Cardiorespiratory Benefits or Resistance Training

[BigTex]

Studies show that high-intensity resistance training (70–90% 1RM) in older adults can improve VO2 max by 5–15% over 8–12 weeks, especially when combined with elevated heart rate and sufficient volume. So, resistance training can effectively enhance aerobic capacity in older adults by improving mitochondrial function and cardiovascular efficiency, particularly when heart rate is sustained in the high-intensity zone.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047279721001174

Functional Benefits: Improved aerobic capacity enhances stamina, reduces fatigue in daily activities, and supports cardiovascular health.

As I age, my goals in the gym have gone from all out strength to trying to stay out of a doctor’s office and live as long as possible. I do a protocol of lifting 85% of 1RM, one body part for 10 reps to failure, 5 sets, with 3–4 exercises, with 2-minute rests between sets, while reaching 85–95% of maximum heart rate (MHR). Max Heart Rate is determined by subtracting your age from 220. (220-age -= MHR). The take 85–95% of that figure to give you your training range. I use a FitBit smart watch to monitor my heart range while training. So I am able to see what my beats per minute are as soon as I finish each set to make sure I am using an intensity that keeps me in the target HR of 85-90% of MHR. This type of training mimics high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which is effective for improving VO2 max. Science has shown this type of exercise to be more effective than aerobics. High-intensity resistance training enhances oxygen utilization, mitochondrial density, and cardiovascular efficiency, all of which contribute to VO2 max improvements, even in older adults.

I have been training like this for a long time so I have adapted and able to recover from the workouts.

• Intensity (85% 1RM, 10 Reps to Failure): Lifting at 85% 1RM for 10 reps to failure is very demanding, as most individuals can only perform 6–8 reps at this intensity before failure.
• Sets and Exercises: I do 5 sets per muscle group, using 3–4 exercises. This is a high but manageable volume for me individually, totaling 15–20 sets per session. This provides sufficient stimulus for aerobic and strength/hypertrophy adaptations.
• Rest Intervals: I use 2-minute rests between sets allowing for partial recovery, maintaining heart rate in the target zone (85–95% MHR) and supporting cardiovascular stress.


Expected Outcomes

• VO2 Max Improvement: With 2–3 sessions per week for 8–12 weeks, even older adults can expect a 5–10% increase in VO2 max, depending on baseline fitness

You can estimate your Vo2max by using this calculator. Enter your age, your resting heart rate beats in 20 seconds.
https://www.omnicalculator.com/sports/vo2-max

• Functional Benefits: Improved aerobic capacity enhances endurance, reduces fatigue in daily tasks, and supports heart health.

• Heart Rate Zone: Sustaining 85–95% MHR during sets is key to VO2 max gains. A heart rate monitor can confirm this, as individual MHR varies. Perceived exertion (near-maximal effort) can also guide intensity.

What is VO2max?

VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, is the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise and is generally considered the best indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. So, as we age, not only is maintaining muscle mass important but so is cardiorespiratory fitness.

Why is VO2mas Important?

VO2 max is now widely used as an indicator of health. In 2016, the American Heart Association published a scientific statement recommending that cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), quantifiable as VO2 max, be regularly assessed and utilized as a clinical vital sign. This statement was based on mounting evidence that lower fitness levels are associated with high risk of cardiovascular disease, all-cause mortality, and mortality rates stemming from various types of cancers.

Typical protocol

Frequency – 2-5 times per week depending on what kind of shape you are in
Intensity - 70–90% 1RM with a 85–95% MHR
Time – 3-5+ sets of 6-12 reps with 1-3 minute rest between sets (full body/push pull, body parts etc)
Type – concentrating on compound exercise as much as possible.
Recovery - Older adults need 48–72 hours between intense sessions. Prioritize sleep, nutrition (1.2–2.0+ g/kg protein daily), and hydration. The better shape you are in the quicker you will recover. Yes, anabolic steroids will help recovery.

 

[liftsiron]

Very good post. Thank you.

 

[BigTex]

Thanks! Most of us probably already train like this. In the past science has thought weight training was worthless and the only way to sty healthy was to do endless hours of cardio. Now it seems that weight training is better, especially as we age.

 

[liftsiron]

Thanks! Most of us probably already train like this. In the past science has thought weight training was worthless and the only way to sty healthy was to do endless hours of cardio. Now it seems that weight training is better, especially as we age.

I couldn’t agree more. Dr. Ken Cooper known as the father of aerobic exercise. Stated quite awhile ago he said he learned that while aerobic exercise is very beneficial weight training is better especially as we age. He went on to recommend a combination of both.

 

[BigTex]

I couldn’t agree more. Dr. Ken Cooper known as the father of aerobic exercise. Stated quite awhile ago he said he learned that while aerobic exercise is very beneficial weight training is better especially as we age. He went on to recommend a combination of both.

