleaning up’ that benefits the healthy remaining cells. Taken as a whole, aging thus is nothing more than our bodies decline in being able to deal with stress. Maintaining homeostasis becomes more and more difficult until a point is reached where the organism dies.

The Role Of Weight Training In The Prevention of Muscle Wasting

Building muscle however through the use of a well executed weight training program of sufficient intensity is a way of increasing our bodies’ potential response to stress. As we get older, one of the main aspects working against us from being as strong and as built as we were in our younger years is sarcopenia. Sarcopenia which means literally ‘poverty of the flesh’, refers to the loss of skeletal  muscle mass that comes with aging which in turn leads to weakness and frailty. For the average member of the population, as much as 50% of your skeletal muscle mass is lost between the ages of 20 and 90 years resulting in in a corresponding reduction in muscular strength. Such loss of muscle mass is usually associated as well with an increase in overall body fat. However as normal an occurrence this might be for most of us, studies suggest that lack of exercise- or more specifically weight bearing resistance exercise (like weight training) may be one of the overriding causes of sacropenia.[5]

We don’t have to lose such large amounts of muscle mass as we age, but without an active lifestyle that incorporates some form of resistance exercise over the course of time our bodies will indeed fall victim to the syndrome of ‘use it or lose it.’ While it would be absurd to think that weight training can allow you to be strong and muscular as you were in your twenties, preliminary research shows that those who engage in intense weight training over the course of their lifetime are able to demonstrate physical qualities and abilities on par with if not exceeding that of untrained individuals in their twenties while well into their fifth decade of life. With most of our medical anti-aging focus resting on the shoulders of pharmaceutical companies trying to find a pill form solution to the combat the effects of the march of time, comparatively little is invested in researching protocols that are far less potentially lucrative such as weight training. Nevertheless, short term studies thus far do indeed show that resistance exercises like weight training increase the ability of our muscles to synthesize proteins and thus minimizing the advent of skeletal muscle decline over the years. [6,7]

Getting Older- A Detailed Look At The Physiology

As we get older, it is not only our muscles that get significantly weaker without physical activity but also our bones. Increased bone porosity and reduction in bone mass can lead to the debilitating effects of osteoporosis. Which as we know can be both reversed and prevented by the implementation of weight bearing activities such as weight training.[8] (Read my article on how weight training prevents osteoporosis here). There are some aspects however that are beyond our control, as with the advancing years comes a natural decrease in the speed of nerve conduction, reduction in peak cardiovascular ability as well as a decline in kidney and other organ function. As mentioned earlier in an explanation of the Hayflick limit- our cells have a limited number of reproductions- and as you get older the motor units (motoneurons) in your fast twitch muscles begin to die. You don’t immediately notice it, as our bodies have a remarkable system of compensating. Consider that a muscles in  your leg may have 250 motor units with each motor unit having as many as a thousand muscle fibers under its control.

This ratio of motor units to muscle fiber is known as an innervation ratio and in this case would be 1,000 muscle fibers per motoneuron.
Over the course of time, those 250 motor units in your leg muscle may drop by as much as half to 125 by the time you are 70 years old, and you would think that this would make you only half as strong, but it isn’t that straightforward. You see, we lose muscle fibers at a much slower rate than motor units so you would have only lost 10% of the muscle fiber in that leg muscle by the age of 70. However, the remaining 125 motor units sprout new branches to the muscle fibers that have lost their motor units to activate them and do more work than they did before. As a result, there is a higher innervation ratio, in this example it would be let us say 1,500 muscle fibers per motoneuron as our motor units take control of more muscle fibers as a way of helping us retain our strength as we get older.

Our nervous system also slows with the passage of time and so the mechanisms of muscle contraction slows down as well. Despite these natural declines, regular resistance type exercise and an overall active lifestyle can help minimize and offset the effect of these changes in our bodies. The more muscle mass built up over time, the more strength, coordination and motor skills you will have as you get older. A point lost sadly on the millions of women who invest most of their time pursuing aerobic type exercises and lower impact activities like yoga out of a misplaced fear of developing man-sized muscles and thus curtail their involvement in weight training- the very exercises that will help them stay looking and feeling younger as the years go by. (See my article on Should Women Weight Train Like Men)

Hormone Replacement Isn’t Always The Answer
Our hormones also play a role in the reduction of our muscle mass as we get older. Testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) help our bodies’ build and maintain muscle mass but there is a marked reduction in production as we get older. High intensity weight training has been shown to increase all three hormones [9,10,11] naturally and within standard human parameters. It might sound like a good idea to forgo weight training and instead turn to hormone replacement therapies but research shows that this reduction in hormones may be a key mechanism that allows us to live longer. Mammalian models with reduced growth hormone (GH) and/or IGF-1 appear to live longer[12,13] and while the administration of testosterone replacement therapy for men has become a lucrative and fast growing industry here in the United States, presently available data do not justify the broad use of such hormones for anti-aging purposes.[14,15]

Effects Of A Lifetime Of Weight Lifting On the Aging Process

My inspiration- Kenny Hall pictured in his early seventies

While it is established that there is a natural decline in our bodies from the age of 30 or so due to the processes mentioned above- there are also many examples of individuals who defy the narrative of decline for far longer than one would expect. In 1987, Dr. Fredrick Hatfield- (or Dr. Squat as he is affectionately known) set a world powerlifting record squatting over 1,000 lbs at the age of 45- more than any human being in history had ever successfully lifted in competition. A feat he was able to continue well into his fifties. My good friend and natural bodybuilder Kenny Hall started competing in his twenties and kept on winning titles for the next half a century. His greatest accomplishment was winning the Pro Mr. America in 1969 but he maintained a level of muscle mass and definition that allowed him to easily best other competitors decades younger than he was until he retired in his 70’s so that others would have their chance to win as well.

