Aerobic Training Kills

[SkinnyGuy]

Hi,

Recently, I came across a number of articles criticising long distance running. An example is the email below. (I have run 10 marathons and will be attempting another one this year.)

What do you think about this article? Are the points valid?

Thank you.

Raymond

Aerobic Training Kills

Hi,
Jason, a member of the Matt Furey Inner Circle recently attended
a seminar put on by someone he referred to as a "reputable
American motivator."

At said seminar, Jason learned some interesting "facts" about exercise.
These "facts" were as follows:

Anaerobic training causes:
fatigue,
recurring injuries,
low blood sugar,
fat metabolism problems,
depression & anxiety,
circulation problems,
and creates excess acid.

Aerobic training (or cardio) however,
supposedly has the following benefits:
increased oxygen supply
good for heart
improved digestion
better sleep
improvements emotionally and mentally.

At this seminar the point of view puts across is that aerobic
exercise builds health, anaerobic builds muscle.

In a nutshell, the advice Jason received at this seminar was
practically worthless. Here's why:

1. If you think you only increase oxygen supply through
distance "aerobics" - then you ain't never felt the air
pumping in and out of your lungs after a hill sprint or a
good set of Hindu pushups or squats - not to mention
burpees, Hindu jumper squats and so on.

2. Although commonly believed, cardio exercise done
for long periods of time does NOT improve the heart.
I'm not saying you should never do it. It can reduce
stress - and it can be challenging and fun. But make
no mistake about it, people keel over and die while
running marathons. What does that tell you? It is far
more stress than the heart needs and the heart doesn't
really like it. I prefer to look at the organs the way the
Chinese Taoists do - and in their book, distance running
would literally overheat and "COOK" the internal organs.

Moreover, distance runners or those who do tons of
aerobics, age much faster than those who do strength
training exercises like Combat Conditioning. Show me
a marathon runner and I'll show you someone who
is aging far too fast. Their free radical damage levels
are always on RED ALERT - and funny thing is, these
athletes think that because they're "in shape" - that
those free radicals don't hurt them. Think again, budding
boy.

3. Regarding injuries - have you ever heard of hip
replacement surgery. Very common amongst distance
runners. Not to mention bad backs, knees, ankles - as
well as faces that resemble an over-dried prune.

4. As for better sleep and digestion - that's a crock, too.
You can do some deep breathing exercises in a chair and
improve digestion and sleep far more than pounding the
pavement.

5. Regarding depression - All you have to do to end depression is
hold a bridge for a minute or so. You'll be so euphoric
afterward you'll feel like no problems exist. This one exercise
can save you 59 minutes of pavement pounding, which is
about what you need to get your "runner's high."

6. Last of all, how stupid to say that aerobics are for health and
anaerobics are for muscle. Sprints improve the heart big time, and
fast. And I know of no faster exercise for dropping the resting pulse
than Hindu squats. With the health benefits, er, not - of aerobics, I'll
take the muscle you get from the so-called "anaerobics."

This afternoon I ran for time with the Lifeline Sprint Trainer -
available at xxx connected to my wrists
and ankles. Each jaunt lasted about 20-30 seconds. Did five of them.
Whooped my butt and my heart into better shape. Mixed them in with some
pushups, chin-ups and rope climbing. I was panting like a dog in heat. Sounds
to me like I was getting MORE oxygen than the long-distance runner. Not
only that, but afterward, I slept like a log.

And just think, now I'll probably be depressed because I didn't
waste an hour in the sun pounding the pavement. Shucks.

IMPORTANT: Forget all that non-sense about long-distance aerobics. Enroll in the
Matt Furey Inner Circle -
receive 7 gifts automatically - and be entitled to a year's worth of access to
our private online discussion board, wherein you can interact and improve
by asking questions and getting immediate answers. I'm only take a few dozen
more on this special - so get in NOW - while the getting be good.

Kick ass - take names,

Matt Furey

P.S. One last thing: I realize that some people don't want to enroll for a full year. They'd
rather 'test-drive' the program for a month to see if they like it. Tis fine with me - for
another day or two. So I'm also having a special 'test-drive' enrollment - and you can
read all about the benefits by going to xxx

Copyright, Gold Medal Publications, Inc 2006

**The contents of this daily email are not to be
considered as medical advice.
Always consult a physician before beginning or
changing any fitness
program.**

This email is protected by copyright, 2006, Gold Medal
Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of
any
portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the
express written consent of Gold Medal Publications,
Inc.

