What Are You Talking About…Specifically? (part 3)

Sport-Specific Training – But “Why?”

In my many discussions with those in my field (who I hold the highest regard), we all agree that there are many ways to become stronger. Some ways are safer than others and in some cases, more beneficial overall to the athlete but regardless, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Because there are so many variations there are times when illogical approaches are suggested – approaches that further probing reveal a lack of understanding of form and function. Ask “why” an individual needs power cleans and you more than likely will hear a response such as “it builds explosiveness” and to which I would again ask “why”. Since their understanding is such that it is merely a regurgitated response from a well-known individual or because their favorite football team does it my second probe of “why” tends to stop them dead in their tracks, usually because they really don’t know why they are doing what they are doing and are just following along aimlessly. I’ve had many brief conversations with people who are sport-specific specific – brief because they can not intelligently explain to me why they need to be specific in the gym nor can they explain to me, for instance, why a leg press, squat, deadlift, lunge or any other deep knee bending movement would somehow differ in developing the muscles of the legs and hips. At that point the conversation usually terminates because they are without an answer or logical reason. Personally, it is beyond my comprehension why it so damn difficult to have someone understand that a person who is looking to improve their performance doesn’t need more than to work at improving their strength and conditioning and perform proper practice for said activity to improve.

Again, I’ll reference my own experiences. After my failed vest experience all I did to improve my basketball was work at my sport and performed resistance training. Hell, I didn’t even do any additional conditioning work because at the time I was training three times a week doing full body workouts for one set to muscular failure and just playing basketball all the time. Through this dedicated effort my knowledge of the game improved, experience was teaching me how to “anticipate” and “respond” better. My speed/quickness improved as well did my jumping (I was able to touch the rim at 5’7”) and not to mention my shooting range increased as well and I could play full court for hours. Instead of wasting time doing simulation work I was applying my efforts into the actual activities that were required to play my sport.

It’s All Vanilla To Me

I always tell a buddy of mine that with the countless number of ice cream flavors out there in the world, vanilla is still the number one favorite flavor. Vanilla is as plain and simple as you can get and yet it sits high as supreme in the ice cream world. Manufacturers add variety and invest countless hours and money into developing new and exciting flavors to wow the industry – and they do for a short time before everyone falls back on old faithful – vanilla. Vanilla, it’s simple, effective – it gets the job done, just like a straightforward strength program consisting of a handful of compound movements worked hard and consistently over time and proper practice of specific movements in your sport. Quite often this “vanilla” approach is shunned because of its simplicity and unfortunately, its advantages ignored. It’s an uncomplicated, established method that doesn’t need accreditation, sponsorship, extensive research or techno terms to define or describe –it’s just a plain old way of producing results that have benefited many an athlete over the course of many, many years. - Fred Fornicola

What Are You Talking About…Specifically? (part 2)

Sport-Specific Training - Today

Sport-specific training in its current concept is a means of simulating a movement or exercise in the weight room with the intention of it transferring to the playing field – regardless of what that field is. It is also a protocol of lifting fast to become fast, using low repetitions to bulk and performing power cleans and snatches to make better football players. Of course these are not all of the perceived concepts attached to sport-specific specific training but enough to make one question what the hell someone is thinking when they argue these points. It’s beyond my comprehension why anyone would think performing, for example, a walking lunge would simulate running or how throwing a weighted object will somehow cross over to throwing a football or baseball. The term “sport-specific” in my definition of the term means “specific to ones sport” which means that an athlete should be doing what is specifically needed to perform their activity or sport. If someone wants to improve their golf swing then they should take golf lessons from a qualified coach and then practice, practice and practice some more. Swinging a weighted object of any kind in place of the golf club will not develop club head speed or improve your swing – what it will do is create new mechanics for your body to learn and then distort your regular swing. Plain and simple – there is no transference from one activity to another, which is why movement is SPECIFIC!

The same holds true for developing explosiveness and speed. These skills are developed by becoming stronger, practicing proper skills and techniques, understanding your sport, having acute auditory and visual skills, being perceptive and of course, let’s not forget genetics. I remember watching the great Dick Butkus when he played for the Chicago Bears. You could see him watch as plays evolved and then react with such tenacity and speed. Was it because he was doing power cleans or lifting fast? Hell no, the man knew his sport and his competition and put himself in the right place and the right time. He was strong, determined, understood how to read plays and was an animal on the field – that’s what made him great - and this was all without the benefit of strength training because at that time he didn’t believe in it.