The science of Gerontology has only just started to pay attention to the amazing examples set by those engaged in a lifetime of weight training and drug free bodybuilding and research reveals that involvement in such activities can ‘create possibilities for people to age positively and reconstruct what aging “normally” means.”[2,16,17,18] Such studies also highlight the self fulfilling prophecy that our society’s acceptance of advancing age as a time of disengagement, dysfunction and disease goes a long way in our not taking action to prevent it from being just that.  As long as we see aging as a downward trajectory of physical and mental deterioration, we are doomed to experience it as such. One of the common perspectives of men and women involved in weight training activities over the course of their lives and who exhibit remarkable physicality into the later sixth decades of life is what was termed a ‘mondadic styled’ body. In short, they focused on who they were and what they were doing as opposed to being influenced by what society expected them to be or the examples of their peers whose aging process tended to follow the narrative of decline that we are so used to hearing. Without turning to hormonal solutions that can often cause more problems than they solve, these individuals centered themselves on following a lifestyle. A lifestyle that allows them to significantly offset the impact of aging and achieve what we are all looking for- twilight years that aren’t defined by disease and disability but by engagement with life on all levels. We don’t need drugs or DeLeon’s fabled fountain of youth, we just need to make certain forms of exercise a part of our lives at all times.

Related Articles-

How Do Muscles Get Bigger & Stronger

How Weight Training Increases Bone Mass

Kevin Richardson is an award winning health and fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started with 50% off your trial personal training session.

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References:
1. Administration on aging- Dept of Health & Human Services.
2. Phoenix C, Smith B. Telling a (Good) Counterstory of Aging: Natural Bodybuilding Meets The Narrative of Decline. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci (2011
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4. Rowe JW, Kahn RL (1997). “Successful ageing”. Gerontologist 37 (4): 433–40
5 Abate M, Di Iorio A, Di Renzo D, Paganelli R, Saggini R, Abate G (September 2007). “Frailty in the elderly: the physical dimension”. Eura Medicophys 43 (3): 407–15. PMID 17117147.
6. Hasten, Debbie L; Pak-Loduca J, Obert KA, Yarashski KE (2000). “Resistance exercise acutely increases MHC and mixed muscle protein synthesis rates in 78–84 and 23–32 yr olds”. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 278: E620–E626.
7. Yarasheski, Kevin E (2003). “Aging, and Muscle Protein Metabolism”. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 58(10): M918-M922.
8. High-intensity resistance training and postmenopausal bone loss: a meta-analysis.Martyn-St James M, Carroll S. Osteoporosis Int. 2006
9. Pak-Shan Leung,1 William J. Aronson,2 Tung H. Ngo,1 Lawrence A. Golding,3 and R. James Barnard. Exercise alters the IGF axis in vivo and increases p53 protein in prostate tumor cells in vitro. TRANSLATIONAL PHYSIOLOGY
10. Zmuda JM, Thompson PD, Winters SJ. Exercise increases serum testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin levels in older men. Metabolism. 1996 Aug;45(8):935-9.
11. Godfrey RJ, Madgwick Z, Whyte GP. The exercise-induced growth hormone response in athletes.Sports Med. 2003;33(8):599-613.
12.Berryman DE, Christiansen JS, Johannsson G, Thorner MO, Kopchick JJ. Role of the GH/IGF-1 axis in lifespan and healthspan: lessons from animal models.Growth Horm IGF Res. 2008 Dec
13.Carter CS, Ramsey MM, Sonntag WE. A critical analysis of the role of growth hormone and IGF-1 in aging and lifespan.Trends Genet. 2002
14. Heutling D, Lehnert H.[Hormone therapy and anti-aging: is there an indication?].Internist (Berl). 2008 May
15. Kliesch S[Hormone therapy in the aging male. Estrogen, DHEA, melatonin, somatotropin].Urologe A. 2004
16. Dionigi, R. (2008). Competing for life, older people, sport and ageing. Verlag, Germany: VDM Verlag.
17. Grant, B. C. (2001). ‘You’re never too old’: Beliefs about physical activity and playing sport in later life. Ageing and Society
18. Phoenix, C. (2010). Auto-photography in aging studies: Exploring issues of identity construction in mature bodybuilders. Journal of Aging Studies
Zehr P. Becoming Batman- John Hopkins University Press

Brief High Intensity Training As A Preventative Factor Against Pre-Diabetes

For the last two decades the diabetes rate here in the United States has increased significantly and it continues to rise with no signs whatsoever of those numbers going down anytime soon. According to a recent survey conducted by the Center For Diseases & Control nearly 26 million Americans have diabetes, with 95% of those cases being type 2 diabetes, in which the body gradually loses its ability to use and produce insulin. A number that by no means small, but what is more disturbing is that estimates are that 79 million Americans are prediabetic.  That’s over one third of the entire US population. A number that reaches out and touches all of us- our friends, our families and us individually as well. Being prediabetic means having blood sugar levels that are higher than what ideal levels should be, but not high enough to be clinically diagnosed as being diabetic.[1,2]

Unfortunately, prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in addition to the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.  What experts term as the  ‘Western Style Diet’ has been implicated as the central cause of our increased rates of diabetes[3] in addition to sedentary lifestyles and obesity. Eating better is an important part of the fight against diabetes but equally important is the need to integrate a regular routine of exercise and physical activity.  However given the demands of modern living most cite lack of time as being the primary reason they don’t engage in regular exercise. [4]That being said, infrequent bouts of brief high intensity training routines of 10-15 minutes have been shown to have a positive effect in improving insulin action and thus could be the answer to those without adequate time to train with a predisposition towards diabetes and obesity.[5]

What Is Prediabetes?

As mentioned above, prediabetes usually precedes a full diabetic diagnosis and is characterized by impaired fasting glucose where fasting blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not elevated to the point of a diabetes mellitus classification. Long term, large scale studies have shown that being prediabetic can cause long term damage to the heart and circulatory system and increase your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease even though there isn’t a full diagnosis of diabetes.[6, 7] Unfortunately, for many there are no marked symptoms of prediabtes, unlike diabetes mellitus which while sometimes difficult to identify without clinical testing does at times have some signs such as fatigue, weight gain,  difficulty seeing, slow healing of cuts and wounds as well as tingling or loss of sensation in the extremities. That being said, given the widespread nature of prediabetes, fasting plasma glucose screening is important for everyone over the age of 30 and might be a good idea for younger individuals who are at risk due to lifestyle and or a high incidence of family history with diabetes.

