Is cardio better than weights? If cardio, then which is best? Bicycling? Rowing? Running? Aerobics classes? Should you focus on long, slow distance? Or sprints? Or intervals?
If weights, then should you lift slow or fast? Heavy or light? Every other day, or once a week? One set or multiple sets?
Clarence Bass' most recent book (Take Charge: Fitness at the Edge of Science, 2013) cuts through the myths and focuses on published scientific studies. To cut through the dryness, he also includes plenty of examples from his own experience and anecdotes, but that is just for flavor. The essence of his book is the scientific studies.
Clarence Bass is an old-time bodybuilder and weight lifter. He started lifting in 5th grade and never stopped. He was a champion Olympic-style weight lifter and a successful lawyer before his interest changed to bodybuilding, eventually winning the Past-40 Mr America competition. Today he is in his 80s, still works out regularly, and looks great.
What startled me the most was the quality of Bass' writing. I have read several books by Jack LaLanne (whom I greatly admire), but they are full of hype, exaggeration, and inspirational cheer-leading. Entertaining, but not something I'd want to read again. Bass, on the other hand, packs so much information onto each page, that it will take several readings to assimilate it all. (It is a bit like reading Jeff Novick's nutrition threads.)
In Take Charge Bass discusses dozens of scientific studies which focus on three key areas: strength training, aerobic conditioning, and diet. In each case he shows there are multiple paths which lead to increased fitness and health.
from the introduction wrote:Weight training grabbed my attention when I was about 12--and never let go. I started learning then and added to my knowledge with the passing years. I began with strength training basics and later added new dimensions of fitness one by one: nutrition, aerobic exercise, weight control, motivation, exercise physiology, and health.
This book is about new things I've learned in the last several years--and how they can help readers take charge and improve their lives. The wonders of modern science keep uncovering new ways we an help ourselves live longer, stronger, and healthier.
The paths to success in fitness and health have never been more open and diverse. We can take charge in ways that suit us, ways that we enjoy and do best.
The most important message of Take Charge is one that Jeff Novick and Dr McDougall have stated many times: keep moving. Get some aerobic exercise and strength training. Do some balance and flexibility training. Meditate. Enjoy life!
Strength Training
According to Bass, the most important element of a strength training program is to stick with it. Protect yourself from injury... mix things up so you don't get bored... rest enough so you don't get burned out... and keep at it, year after year.
Beyond that, you have many, many choices, most of which are a matter of personal preference. Should you lift slow or fast? Heavy or light? Every other day, or once a week? One set or multiple sets? Answer: whatever you want! Different lifting styles reflect different psychological profiles. Choose a style and try it! If you like it, stay with it. If you don't, try something else. There is no reason to be miserable; this should be fun!
Regardless of which style you choose, however, you should focus on effort! The last rep of each set should be hard. You need to challenge yourself or you will not make progress. This doesn't mean going until failure, but it does mean getting close. This is a mind-body exercise. You must be thinking about your form the entire time and not let your mind wander. Focus on your muscles, pay attention to your form, and if you can't maintain the correct form any longer, stop. To continue is to risk injury and undo a lot of progress. Some people call this "volitional failure".
Also, keep in mind that you can train only as hard as you can rest. Progress is made when the body recovers (and rebuilds) after a strength training workout. You must give your body a chance to recover. How much is that? It depends on the number of sets, reps, and sessions per week... in short, how hard you have exercised. This is a mind-body exercise. Pay attention to your body and learn from it.
Bass' personal lifting style reflects his personality: high-intensity training (HIT)... with a lot of rest in between sessions. He has made progress with one session per week, but at the time the book was written he was experimenting with (2) weight sessions and (1) aerobic session per week.
Aerobic Conditioning
Here again, there are many choices open to you. Bass' personal psychology favors supports high-intensity interval training (HIIT). He likes it because his workouts are very short and very intense. And then he can get on with living!
He favors the Tabata protocol: 20 seconds of hard work, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated 8 times. (I've spoken with people who have tried this: it is brutal. And if you are not in good shape to begin with, the risk of injury is high.) But he also discusses other sub-maximal protocols that are almost as beneficial and don't require the same degree of pain.
But, of course, he also points out that any type of aerobic exercise is beneficial: bicycling, rowing, running, even walking. In fact, on the days when he is not training, he does plenty of walking. The important thing is to keep moving!
Diet
As with strength training and aerobic conditioning, Bass discusses several dietary options for taking charge and improving your life. These include the DASH Diet, the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change Diet (a low-fat version of the DASH Diet), the Mayo Clinic Diet, and the Mediterranean Diet. He also discusses dieting dynamics.
Conclusion
Bass is knowledgeable and perceptive and draws heavily on cutting-edge science. His writing style is engaging; his anecdotes: entertaining. If the subject matter interests you, I recommend reading this book.
My personal opinion is that while you can't go far wrong by following his exercise advice, you should stick with the advice of Jeff Novick and Dr McDougall when it comes to diet and nutrition.
I was going to discuss some of the scientific findings that I found interesting... but it's Time for a Little Something (as Pooh would say ). So, maybe later in the week. We'll see.
Cheers,