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Building blocks of health
As I'm thinking through what to do post 70.3 training, the things that sound most appealing are:
- lift heavy (low reps w/ good form)
- run slowI don't think you can go wrong there.
— Daniel Polehn (@dpolehn)
4:04 PM • Aug 31, 2024
Strength is the ability to exert force.
Endurance is the ability to move (ie exert force) for a long time.
We need both.
And they work together.
Endurance is required to keep moving throughout your day. By adding low intensity cardio overtime your body trains its metabolic system to use fat for fuel. This literally gives you access to more energy (think of your body fat as an unlimited well of energy). Even at low doses, there’s a whole host of other health benefits as well.
There is always the risk of injury. If you lack strength, that risk is much higher.
The simplest way I’ve found to build strength is to to lift heavy with compound movements (ones with multiple joints involved). Think low rep sets of squats or bench press, adding more weight every workout. You can get similar results with a bodyweight exercise progression (pushups → diamond pushes for example).
The less often you’re injured the more you can do.
Whenever I’ve neglected endurance or strength training, I’ve suffered the consequences eventually. Niggles and injuries from lack of strength or huffing and puffing after a short bike ride from lack of endurance.
Learn from my fail.
Nothing fancy is required.
Keep it simple.
Simple = low risk.
Low risk => consistency.
Consistency => results.
Go get some results!
Speaking of consistency, expect to hear from me tomorrow.
- Daniel Otto Spencer Polehn