High Intensity Training As A Preventative Factor Against Pre-Diabetes

The key however, aside from maintaining a healthy body weight through proper diet is to also be sure to incorporate exercise into your routine as a way of both preventing and reducing the risks associated with higher blood fasting levels. One of the easiest and most efficient ways to do this is though the implementation of a high intensity training program- which does not require much in the way of time (as little as three workouts of ten to fifteen minutes duration per week) and is a practical solution for todays’ personal time deprived lifestyles. According to a recent study extremely short duration high intensity training significantly improves insulin action in young healthy males. Type 2 diabetes is a very health problem here in the United States and in developed countries- a veritable pandemic affecting millions of children and adults alike. While it has been conclusively established that the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes can be reduced by regular exercise [8]. It is also true that most people find it difficult to consistently follow a routine due to lack of time as conventional exercise guidelines call for at least an hour of aerobic type activity five times a week. The commitment required for such training protocols are beyond the means of most living within the constraints of the very hectic realities of modern life. As many experts in the field have noted, in order for an exercise protocol to as well as a health benefit for the individual, not only should the regime reliably modify key disease risk factors, it must also be plausible to implement.

The Role Of Short High Intensity Training In Improving Insulin Action & Blood Sugar

You don't need to train for hours to improve your blood sugar response if you train at high intensity.

Brief high intensity training workouts have been demonstrated to produce improvements in aerobic function, but it was previously unknown whether high intensity training had the capacity to improve insulin action and hence glycemic control. An important study published in the journal BMC Endocrine Disorders however shows that such brief high intensity training may indeed have a pivotal role as a time saving exercise protocol for the prevention of diabetes. For the study 16 young men in their early twenties underwent a regime of 15 minute high intensity training for two weeks using stationary bicycles. Aerobic performance assessment as well as an oral glucose tolerance test to determine insulin response were administered both before and after the training periods. At the end of the two weeks of high intensity training researchers observed a significant increase in insulin action in addition to an increase in aerobic performance. Researchers concluded that “the efficacy of a high intensity exercise protocol, involving only ~250 kcal of work each week, to substantially improve insulin action in young sedentary subjects is remarkable…This novel time-efficient training paradigm can be used as a strategy to reduce metabolic risk factors in young and middle aged sedentary populations who otherwise would not adhere to time consuming traditional aerobic exercise regimes.”[9]

It’s Not How Long You Train- It’s How Hard You Train

Studies conducted at Arizona State University and Texas University not only confirm the increase in insulin action as a result of high intensity resistance training, but highlight two very important conclusions-

1. Higher intensity multiple set training protocols yielded the greatest treatment effect in improving both fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity.[10]
2. High volume resistance training is not a requirement for improved insulin sensitivity as a result of exercise as individuals performing high intensity low volume exercise have similar improvements in insulin sensitivity as those engaged in higher volume training programs. [11]

Taking this into consideration, a high intensity training protocol is one that many pressed for time should seriously consider. Not only have short intense workouts been demonstrated to improve insulin action but it has also been shown to increase muscle mass, increase endurance and aerobic capacity and decrease body fat better than aerobic exercise and conventional high volume training programs.[12,13,14,15,16,17,18] All the while increasing bone density, improving cardiovascular health and significantly reducing both the incidence and severity of depression.[19,20,21,22]

References: 

 1. Power of Prevention, American College of Endocrinology. Vol. 1, issue 1, January 2009. http://www.powerofprevention.com/POP_magazine_Jan2009_final.pdf/
2.  Jellinger, Paul S. “What You Need to Know about Prediabetes.” Power of Prevention, American College of Endocrinology. Vol. 1, issue 2, May 2009
 3. Wild S, Roglic G, Green A, Sicree R, King H (May 2004). “Global prevalence of diabetes: estimates for 2000 and projections for 2030″. Diabetes Care
 4. Gilba MJ. High-intensity Interval Training: A Time-efficient Strategy for Health Promotion. Current Sports Medicine Reports 2007
5. Babraj JA, Vollaard BJ, Keast C, Guppy FM, Cottrell G, Timmons JA. Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males- BMC Endocr Disord. 2009
6. Fontbonne A, Charles MA, Thibult N, Richard JL, Claude JR, Warnet JM, Rosselin GE, Eschwège E. Hyperinsulinaemia as a predictor of coronary heart disease mortality in a healthy population: the Paris Prospective Study, 15-year follow-up. Diabetologia. 1991
7. Barr EL, Zimmet PZ, Welborn TA, et al. (2007). “Risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose, and impaired glucose tolerance: the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study
8. C. A. Witczak1 and M. Sturek. Exercise prevents diabetes-induced impairment in superficial buffer barrier in porcine coronary smooth muscle. Journal of applied Physiology
 9. Pedersen BK, Saltin B: Evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in chronic disease. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2006
 10. Black LE, Swan PD, Alvar BA. Effects of intensity and volume on insulin sensitivity during acute bouts of resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1109-16.
 11. Reed ME, Ben-Ezra V, Biggerstaff KD, Nichols DL. The Effects of Two Bouts of High- and Low-Volume Resistance Exercise on Glucose Tolerance in Normoglycemic Women. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Dec 8.
12. Hawley JA,  Specificity of training adaptation: time for a rethink? Physiol. 2008
13. Tremblay, A. et al. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Quebec, Canada Metabolism.1994; 43(7): 814-818.
14.  Tabata I, Nishimura K, Kouzaki M, Hirai Y, Ogita F, Miyachi M, Yamamoto K.-Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Oct;28(10):1327-30.Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max.
15. Burgomaster KA, Howarth KR, Phillips SM, Rakobowchuk M, MacDonald MJ, McGee SL, Gibala M. Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans.  J Physiol 586: 151-160, 2008
16. Bahr R (1992). “Excess postexercise oxygen consumption–magnitude, mechanisms and practical implications”. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. Supplementum 605
 17. Bahr R, Høstmark AT, Newsholme EA, Grønnerød O, Sejersted OM (September 1991). “Effect of exercise on recovery changes in plasma levels of FFA, glycerol, glucose and catecholamines”. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 143
 18. Bielinski R, Schutz Y, Jéquier E (July 1985). “Energy metabolism during the postexercise recovery in man”. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 42
 19. High-intensity resistance training and postmenopausal bone loss: a meta-analysis.Martyn-St James M, Carroll S. Osteoporos Int. 2006
 20. Doyne EJ, Ossip-Klein DJ, Bowman ED, Osborn KM, McDougall-Wilson IB, Neimeyer IB. Running Versus Weight Lifting in the Treatment of Depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.
 21. Martinsen EW, Hoffart A, Solberg O. Comparing aerobic and non aerobic forms of exercise in the treatment of clinical depression: a randomized trial. Comprehensive Psychiatry
 22. Singh NA, Stavrinos TM, Scarbeck Y, Galambos G, Liber C, Singh MA. A randomized controlled trial of high versus low intensity weight training versus general practitioner care for clinical depression in older adults. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences

Kevin Richardson is an award winning health and fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training™. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started with 50% off your trial personal training session.