Matt Furey
Gold Medal Publications, Inc.
10339 Birdwatch Drive
Tampa, FL 33647 USA
813 994 8267 Phone
813 994 4947 FAX
matt@...

[g_samsa]

This guy is an idiot. He clearly does not understand the principles of long distance race training. Everyone knows that long distance does not increase lung capacity. Lung capacity is increased through Sprints and threshold training. The long runs are only used to increase stamina. VO2MAX is increased through sprints and fartleck and hills. The very fact that he is using this as a pillar of his argument means he has zero experience running. He's a certifiable dumb-ass. I'll not mince words about it either.

Also, I do marathons also and I look almost 10 years younger than I actually am. My blood presure is 110/65 and my heart rate is 41bpm. I am 6 feet tall 160, I can bench 190 8 times (clean), I can do 15 pullups and 300 crunches. I can also run a 49 second 400 meter.

He reminds me of one of these martial arts instructors who owns a gym and is trying to get everyone pumped up and motivated to sign up for their program and totally ignoring, or not caring about, facts. He's just a motivational speaker who needs students. He's selling snake oil. His arguments don't make any sense.

There is nothing wrong with weight training, as a matter of fact it's a great exersize and it's very good for you. But he's an idiot for saying his meathod is the only way to be healthy. He's just a salesman. I've seen hundreds of them in the martial arts business. They permeate the business and run MacDojo's because they don't care about quality they only care about processing people and scamming them. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[g_samsa]

oh, and to answer your question about his arguments being legit. No, they aren't. I sleep well, I'm not depressed, my digestion is probably better than his (and that's more a product of diet anyway). I'm probably several times healthier than he is. So, no, his arguments aren't even scientific let alone believeable. It's an opinion of an uninformed person who is selling a product. Never trust someone who has something to sell you.

Put me in a decathalon with this guy and I'll make him eat his words. He might beat me at the shot and hammer, but that's it.

And, he is right when he insinuates that the marathon is a useless event. You can achieve the same level of fitness with much less distance. However, he is missing the point of the event. Like anything, it is very specific. People don't train for the marathon for fitness, they train to do well in the marathon. For fitness, you can get by just fine with 20-25 miles per week. But his argument is against long endurance events, which is stupid. People aren't doing them for fitness so his argument makes no sense. Any fitness buff will tell you that for overall fitness you should do moderate and various exersizes. Fitness and competition are two totally different things but they are not mutually exclusive.

[stephenlavin]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Has someone matchsticks for my eyes. For what its worth g_samsa is on the money. The guy sounds like a cheap salesman. He'll be tellin you next cuttin your toe nails is a great form of exercise

[SkinnyGuy]

Thank you for all the responses. They have been most helpful. I'll continue my long distance running

[ScrapIron]

Originally Posted by stephenlavin

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz
Has someone matchsticks for my eyes. For what its worth g_samsa is on the money. The guy sounds like a cheap salesman. He'll be tellin you next cuttin your toe nails is a great form of exercise

*******************

Of course he's a salesman, but speaking for me, I swear by the workouts. Hill sprints are far less stressful on the knees and hip flexors, and doing the "royal court" (100 hindu squats, 50 hindu pushups and a 1 minute neck bridge, all in succession with little rest as possible) a few days straight you will feel strong as hell. Just one man's opinion, whatever works for you, it's all good

[SkinnyGuy]

Originally Posted by ScrapIron

*******************

Of course he's a salesman, but speaking for me, I swear by the workouts. Hill sprints are far less stressful on the knees and hip flexors, and doing the "royal court" (100 hindu squats, 50 hindu pushups and a 1 minute neck bridge, all in succession with little rest as possible) a few days straight you will feel strong as hell. Just one man's opinion, whatever works for you, it's all good

I don't deny that his workouts are great. I agree with a lot of things he says. I am a great believer in calisthenics and bodyweight exercises myself. Long before I picked up my first dumbbell, I had been doing pushups everyday. And to this day, I do pushups and bodyweight squats regularly.

But I don't agree with everything he says, especially about weight training and long distance running. His suggestion of interval high intensity and hill training is sound. I do interval and tempo runs too. But I still run long distance. And I still run marathons.

It is not an "either or" issue for me. I do a bit of everything - bodyweight exercises, weight training, tempo runs, intervals, long distance running etc. Variety makes exercising much more interesting.

The problem is when someone comes along and says that ONLY this or that kind of exercise is useful, and all the rest are useless. More often than not, that person hasn't understood what "the rest" is all about, and is therefore quick to criticise.