Have you ever experienced or witnessed an individual avoid a car accident merely because they see the accident unfolding as it is about to occur and while observing their surroundings, react instantly? Is it because they work out on a balance board or maxed out on their squats? Nah, I doubt it. They used their auditory and visual skills, maybe even some experience and knowledge of how to handle a situation as this. So, my confusion lies with the idea of transfer - transfer of performing one movement or skill to another. If a power clean is identical to performing movements on the football field then I should be able to eat soup with a fork because it’s the same movement as if I were to use a spoon. If you believe that one needs to stand on an unstable surface to become stable then that leads me to reason that you wouldn’t mind a house built on sand. Why put someone on an unsecured surface to develop their stability? Why have someone risk falling, twisting a knee or ankle, or worse so they can develop balance – and when in hell was the last time you saw anyone play a sport on an unstable surface? Lift fast to be fast? Gotcha, so let’s use momentum and gravity to move the weight, not our muscles to develop speed – right. Think about that, does it make sense to unload the muscle to develop strength and speed? If you give it a moment’s thought you’d realize that the muscles need to do the work to become stronger and just throwing a weight around doesn’t mean you are becoming stronger or becoming faster – it just means you are throwing a weight around. - Fred Fornicola



Part 3 to follow...

What Are You Talking About…Specifically?

My original intention for this article was to go through a thorough explanation of the misnomer “sport-specific training,” but after a few conversations over the last few days with some of my peers who have encountered some “debates” over this idiotic concept, I’ve decided to just cut to the chase and discuss this plain and simple.

Sport-Specific Training – The Old Days

In my day, sport-specific training (which I don’t believe was even a trendy term at the time) meant becoming more physically fit by strength training, running, performing wind sprints etc., along with hours upon hours of skillful practice of one’s chosen sport. Currently, the term “sport-specific training” has taken on a completely different connotation, largely in part because of the commercialization of the strength and conditioning industry. At the present time, the idea of sport-specific training is touted as being able to duplicate or imitate a specific "skill" or aspect of ones sport in the weight room atmosphere. As for me, it meant practicing sprinting and making cuts up and down the court while dribbling a basketball, rebounding, shooting and actually performing game-like activities, not running with a parachute on my back or throwing weighted balls or jumping off boxes.

Here’s a personal anecdote that I’ll use as an example. I played basketball my entire young life and back in the late 1970’s, weighted vests became popular (what, do you think weighted vests are new?) so I purchased one. I wore that thing all the time because I was going to improve my jumping, my speed and my quickness – well, so I thought. I ran, jumped and practiced shooting every day with that vest on and in the beginning I had trouble making any of my shots, my running stride was out of whack and my timing was way off. Why? - Because I was learning new motor skills. After about a week I started making my shots and started to get my timing down. Now, after that week I decided to go play some pickup games sans the vest and to my surprise, I couldn’t make a shot to save my life. My timing was way off, my stride was not right and I miss timed my jumps. Why? I had developed new learning skills with the vest on which DID NOT cross over to my needs on the basketball court. - Fred Fornicola





Part 2 to follow....

Round Three

Matt (Brzycki) and I received some very good news yesterday regarding our book "Dumbbell Training for Strength and Fitness". Sales have been going quite well and we need to do a third produciton run. We are just a couple hundred copies away from hitting the 6,000 mark in sales in just over a years time.

Matt and I are very proud of this project and would like to thank everyone who has supported us in this effort.

Best in Health,

Fred Fornicola

Safety First

A sad event occurred on July 10th when a young teen, who was lifting weights alone at his home, was killed in what the news called a "freak accident."

In my opinion, it is surprising that the death toll isn't higher since this scenario seems to be the norm for young teens (as well as adults) who perform exercises alone - especially those exercises that require proper spotting by a qualified individual.

Strength training is a great activity but safety is paramount - especially when you are training alone so use discretion and forgoe ANY exercise - even if it's the "best of the best" if you can be injured - or worse!

Here is the article regarding the death of this young teen.