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Preface:

I grew up in Trinidad, an island in the West Indies were there was a significant number of homeless individuals living on the streets. So much so that they were a constant presence in the more urban areas of the island. As varied as they were in age and in circumstances which lead them to a life on the street, there was one striking physical aspect that they all shared- namely that almost every one of them had a remarkably defined six pack. They weren’t the only group of people who seemed somehow blessed with rippling midsections as those who chose to live off the land in the hills as a rule were similarly blessed with deeply etched abdominals. These people had never done a sit up, didn’t know what a crunch was, never used an Abdominizer or any other newfangled ab machine nor did they even know what a fat burner was. Perhaps, like the native people of everywhere from Papua, New Guinea to the Amazon Basin they didn’t realize that these things were a prerequisite to having a six pack. Or perhaps most of what you read about getting a six pack has little to do with actually achieving it.  In this updated article, I do my best to discount the myths surrounding getting a six pack- most of which revolve on making you buy a product or service of some sort or promote unhealthy eating practices that create temporary solutions at best. I will preface the article with a caveat that what it takes to get a six pack isn’t impossible nor does it have to cost you anything- but it does require commitment, dedication and time. Thanks as always for reading.

Six Pack Abs-Why What You Eat & How Much You Eat Is More Important Than The Exercises

Over the past two decades of my career as both a personal trainer and a natural bodybuilder the most common question that I have been asked is how do you go about getting a six pack. You can get many different answers from many different people but I have always found it interesting that many of the self appointed fitness gurus giving the advice don’t sport a six pack themselves. Some may have a picture or two of what they looked like when they did have a six pack, but the photos are usually pretty dated or document the way they looked for a very brief period of time when preparing for a bodybuilding contest or photo shoot. As great an accomplishment as this may be, it in no way reflects what they look like all year round and few members of the general public are interested in only having a six pack for two or three weeks out of the year. The popular ninety day extreme exercise and diet video series promise a six pack within a very short time period, but as those who have done such programs can attest- you’ll regain the weight and lose whatever semblance of a six pack you gained within an equally short period of time.

The widespread use of steroids, thyroid medications, insulin, human growth hormone and other such drugs also makes it hard to find credible role models. Non natural bodybuilders, fitness models, figure competitors, bikini competitors, celebrities and many personal trainers rely on drugs for their coveted washboard midsections and it is disturbing to note the number of recreational users who risk their health with these drugs simply to look good for the summer. It is a sad blow to the fitness industry as it creates a culture of trainers who have no experience getting into shape without using drugs and thus are unable to help anyone else do the same. Add to this the babel of infomercials hawking the latest ‘scientifically proven’ ab machines and exercises and you can easily find yourself lost, confused and someone lighter in the wallet in your quest to see your abdominal muscles. That being said, it is very possible to have a six pack and keep it all year round, regardless of body type but it does take work and it won’t happen overnight.

Six Pack Abs As An Effective Marketing Tool

The allure of six pack abs is a powerful tool for getting you to buy everything from supplements to exercise machinesstuff

You turn on the television and something in you wants to believe them. The well sculpted models using some new fangled invention that they swear will get you a six pack within a matter of weeks. Perhaps summer is coming or you are just tired of not seeing what you want in the mirror and so you buy the machine, using it faithfully just as they did on the infomercials- and yet nothing happens. Your belly remains just that- a belly. It doesn’t transform into a chiseled work of art and you can’t understand why. Undaunted, but a bit lighter in the purse, you go to the gym. You just want to get your abdominals looking sharp and all the gym advertisements are filled with beautifully built people with the midsections of a Greek gods. Given how great they look, it should only be a matter of time until that membership pays off and you’ll look just like them. You do everything you read about- thousands of crunches, sit ups and leg raises. You hit every ab machine in the gym every day you are there, take every ab class and put in your time doing cardio to burn off the fat. At first you fell that you are making progress, you feel the burn when you train and are confident that the six pack of your dreams are just around the bend. But nothing happens. All that has happened is that you have spent good money on machines you don’t use and a gym membership that is becoming more and more of a reminder of how hopeless your quest has become.

The weeks turn into months and the months turn into years, and still those blocks in your stomach remain elusive. So you decide to do more. You train longer and you do more exercises for your abdominal muscles, perhaps training them every day. Maybe even twice a day, yet your midsection still looks more like a spare tire rather than a carved piece of granite. What could be the problem? Why can’t you get the same abdominal definition as the people in the magazines? Why is there still a layer of fat where rippling muscles should be after all of your hard work? The answer has nothing to do with six packs and everything to do with economics.

Unless you were one of the fortunate few who had an accomplished mentor to steer you in the right direction from day one, you probably got most of your information on getting a six pack from television, books, magazines, or the Internet. However it is important to reflect on what these sources have to gain by your heeding their advice. From the eye catching before and after pictures to the authoritative pitches by celebrities and fitness gurus there is usually one common denominator behind it all and that is profit.

6 Pack Abs Are A Multi-Million Dollar Industry

The quest for six pack abs make people throw away significant sums of money on things that don't work or provide only fleeting results.