There is a name most don't know. I went on a tour of the Cooper Clinic in Dallas Texas during the 80's. It was the meca of aerobic exercise. My professor during my undergraduate work, use to preach the only way to be fit was to do aerobics. We did a lot of physical fitness testing as part of the class and I always came out much higher on every test than the rest of my class. I was competing in the sport of powerlifting and did no aerobics. My professor was shocked at my results on a graded VO2max test. I also has a 31" vertical jump. Cooper was not so big on weight training back in the 80's but I think as time went by he softened his beliefs quite a bit. Even now, my VO2max is in the excellent category for my age and I do not do any aerobic exercise.

 

[myosaurus]

few questions big tex...

1. you meant 5 sets per exercise not bodypart right? 5 sets x 4 exercises + 20 sets total
2. how would you warm up to your target sets? say you're aiming for 85% of 1RM..
my guess would be like 40-50% x 10 reps then rest 90 sec, 65% x 6, 75% x 3 then jump up top 85% for 5 sets of whatever you can(6-10)
or would you keep reps all at 10 and progress from 50% x 10, 65% x 10, 75% x 10, then 85% x 6-10?
or would you count warm up sets as part of total 5 sets? say, starting from 70% and up...
3. does Arnold split(chest/back, delts/arms, legs) sound ok for this? pairing antagonistic movements with similar planes as possible(flat bench/bb row and incline press/high row) or(hack squat/leg curl) . will probably able to handle EOD session for this. of course I'll choose more complex movements like clean/press instead of machine OHP for more heart rate impact.

Your article intrigued me because my A1C was up for the first time in my life and I've been slacking off using "optimum" trendy movements with long rests between sets and minimal warm up reps and I don't remember last time i poured sweat or huff and puffed during session and I'm smaller and weaker now. I thought it was just the age but I think insulin resistance is hampering my gains and I need to get back to doing hard Shis again..

I know it's a lot to answer, and i appreciate your time making this article. I'm a trainer so you can use all the fancy medical terms you'd like if that saves you time.

 

[BigTex]

few questions big tex...

1. you meant 5 sets per exercise not bodypart right? 5 sets x 4 exercises + 20 sets total
2. how would you warm up to your target sets? say you're aiming for 85% of 1RM..
my guess would be like 40-50% x 10 reps then rest 90 sec, 65% x 6, 75% x 3 then jump up top 85% for 5 sets of whatever you can(6-10)
or would you keep reps all at 10 and progress from 50% x 10, 65% x 10, 75% x 10, then 85% x 6-10?
or would you count warm up sets as part of total 5 sets? say, starting from 70% and up...
3. does Arnold split(chest/back, delts/arms, legs) sound ok for this? pairing antagonistic movements with similar planes as possible(flat bench/bb row and incline press/high row) or(hack squat/leg curl) . will probably able to handle EOD session for this. of course I'll choose more complex movements like clean/press instead of machine OHP for more heart rate impact.

Your article intrigued me because my A1C was up for the first time in my life and I've been slacking off using "optimum" trendy movements with long rests between sets and minimal warm up reps and I don't remember last time i poured sweat or huff and puffed during session and I'm smaller and weaker now. I thought it was just the age but I think insulin resistance is hampering my gains and I need to get back to doing hard Shis again..

I know it's a lot to answer, and i appreciate your time making this article. I'm a trainer so you can use all the fancy medical terms you'd like if that saves you time.

That is just an example I used with my own training.

1. Yes, I do 5 sets per body part with 3-4 different exercises.
2. I usually do what I consider as 3 warm up sets but I will go to 20 reps, 15 reps and 12 reps to get the hear rate up with the lighter work and the 4th and 5th set is always 10 reps to about failure. You can do this any way you like. The idea is to have periods of high intensity, immediately followed by a period of low intensity. You have to do enough work to hit the target HR of 85-90% of MHR (220-age).
3. You can do the splits any way you like. Again, the importance is hitting the target HR of 85-90% of MHR and then a period of low intensity where you rest. The rest periods can vary as well depending on your goals from .45 sec to 3 minutes.

myosaurus, the great thing about weight training is it used type II muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are very glucose dependent. So using all the blood glucose helps prevent type II diabetes. I am the oldest grandson on both sides of my family. Most all of my cousins have type II diabetes and I am the only one who doesn't.. My blood glucose reading are usually in the 80's even after eating. I believe this is a result of my weight training. None of my relative ever walk in a gym.

