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There are days that, despite our best intentions, don’t turn out the way we planned.

We might feel frustrated. Disappointed. Even angry.

Or we can accept it as an inevitable part of life.

And know that our acceptance of it is a sign of progress.

– J

Casual walking, especially on flat ground, isn’t challenging enough to get the Zone 2 heart and health benefits. It isn’t enough to get and keep the heart rate at 60-70% of its max. For most people.

To get around it, you could find a place with more hills. But that’s not always convenient. Especially if you live in the Netherlands. Or in any of the other flat countries I can’t think of right now.

The easiest workaround is to put on a light backpack.

Sure, you could also just pick up the pace.

Personally, I rather wear a backpack so I don’t have to obsess over the pace.

– J

Jobs that require a high level of physical potential, require stricter training methods. Because that’s what allows you to be at your absolute best when the phone rings.

The same goes for most sports. Even darts. And yes, curling.

But if you’re training for health, longevity, and the summer when the clothes come off? You have way more wriggle room to choose what you do in your training.

-J

It’s easy to get caught up in chasing the numbers. Adding more weight or squeezing in a few more reps.

It’s only once you get injured that you realise how you’ve pushed a bit too hard. Went a bit too far. Took your training more seriously than it deserves.

So you rest and recover. Begin to feel better. You start again. You get caught up in it. Add more weight and squeeze a few more reps. And get injured again.

Some people live their whole lives in this cycle. A chase for the number, for the sake of the number.

But there’s a point of enough. A point of diminishing returns. The numbers only matter as long they correlate with your health and performance outside of the gym.

Otherwise, the numbers have zero value.

-J

The numbers in your training program are not set in concrete. They act as a guide.

Your training program is ever-evolving. The exercises might stay the same. But the volume and the intensity shift based on how you’re feeling.

The goal of each workout is to nourish, not punish, your body. What feels nourishing on one day might be punishing on the next. Adjust accordingly.

It’s a skill that gets better with practice. If only because you’ll grow confident in knowing that the long-term progress doesn’t hinge on any single workout.

-J

Wine aficionados might toot their antioxidant horns, but regardless of the instrument you blow, alcohol is a toxin. And the science is very clear on that.

Strictly physiologically speaking, the healthiest amount of alcohol is no alcohol. Despite the popular “a glass of wine a day” recommendations you’ve seen.

But I wonder about the psychological and social benefits that often come with low or even moderate drinking habits. If a few drinks a week help you connect with others or even unlock some of your creativity, do those positive benefits outweigh the negative ones?

We know that psychological and physiological wellbeing are deeply connected. So is it possible that in some cases the positive mental benefits literally counteract the physical downsides?

I have no idea. I’d think it’s individual. Depending on genetics and personality and other factors. But I might also be completely off the mark.

For now, I’ll stick with my James Squire Zero.

-J

Sub-max effort (90%) HIIT followed by a recovery until the heart reaches 60%.

Develops eccentric heart. Builds muscle on the outside of the left ventricle. It teaches the heart how to beat faster. But also forces the heart to recover faster by letting the blood pool in the left ventricle.

When done correctly, the average heart rate throughout the session sits somewhere around 75%. Making the heart benefits similar to Zone 2 training.

Sub-max effort (90%) HIIT with recovery to 70-80%

Develops a concentric heart, similar to this. The recovery is not sufficient to bring the heart rate down to reap the eccentric benefits.

But also, as the rest is insufficient, can you really reach 90%? Or are you just getting tired for the sake of getting tired? With zero benefits.

Here’s where it’s at

For health, you want a strong eccentric heart with slow and long beats. Combined with concentric capabilities that allow the heart to beat fast when it needs to.

-J

Max effort (100%) followed by a recovery until the heart reaches its resting rate.

Develops concentric heart. Teaches the heart how to beat faster. Builds muscle on the inside of the left ventricle.

Crucial for any activity that requires a brief max effort. But also important for a day-to-day living so the heart knows how to deal with super high heart rates.

If this is all you ever do, over time the left ventricle can get too small. Which then elevates the risk of a cardiac event.

But for this to happen you’d have to ignore every other type of cardiovascular conditioning.

-J

Just starting out? Go slow and go long
Bike, walk, jog, row, swim, cut the grass… You can do this with anything that allows continuous, cyclical movement. Walking on the flat ground might not be enough, depending on your conditioning. If that’s the case, add a light backpack. Or a baby. If you can find one.

Go for at least 20 minutes while keeping your heart rate at around 65-75% of its max (220- your age). Or at around 5.5 of perceived rate of exertion (RPE)

Already have a decent aerobic base? Try 30s/30s or 15s/15s
Short effort, followed by a short rest. You can pick any activity. Including weights as long you go light. I like kettlebell cleans and swings here. Again, go for at least 20 minutes, but up to 40. Keep the heart rate around 65-75%. The goal is to make the last set exactly the same level of effort as the first set. While looking exactly as pretty.

More advanced and with zero underlying health conditions? Poke 90%, return to 60%
What most people would consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Get your heart rate to 90%, then rest until you get to 60%. Go again.

Steer clear of heavy weights as they spike your heart rate. And the spike is often related to the resistance from the weights, not from the heart working harder. Do up to 10 reps.

Even though the heart rate goes higher than 75% with each interval, you’ll get the heart benefits based on the average heart rate over the session. And that average sits somewhere between 65-75%

No heart rate monitor? Aim for 9 on RPE. Go again once you can talk comfortably.

Save the HIIT interval for the days you’re feeling fresh. And no more than twice a week.

-J

Having robust aerobic fitness allows you to put in more work and reduces your risk of injury. And it’s by far the best non-medical indicator we have of a strong, healthy heart.

Yet, aerobic fitness is often just an afterthought. Unless you’re an endurance fanatic, aerobic fitness is one of those things people trust takes care of itself. As long as we keep active.

I know I was as guilty of this as anyone. But instead of hoping, it’s worthwhile to look at the actual numbers.

Measure your resting heart rate, fresh out of bed, for a month. If you average over 60-63 beats per minute, it’s a sign that your aerobic fitness needs improving.

-J