There is a very useful Latin phrase, ‘cui bono?’ which translates as ‘who stands to gain?’ – and this is precisely the question you should be asking when confronted by any information on how to get your abs to show. There are always new and improved machines and new and improved exercise programs, all sold by well muscled trainers, athletes and celebrities and there will always be new ones coming out of the woodwork. The math is pretty simple- these programs, routines, exercises, extreme diets and classes aren’t going to produce an army of six pack sporting citizens, but rather a slew of frustrated individuals. Individuals who are not going to lay the blame on the machine/diet/DVD or trainer for failing, but who instead will place the blame squarely on themselves. Disheartened and filled with a sense of failure, they thus become the perfect consumers for another round of products and services- in the hope that this one will finally help them break through and get them a six pack. It is a cyclic system that sells you hope but not much of anything else and it works as long as the general public remains confused and unsure about what they need to do to get into shape.

Today in our society people want results and they want it now- a microwave mentality that applies not only to how people approach matters of health and fitness, but also just about every facet of modern life. If people want something, they want it now and you are willing to pay for it, a weakness that the fitness industry and media use to their advantage. People will always buy that fitness magazine because they are certain that if you do the same ‘secret exercises’ that the celebrity/athlete/model/bodybuilder is doing, you will eventually look like them.

People will always tune in to that special report on the new way to lose inches off of your midsection. News programs have devolved mostly into thinly disguised forms of entertainment, where ratings take precedence over the reporting of credible information, ratings that help them sell advertisement time at higher prices, which thus net the networks higher profits. In the final analysis, most of the information you come across about getting a six pack comes with a vested interest in making a profit and not some altruistic and compassionate desire to help you realize your goal. Unfortunately you can’t make much in the way of profit with the principles that are really needed to get a six pack. There is no instant gratification and it doesn’t come with a need for fancy machines, DVDs, supplements, books or magazines. Most importantly, you can do it without spending the better part of your life doing abdominal exercises.

The Reality Of  Six Pack Abs- Proper Diet & Exercise

Everyone already has a six pack, it's simply a matter of reducing bodyfat to a point where it can be seen.

So how do you get abs? Well, for starters you already have them. Like the story of the fish that spends it’s life searching for water, most of us fail to realize that every human being already has a six pack- whether you can see them prominently or not. There are four main abdominal muscles, the transversus abdominus – which is the deepest muscle layer and it works to help stabilize the trunk and maintain internal abdominal pressure. The rectus abdominus – slung between the ribs and the pubic bone at the front of the pelvis. This muscle has the characteristic bumps and bulges that are commonly referred to as ‘the six pack’ and everyone has them. There is also the external oblique muscles which flank the rectus abdominus and allow the trunk to twist and then there are the internal oblique muscles which also flank the rectus abdominus and operate in the opposite way to the external oblique muscles.

So if everyone has these abdominal muscles, one might ask why some have a six pack that you can see and others do not- the answer is simply a matter of body fat. Most men have a body fat percentage of around 15% to 18% and most women have an average body fat level of about 22% to 25%. Now even at these levels (which are  quite low for most of the general population) most people would have a layer of fat around their midsection that would hide their abdominal muscles. The muscles are always there, and all you really need to do is to reduce your body fat to levels where you can see them. Athletes typically have lower body fat percentages due to their increased activity levels.

Where your fat stores are and how high your body fat percentage is will determine how long it will take you to have a six pack. Some people with relatively high body fat percentages but with naturally low fat deposits in the stomach area can have a fairly visible six packs, while others need to reduce their body fat percentages to the single digits before they can see theirs. So how do you go about reducing your body fat in a way that doesn’t yield only fleeting results? The natural way to do it is simply a combination of:
PROPER DIET, HIGH INTENSITY WEIGHT TRAINING AND TIME.

This six pack wasn't built overnight and it took serious weight training to acheive it.

That’s one tried and true way of doing it and one that I have seen work without fail. No magic machines, no magic pills, no DVD’s and most certainly no special exercises or even cardio. I can say so with some authority since for the past 23 years I haven’t done that much in the way of  crunches, sit ups and the like after my tenth year and I never did any cardio- nor did any of my clients. When I did train my abs in the early years of my career it was never more than two exercises for a total of six sets, which took no more than three to five minutes to complete. As a natural bodybuilder I was told very early on that you rely on diet only to get into shape and not cardio- as too much in the way of muscle mass is always lost in the process and because it doesn’t really work. (Read more about cardio as an ineffective method for fat loss here.) In fact during the height of my bodybuilding career I didn’t do anything for my abs and still won shows and almost every photograph of me in circulation is what I look like having not done any direct ab work for over a decade. I’m not a genetic freak by any stretch, I never used drugs, nor am I possessed of a special body type that allows me to get away with doing so little as I have been able to replicate the same results with my clients who competed successfully in fitness, figure and bodybuilding competitions- regardless of their initial body type- and without doing any cardio or hours of ab exercises. It’s not what the fitness industry wants you to hear, but it’s the truth and isn’t thanks to anything but a consistently clean diet and intense weight training.

Everyone Has Six Pack Abs- Somewhere

In my workout DVD which was filmed to document my training philosophy and show what you could do without having to resort to drugs or supplements, there are no shots of me training my abdominals. I was asked on many occasions why I didn’t include a segment on abdominal training and the reason that I didn’t is because I did not in any way want to mislead the public.  Throughout my career I have strived to be as honest and upfront as possible (sometimes to my detriment one might add) and the last thing that I wanted was for people to think that if they trained their abs the way I did that they would get similar results as nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a combination of my years of careful attention to what and how much I eat, the fat burning effect of the brief high intensity training routine that I have followed religiously for the past 21 years and the metabolically active muscle mass that I have gained over my 23 years of training. That’s what keeps me in shape all year round and nothing else.

If It Won’t Give Me Six Pack Abs Do You Need To Do Ab Exercises?

Do you need abdominal exercises for a six pack? Not exactly, but you should do them anyway.

