The data are clear: for brain & body health we should all get ~150-180min of zone 2 (mellow-ish) cardio, & 5-10 sets of resistance exercise per muscle group, per week. Intensity level of sets adjusts that +/- 4 sets. Sleep, nutrition & hormone status impact recovery. #basics
Details of how to build each of the 4 types of endurance are here (time stamped), with references, etc.
After 30+ years of resistance training to failure (training each body part directly 1X per week; 3-8 work sets per muscle), I took Pavel Tsatsouline’s advice & now stop 1 rep shy of (strict form) failure most sets. 3-7rep range = PRs galore, lean mass up 3lbs, BF down 2%. Age 49.
I mention this in case your progress has stalled and you want to try something new. All the above said, my focus on each repetition is 100% (making the target muscles do the work). This is key IMO.
I’ll occasionally take a set to failure or do a quick drop set but it’s rare. Pavel is onto something.
1st 90 min of day: hydrate, sunlight (or other bright light if no sun), 1-3min cold*, caffeine, exercise.
Last 90min: dim/darken lights, 1-5min physiological sighs (deep nasal inhale, 1 quick addl. inhale, then to-lungs-empty exhale).
The physiological sigh effects on HR and sleep etc were published in @CellRepMed study I ran with colleague David Spiegel MD. Details cell.com/cell-reports-m…
The reason I confidently say best here is because this combination will have the greatest outsize effect on daytime, mood, focus and alertness and nighttime sleep, and overall levels of stress, and as a consequence, long-term benefits have done consistently. Of course can be combined with family, reading, movies etc.
It’s wild how well “Grease the Groove” works to get you strong. You do a set (not to failure) every 10min or so. You do some other movement in between & do half or LESS than the most reps you can & across the session do many more overall. Details in link below.
Pavel’s father is in his 80s, no HRT and does 100 strict full range pull ups or
more a week with this approach. Remember, you don’t go to failure. Many of the adaptations are neural and the consequence of getting more efficient at the movement, but you get much stronger.
If you wake up after 4-5 hours of sleep & find it hard to go back to sleep, it’s likely you offset your primary sleep drive (due to adenosine buildup etc). The next 2-3hrs of would-be sleep is when learning associated brain changes occur. 3 things help in this scenario. (Thread)
1. Prior to getting up, do 20min of NSDR (non-sleep-deep-rest). This can partially offset the effects of sleep deprivation in a potent way. NSDR are scripts easy to find but here is one (2 formats; can download). No cost or signup: youtu.be/hEypv90GzDE?fe…
2. Get up, force bright light exposure w/10K Lux light for 15min (these are about 100USD; some are portable; I have NO affiliation) then light/easy exercise for 20min, hot shower, back to sleep or NSDR for 20min. You’ll likely fall back asleep. (b/c of effects on body temperature).
Many people have trouble falling asleep or back asleep after waking in the middle of the night. NSDR (Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest) teaches you how to deliberately relax into sleep-states. It also can (partially) offset sleep deprivation (if done any time). (Links to 0 cost NSDRs below).