Here is an example of my leg day yesterday
Leg Press -
1 - 4 plates x 20 reps (1 minute rest)
2 - 6 plates x 15 reps (1 min rest)
3 - 8 plates x 12 reps (1 min rest)
4 - 10 plates x 10 reps (2 min rest)
5 - 14 plates x 10 reps
Knee extension
5 sets of 10 reps (1 minute rest) each set progressively heavier with failure on the last two
Leg curl
5 sets of 10 reps (1 minute rest) each set progressively heavier with failure on the last two
Calves
5 sets of 10 reps (1 minute rest) each set progressively heavier with failure on the last two

So this come out to 20 sets for the lower body.

Takes about 50 minutes to complete and my heart rate 85-90% of MHR while I lift. I use my FitBit watch to track my HR while I train. Another hint is if after you lift you are breathing hard enough that you are short of breath can only speak in short sentences, you are training with enough intensity. Most likely you HR is 85-90% of MHR. If you are in good shape you can easily get that 85-90% HR down below 100bpm in 1 minute. On my heaviest set I usually rest 2 minutes because I want to go all out as heavy as I can for 6-10 reps.

I would get that base estimate of your VO2max using 20 secs of your resting HR and after 2-3 months check it again and see if it has improved. I usually have 3 college level kinesiology classes and we do pre- and post-testing. ALL of them have huge improvement in Vo2Max after 6 week, 8 week and 16 seek semesters.

 

[myosaurus]

That is just an example I used with my own training.

1. Yes, I do 5 sets per body part with 3-4 different exercises.
2. I usually do what I consider as 3 warm up sets but I will go to 20 reps, 15 reps and 12 reps to get the hear rate up with the lighter work and the 4th and 5th set is always 10 reps to about failure. You can do this any way you like. The idea is to have periods of high intensity, immediately followed by a period of low intensity. You have to do enough work to hit the target HR of 85-90% of MHR (220-age).
3. You can do the splits any way you like. Again, the importance is hitting the target HR of 85-90% of MHR and then a period of low intensity where you rest. The rest periods can vary as well depending on your goals from .45 sec to 3 minutes.

myosaurus, the great thing about weight training is it used type II muscle fibers. These muscle fibers are very glucose dependent. So using all the blood glucose helps prevent type II diabetes. I am the oldest grandson on both sides of my family. Most all of my cousins have type II diabetes and I am the only one who doesn't.. My blood glucose reading are usually in the 80's even after eating. I believe this is a result of my weight training. None of my relative ever walk in a gym.

Here is an example of my leg day yesterday
Leg Press -
1 - 4 plates x 20 reps (1 minute rest)
2 - 6 plates x 15 reps (1 min rest)
3 - 8 plates x 12 reps (1 min rest)
4 - 10 plates x 10 reps (2 min rest)
5 - 14 plates x 10 reps
Knee extension
5 sets of 10 reps (1 minute rest) each set progressively heavier with failure on the last two
Leg curl
5 sets of 10 reps (1 minute rest) each set progressively heavier with failure on the last two
Calves
5 sets of 10 reps (1 minute rest) each set progressively heavier with failure on the last two

So this come out to 20 sets for the lower body.

Takes about 50 minutes to complete and my heart rate 85-90% of MHR while I lift. I use my FitBit watch to track my HR while I train. Another hint is if after you lift you are breathing hard enough that you are short of breath can only speak in short sentences, you are training with enough intensity. Most likely you HR is 85-90% of MHR. If you are in good shape you can easily get that 85-90% HR down below 100bpm in 1 minute. On my heaviest set I usually rest 2 minutes because I want to go all out as heavy as I can for 6-10 reps.

I would get that base estimate of your VO2max using 20 secs of your resting HR and after 2-3 months check it again and see if it has improved. I usually have 3 college level kinesiology classes and we do pre- and post-testing. ALL of them have huge improvement in Vo2Max after 6 week, 8 week and 16 seek semesters.

This is the answer I was looking for!. I guess I won't need to pair 2 antagonizing movements doing it your way, as availability of equipments can be difficult when gym's busy.
I'll just keep my current split and get out of the gym within 50 min.
thank you big Tex!

 

[myosaurus]

We need more posts like these, not just chemicals.

 

[BigTex]

We need more posts like these, not just chemicals.

Thanks! I will try to put some of them up I have

Here is something I just posted to a guy on another board who ask about why VO2max is important
Here is why increasing VO2max is so important: It has been shown in research that lifting weight make it absolutely possible to increase VO2max. I also tested this in a few college classes doing only weight training. We did pre and post fitness testing and here are the results in a 16 week semester.

The total class VO2max was a 9 point increase, pushups and sit ups went up with out doing one all semester. Body weight went down 4 lbs over all and BF% also went down 3.2%. Getting college kids to bust their ass is impossible so this change occurred with for the most part, minimal effort.

So what else does this type of high intensity weight training do?