Now make no mistake- there is indeed a need to train your abdominal muscles- as it helps stabilize your entire body and such exercises are indeed recommended for everyone starting a training routine. However, your abdominal muscles get a serious workout during almost any weight training exercise and very much so if you train as hard and as heavy as I do at this point in my career using primarily compound movements. Thus I don’t need to do much in the way of direct ab exercises as they are hit pretty hard as a result of my high intensity training routine. That being said, your abdominals are muscles like anything else and training them every day with hundreds of repetitions won’t do much in terms of getting them to be as strong as possible and can result in overdevelopment. Take a look at the bodybuilders who have blocky abdominal muscles as a result of years of weighted abdominal exercises and or drug use. It might look impressive when they flex them, but otherwise those muscles protrude and give a rather pot bellied appearance. Big and thick abs don’t look too great in a T-shirt, and doesn’t present much in the way of a balanced and aesthetically pleasing physique.
The problem is that once you over develop your abdominal muscles by doing too much, it isn’t that easy- if at all possible to reverse it and you are stuck with a thick waist- which I doubt is the goal of those who train their abs day in and day out. Now the muscle tension created by training your abs several times a week makes you FEEL like your abs are tighter- but like any muscle the more you train them won’t necessarily make them any stronger or better developed. If anything it can actually hinder your overall progress (read more about how muscles get stronger here). As for ‘core strength’- time spent on an exercise ball will never give you the strength you can gain from a high intensity training program. High intensity weight training can make your core muscles strong enough to enable you to lift a car- which is a far cry from what you could do on your best day if you relied only on the modern incarnation of ‘core exercises.’ It won’t give you a six pack either.

Six Pack Abs Comes From Diet & Exercise

Now training your abdominal muscles can help make them bigger- but it can’t burn off the layer of fat that obscures them. That comes from a clean diet and ensuring that you don’t overeat. Any exercise claiming that it can spot reduce the fat around your stomach is as credible as killing chickens and painting yourself blue under a full moon to make it rain the next day. Muscle and fat are two completely different types of tissue thus an abdominal exercise will do nothing to reduce your waistline.

One or no more than two abdominal exercises done once a week at reasonable intensity is more than enough for 99% of the general population. Nevertheless, you can do ab  exercises until the cows come home but  it won’t do anything if your diet isn’t on point. I would honestly say that diet is 80% of the equation if your goal of a six pack. How you train creates the potential for your body to change but it’s what you eat that will determine how much you will change.

The Importance Of Diet For Six Pack Abs

What type of diet do you need to follow if a six pack is your ultimate goal? It’s a diet consisting exclusively of foods that have been part of the human diet for the past 150,000 years and one where you don’t overeat. That means no processed foods, (and that includes protein shakes- which you should avoid if you seriously want a six pack- read my article here) no added salt or sugars, no alcohol, juices or junk food of any kind. It isn’t as Spartan as one might think as it is absurd to believe that you need processed foods and alcohol to enjoy life. Humans have done it for millennia and back then most of them had that same six pack that today so many struggle to attain. Your great-great grandparents enjoyed their food, and most likely ate far less than you do today. It didn’t kill them, but on the contrary probably allowed them a better quality of life in terms of robust health.

In terms of exercise- you need to also incorporate weight training of a sufficient intensity to both increase your muscle mass which will also help you burn off the excess body fat in a manner that leads to sustainable and lasting results. So forget about doing high reps in the hopes of doing anything but wasting your time. For your body to change their must be some degree of overload and you can learn more about how this mechanism works in my article here.

Now paying attention to your diet over a long period of time in combination with a sensible exercise regiment isn’t going to give you any instant gratification. Attention to diet requires a lifetime of consideration, patience and discipline. Traits that don’t lend themselves to today’s microwave mentality but are nonetheless very much what it takes to get in shape and stay in shape. After all, it’s only logical that if it took you years to put on that layer of fat that obscures your stomach, it wouldn’t be realistic to expect it to go away in a couple of weeks. There are legitimate reasons to work your abdominal muscles directly, and that is to strengthen the muscles that support the trunk and allow for movement. These muscles also help support your lower back, so training them is not just a cosmetic undertaking. I hope this article help clear up some of the misconceptions around abdominal training, and I wish you all the best in your quest for six pack abs!

Get a copy of Kevin’s free weight loss ebook here!

Related Articles

Should Women Weight Train Like Men

Does Aerobics Work- Rethinking The Need For Cardio

How Muscles Get Bigger & Stronger

How To Build Your Lower Abs

High Intensity Workouts & Fat Loss

Kevin Richardson is an award winning fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training^TM. If you live in the New York City metropolitan area and need help losing weight or getting into cover model shape, give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420.

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Should Women Train & Lift Weights Like Men? Only If They Want Results

It’s one of the most common misconceptions in fitness- the idea that women shouldn’t lift weights or train like men for fear of building man sized muscles and losing their femininity. It’s a misconception that is strongly supported by the media and fitness industry as it helps sell gender targeted activities and gym memberships- even though it prevents women from realizing most of their fitness goals. In a quest to maximize class attendances and boost enrollment, women have been bombarded for the past several decades with the idea that they can indeed get the strong, sculpted and toned body of their dreams from doing aerobics, Pilates or yoga, with a small amount of weight lifting thrown in for good measure- but using weights of a ridiculously inconsequential magnitude. The marketing gender bias is strong, and for good reasons. Gyms sell memberships to women based on classes that appeal to them and the quality, quantity (and even color) of the cup holding treadmills, Stairmasters and elliptical machines. Selectorized weight machines are designed to be as stylish and as attractive as possible to women, and with good reason. Women make up the majority of gym goers across the board here in the United States, with statistics showing them making up an impressive 66 percent of the total gym member population.[1] The problem is, however that while classes and  equipment are designed to attract a heavily female patronage- they do little to address their actual goals. Emphasis is, and always has been on sales- not results, so it isn’t surprising that most fitness related programs for women have little in the way of serious weight training as a selling point- regardless of how effective it might be.

While few women would look at the quality and quantity of barbells and dumbbells to determine whether a gym was right for them- it’s indeed the weights that they need to realize their goals of a tighter and more toned body. What works for men to build lean and sculpted physiques works for women as well- but sadly only a few eschew the scientifically absurd notions that women need to train differently or that weight training has a negative impact on femininity. The millions of women who remain frustrated by their lack of progress are a telling testimony to the fact that the light weight/aerobics approach doesn’t really work. In stark contrast however, the sculpted and undeniably feminine fitness models and in shape celebrities whose bodies most women consider as their ultimate goal all incorporate serious weight training to look the way they do.

Social Barriers In the Media To Women Lifting Weights

The gender gap here in developed countries may be closing in terms of employment and equal rights (to a degree) but in the physical world, women are still expected to do less. Consider for a moment a photo spread of a female fitness model or celebrity training in a magazine. Everyone is always smiling for the camera, while posing with uselessly light weights or taking a class or smiling on an aerobic machine. It is very rare that you will see a woman training with weights and grimacing with effort. It might not sound like much of  a big deal, and one might argue that it caters to the female aesthetic- but  think about what other ideas such images convey. Contrast those images with photos of Arnold in his prime working out, or any major male star who gets into ripped and muscular shape for a film. You’d be hard pressed to find a photo of them smiling at the camera in tights with light weights in their hand and if you saw it you would think that they were in some way belittling the hard work that went into their transformation and that they weren’t being taken seriously. Instead you see them training hard- which sends a very powerful message that inspires other men to do the same and thus they get the same results. Women don’t have that privilege in the media. Like it or not, body language is an important part of how we are influenced and women today, don’t have that message that it’s okay to work hard and sweat as most of the cues from the media are focused on training being fun and light activities. This works really well to sell but it lacks authenticity and I personally find it alarmingly hypocritical. Especially when the buffed women in the photos actually train as hard, if not harder than the men with weights to look the way they look but are not depicted as such.

The Impact Of Drug Use In Female Bodybuilding & Physique Sports As a Barrier To Women Lifting Weights

Back in the islands, weight training is considered a serious undertaking, by both men and women alike. In climates where you walk around half naked 365 days a year, coupled with festivals requiring little in the way of dress but lots in the way of sculpted abs and tight bodies, weight training is embraced as the defacto method to get that lean and hard body, regardless of gender. Growing up, the piece of advice I would hear given over and over to young women bent on getting their stomachs flat and their behinds tight was to go train with the boys. A visit to a hardcore gym back home will reveal not just men toiling away doing squats and deadlifts, but women as well. And make no mistake that those women- as hard as they train they aren’t masculine by any stretch of the imagination, but rather they sport the sleek and toned bodies that are the elusive Holy Grail for most. As effective as serious weight lifting may be for women interested in doing everything from firming up the back of their arms, to tightening their midsection and shaping up the back of their legs, it doesn’t sell. A fact compounded by the negative impact of modern female bodybuilding where drug use creates a rather daunting image of women with muscles popping out of muscles in an obviously unnatural way. Images like these go a long way in cementing the unfounded idea that if women train like men that they will eventually look like men, but nothing could be further from the truth. One of the first obstacles that must be overcome for women to understand the folly of such an idea is the truth about drug use in physique sports.

Female bodybuilders who don't use drugs don't look masculine at all.

The majority of the world is unaware that there are two vastly incongruent worlds of bodybuilding. One, is where the use of anabolic steroids, growth hormone, insulin, thyroid medication and other drugs are not only used by competitors but encouraged. These are the women (and men) you see prominently displayed in the magazines- and quite frankly, the ones who most members of the general public find highly unattractive. It’s hard not to be affected by the image of a female bodybuilder, (and in some cases figure competitors) who look very much like guys wearing bikinis. My philosophy is and always will be to each his or her own, but the problem with such displays is that there is little done to educate the public- women in particular- that no matter how hard you train and how much you lift, you’ll never look like the women you see onstage at untested shows because it simply isn’t possible without an extensive array of drugs. The other travesty is that natural bodybuilding is virtually unknown to the public at large. Completely overshadowed by the freakish and out of this world physiques of untested competitions is the world of drug tested bodybuilding, where the women look not at all like guys in drag, but very much like the models you see adorning the covers of popular fitness magazines.

It would surprise most women to learn that the tight bodies of their dreams are attained regularly by those who train with weights as hard as the guys do. Female bodybuilding in its infancy, went a along way to inspire a whole generation of women hitting the weights to change their bodies during the 1980’s, but the specter of drug use brought such inspiration to a grinding halt, and the fitness industry, eager to not lose consumers, simply switched the emphasis from promoting weight training to more aerobic type and class oriented activities for women as a result. It makes sense, but it also raises some very important social questions about our society and the underlying trend of a submissive role for women in today’s world, but before delving into the social aspects, let’s look first at the physiology of the matter. Are women in any way different from men in terms of their body structure and is there any basis for a need for different approaches to exercise for them to get optimal results? These are valid questions and fortunately also ones that have been extensively researched over the years.

Men and Women- Hormonal & Structural  Differences

It shouldn’t surprise anyone over the age of four that there are indeed major differences between men and women in terms of their body structure. In terms of metabolism, men are on average bigger and have more muscle mass than women, which accounts for them having an average metabolic rate of about 1.0 kilocalories per hour per kilogram of body weight. Women have slightly slower metabolisms than men, which among other things accounts for it being so much easier for them to gain weight when compared to their male counterparts. The difference isn’t that huge though, with the median metabolic rate for a woman being usually about 0.9 kilocalories per hour per kilogram of body weight. Women also have higher levels of estrogen than men do- a hormone responsible for not only female secondary sex characteristics, but structural functions such as increasing sex specific fat stores.[2] Men have higher levels of testosterone, which among other things  plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues as well as promoting increased muscle and bone mass.[3] Both men and women have some level of circulating estrogen and testosterone, but the concentrations of estrogen are higher in women, while testosterone levels in men are far higher. Testosterone’s anabolic, or muscles building effects can make men more muscular and give them more potential to increase the size and strength of their muscles, while the lower levels and the differences in the way the female body responds to testosterone make it impossible for women to naturally build muscle mass or strength at levels comparable to men without the use of anabolic steroids- which are for the most part synthetic derivatives of testosterone.