Improvements with the VO2max also means cardiorespiratory benefits:

* Heart function improves: Stroke volume increases, meaning the heart pumps more blood per beat.
* Lung efficiency increases: Better oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide removal.
* Increased capillary density: More oxygen can be delivered to working muscles.
* Improved blood flow: Due to better vascular function and lower resting heart rate. This is why a lower resting HR us indicative or a better VO2max estimate.

Metabolic Improvements also take place:

* Enhanced mitochondrial density and function: More ATP (energy) is produced aerobically.
* Improved fat oxidation: You burn more fat at submaximal intensities.
* Better glucose regulation: Improved insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake by muscles.
* Lactate threshold increases: You can exercise at higher intensities before fatigue sets in.

 

[myosaurus]

So, i started this short rest/high volume training this week, and I have to admit it was beyond humbling... Not only did I have to use laughably light weight, but maintaining tight form was extremely difficult. It looked like Branch Warren training minus hundreds of pounds lol...
Few things I noticed....
1. extreme soreness(especially arms)
2. extreme pump that stays for prolonged time, up to days afterwards
3. great sleep
4. looking leaner at same calories.

Now, it was hard to keep my HR elevated on later/smaller exercises compared to first/compound exercises on smaller muscle group(chest/tris on Monday). on wed(back) was no issue as it was a large muscle group and is considerably more demanding.

current split:
day 1 chest tris
day 2 off
day 3 back
day 4 off
day5 delts arms
day 6 legs
day 7 off

my expectations;
despite struggle now, i can see mysalf getting stronger in current sets/reps/rest overtime. Perhaps I'm struggling more than usual as this is my first time training this way(novel stimulus) and didn't train for almost 2.5 weeks due to flu(maybe had 2 sessions which made my flu worse)
I can also see this as an excellent post cycle phase to regain health and build work capacity for following cycle when max size/strength is the goal, kinda like a GPP pre cycle...

few downsides I see with this training method:
1. hard to practice perfect form. If you're someone who/s had injury and find it hard to set up and/or engage target muscle, especially in complex exercises like BB squat, perhaps leg press or hacks might be better option
2. excess inflammation and fatigue. now I'm only going by what I've heard, perhaps it might do opposite for me by improving overall health.
3. may not be ideal for holding size while on calorie deficit. again, I'm speculating.

I was supposed to start my cut cycle 3 weeks ago but I got sick sick. I was on TRT 100mg for 11 weeks prior. maybe I'll stick to this on TRT for another 6 weeks and go on cut cycle training more traditional 6-8 rep range.

If big Tex can give few insights on my experience above, perhaps it can make it more clear for me and others in this board... again, thank you, respect!

 

[BigTex]

Yea, the smaller muscle use less energy and don't push the HR as much. I usually go higher reps on these and shorter rest periods. There is research showing that for hypertrophy purposes, the leg press works very well. I am stuck with it as I have L4 and L5 issues. Hack Squats would be another good exercise. I usually try to do as many different exercise for the same muscle group as I can. I think the shorter rest periods lie 45 sec to 1 minute are much better for stressing the metabolic system. Going 2-3 minutes on the rest will enable you to max out on the weigh better being good for hypertrophy. Calorie deficit will make a difference in the weight you can push but you can shorten the rest period easily. This type of training is very similar to sprint training for the heart. 15 second sprint, 1-2 minute walk. This is technically called high intensity interval training.

 

[myosaurus]

I'm at 2nd week in. noticing less HR and less soreness at same work load.
my body feels more hydrated and and I'm up 2lbs. resting HR is lower too.
prior to this, I used to maintain or lose weight even at calorie surplus, felt dehydrated too all the time.
my goal now is to do this for 2 more weeks and then go on a cut with more conventional training(and cycle) with longer rest periods as poundages I'm using is embarassinjg. still gona keep 1-2 HIIT cardio sessions for health benefits.

 

[BigTex]

I'm at 2nd week in. noticing less HR and less soreness at same work load.
my body feels more hydrated and and I'm up 2lbs. resting HR is lower too.
prior to this, I used to maintain or lose weight even at calorie surplus, felt dehydrated too all the time.
my goal now is to do this for 2 more weeks and then go on a cut with more conventional training(and cycle) with longer rest periods as poundages I'm using is embarassinjg. still gona keep 1-2 HIIT cardio sessions for health benefits.

The normal reaction to stress is adaptation. Thus, as you VO2max increases, your resting HR also decreases. The lack of soreness just means you have adapted the muscles to the training. You can still do the same type training using longer rest periods, might even drop the reps to 6-9 to try to break some barriers. HIIT cardio is always good. One thing I learned in all of my years powerlifting, I never paid any attention to what others did and instead just went in and did slightly more than I had already done. It was always me against the weight, not the competition.