Hormones aside, there are also important structural differences between men and women in terms of muscles. Studies of elite male and female bodybuilders show a clear difference in the maximum size of muscle fibers in men when compared to women. Men not only have muscle fibers that are twice as large, but also even among world class strength athletes, contractile muscle takes up less than 30 % of their total body mass in females than in males. Such research is invaluable as it puts to rest the idea that women who weight trained extensively would somehow sprout man sized muscles.  In fact, studies continue to suggest that while females can significantly increase their strength through weight training, they are not able to increase their muscle size and density to the degree that men can. [5,6]

Do Women Respond Differently To Weight Training

While we have demonstrated that women do not and cannot under ordinary circumstances get muscles that are as big or as strong as men, the question thus remains whether there is a difference in the way women would respond to such exercise. Today’s party line states that women have more body fat than men(which is on average quite correct) and thus have to do more fat burning exercises like aerobics to lose weight along with high repetition weight training of low intensity. The problem with this popular ideology is that it has no foundation in the way our bodies work, nor does it take into consideration the mechanical stresses required for the toned and taut bodies that most women seek. Firstly, it has been proven that brief high intensity weight training burns more calories and contributes to a greater reduction in overall body fat than aerobic type exercises. [7,8]

It was first thought that aerobic exercise contributed to weight loss by burning calories during exercise and afterwards as well. However, subsequent studies have conclusively shown that the so called ‘afterburn effect’ is far more pronounced after a high intensity weight training type workout.[9,10,11] (Read my article on High Intensity Workouts and Fat Loss here). Thus. weight training of sufficient intensity not only helps you burn calories (and potential body fat) while training, but also stimulates an increase in overall metabolism during the recovery period after training at a rate significantly higher than aerobic exercise can. Weight training also increases muscle mass- which not only gives you the much coveted look of a chiseled and sculpted body- but also helps you burn more calories as a result of the consequent increase in muscle mass.  (Read my article on Aerobics here.)

Women & Weight Training- Aerobics & Light Weight Lifting Won’t Give You That Tight & Toned Physique

Aerobic type exercises do not stimulate significant increases in muscle mass- with muscle adaptations occurring only at the beginning of a period of relative inactivity and even then, only in a very limited form. In terms of creating a tight and toned body, low intensity weight training is equally worthless as muscle can only be stimulated if there is an overload that it is not accustomed to dealing with. You can do 100 bicep curls with a user friendly looking purple 5 lb weight from now until the cows come home, but it won’t do a thing to make your arms any tighter. You can use female friendly leg abductor/abductor machines with light weights for hours on end- but you won’t get tighter legs. Without an intensity that signals to your body that it has to adapt to an activity by becoming stronger and bigger, basically nothing happens as you have to train with relatively heavy weights (within reason) and at an intensity adequate enough to spur your body to respond (kind of like how the guys train.) Read my article on How Muscles Get Bigger And Stronger for a more in-depth presentation of how our body responds to exercise.

Building muscle, thus, is indeed the Holy Grail and gender-wise, there is absolutely no evidence for women training with different exercises or different ways to build it. In fact, when looked at as relative changes, the percentage increases in cross sectional muscle area between men and women as a response to weight training is very much the same.[12,13] So if you want to really make significant changes in your body, you need to make weight training the central part of your routine- not an afterthought done at the end. In terms of exercises, forget about the light weight with high reps idea as it won’t get you anywhere, and instead focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and even power exercises like clean and jerks. You’ll be surprised not only how much your body will change, but that as your muscles grow and your body fat diminishes you’ll get smaller. That’s right, high intensity weight training makes women smaller- not bigger. Your muscles mass will increase some- just enough to enhance your curves, tighten everything up and create that svelte look, but the loss of body fat will indeed make you go down several sizes. Every woman I know who ever met a natural female bodybuilder or figure competitor was always amazed at just how small they were in person. Without drugs, it just doesn’t happen, but of course, you have to pay attention to your diet as well. It doesn’t happen overnight- but if you stick with it, I guarantee you’ll be more than pleased with the results.

Related Articles:

Does Weight Training Reduce Breast Size In Women

Why Women Choose Aerobics Over Weight Training

Rethinking The Need For Cardio

What Do Female Bodybuilders Look Like Without Drugs

How Muscles Get Bigger & Stronger

References:

1. 2008 IDEA Programs & Equipment Survey Results

2. Nelson LR, Bulun SE. “Estrogen production and action”. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. Sept 2001

3.Mooradian AD, Morley JE, Korenman SG. “Biological actions of androgens”. Endocr. Rev. Feb. 1987

4. Alway SE, Grumbt WH, Gonyea WJ, Stray-Gundersen J.Contrasts in muscle and myofibers of elite male and female bodybuilders.  Department of Cell Biology,

5. Brown CH, and JH Wilmore. The effects of maximal resistance trainng on the strength and body composition of women. Med. Sci. Sports Exercise 1974

6. Wilmore JH. Alterations in strength, body composition and anthropometric measures consequent to a ten week weight training program.Med. Sci. Sports Exercise 1974

7. Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Tremblay, A. et al., Physical Activities Sciences Laboratory, Laval University, Quebec, Canada Metabolism.1994; 43(7): 814-818.

8. High-intensity Interval Training: A Time-efficient Strategy for Health Promotion. Martin J. Gibala, PhD, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada Current Sports Medicine Reports 2007, 6:211-213

9. Bahr R (1992). “Excess postexercise oxygen consumption–magnitude, mechanisms and practical implications”. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. Supplementum 605: 1–70. PMID 1605041.

10. Bahr R, Høstmark AT, Newsholme EA, Grønnerød O, Sejersted OM (September 1991). “Effect of exercise on recovery changes in plasma levels of FFA, glycerol, glucose and catecholamines”. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 143

11. Bielinski R, Schutz Y, Jéquier E (July 1985). “Energy metabolism during the postexercise recovery in man”. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 42

12. Alway SE, Grumbt WH, Gonyea WJ, Stray-Gundersen J. Effects of resistance training on elbow flexors of highly competitive bodybuilders. J. Appl. Physiol

13. Deschenes MR, Kraemer WJ. Performance and physiologic adaptations to resistance training. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2002

Kevin Richardson is an award winning fitness writer, one of the most sought after personal trainers in New York City and the creator of Naturally Intense High Intensity Training^TM. Get a copy of his free weight loss ebook here. If you live in the New York metropolitan area and need help losing weight, building muscle or taking your body to the next level give Kevin and his team a call at 1-800-798-8420 or click here to get started.

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