Trusting What You Know

"The things we know best are things we haven't been taught." - Luc de Clapiers de Vauvenargues

Exercise is (or at least, should be) a personal endeavor and to follow specific "rules" often throws a monkey wrench into the works. Too often people handcuff themselves when they use these arbitrary guidelines and because of this, their fitness suffers. They often don't go by "feel" and don't trust what their instincts tell them because certain rules prohibit or recommend otherwise. They don't listen to what their body (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) needs and their fitness program is lacking - all because of what they've been taught.

It makes perfect sense to seek out knowledge but there is no better teacher then your own experience. Fred Fornicola

A New Look

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Hips & Girdles

In a quick conversation with my daughter early this morning we were discussing throwing the shot put. She is interested in throwing the shot (she's in 6th grade) and is supposed to learn over the next few practices to see if she has what it takes to throw. I briefly reminded her that she not only needs the strength from her shoulders but it is her legs - in particular her hips that give her the power and for her to focus on using her hips when she is doing the shot. If you think about it, the hips are involved in every aspect of sports and is the main source of where your power comes from. Taking that in to consideration, a solid exercise program MUST involve the hips structure in some fashion. If someone just did a multi-joint lower body movement like a deep knee bend (squat or leg press for instance) or some form of deadlift they would satisfy more than half their requirements for providing the largest muscle group thorough stimulation. Second to the hips is the shoulder “girdle” which is extremely important in every aspect of athletics and daily life and should be worked thoroughly with some type of overhead pressing movement, therefore a workout consisting of a set of overhead presses for 15-20 all-out repetitions followed by a set of stiff-leg deadlifts for 35-50 repetitions should nail if for most people - everything else like pushups, curls and maybe a pulldown would be "extra" and more than likely, not necessary on a constant basis. - Fred Fornicola

Arielle Newman - An Unnecessary Death

It’s a terrible thing that happened to Arielle Newman, the young track star who suddenly died back in April from absorbing lethal levels of methyl salicylate from using too much Ben Gay. When you hear something like this happening to someone, especially someone who is only 17 years of age, it stops you right in your tracks. But after hearing this terrible news, it made me think of why this young athlete died. One reporter on the news stated that Arielle was using this balm on a constant basis to alleviate sore muscles and sore joints. Sure, any hard-training athlete is going to experience muscle soreness, but a 17 year old having persistent joint pain? That sends up a red flag with me and that is what prompted this commentary.

Even if the fact of her persistent joint pain is over-stated, how did this daily “need” for muscular relief go unrecognized by her coach, parents or even herself? Maybe she just thought it would aid in recovery or this is what she had to do to help her in achieving her goals, who knows, but what we do know is that soreness – muscular or joint - on a steady basis is not a healthy nor desirable scenario for any athlete at any age and these issues extend beyond topical ointments.

A lot of today’s young athletes are self-driven, others seem to have competition thrust upon them by their parents who were athletes themselves or who want to make up for their failed athletic youth by living vicariously through their children. And some kids unfortunately are “miss coached” by some well-meaning authorities who lack constructive knowledge or experience and impose unruly demands on their athletes by applying unsafe training methods. Whoever is to blame is not the gist of the matter at this time, it is the fact that there needs to be an awareness brought to everyone that there is potential for dangerous outcomes to young athletes who are subjected to this “pedal-to-the-metal” philosophy to improve performance.

What parent doesn’t want to see their kid be the best that they can, but as a parent your first and foremost responsibility is to protect your child. As a coach, you have the responsibility of nurturing these young adults for the four years, but what happens to them under your supervision can affect them for a lifetime. And as an athlete, you have to know what you want and go after it, striving to be the best is fine, that is what builds champions on and off the athletic field, but recognize that success can come with a price that just isn’t worth paying some time.

- Fred Fornicola

Repetition Ranges

There is a terrible misconception that repetition ranges somehow have a special affect on your body. Some believe that you need 8-12 reps for hypertrophy (muscle growth) and 5-6 reps are just for building strength while anything over 15 reps only builds endurance. Well, I think that is totally ridiculous. If you can perform 50 reps with 200 pounds in the leg press and after some time you now can do 50 reps with 210 pounds then you have gotten stronger, built more endurance and could possibly have increased your muscular size - period.

Varying repetition ranges (that is if you want to mix it up and your body can handle the varying loads placed on it) can keep the body "off guard" and help prevent becoming stale, bored or plateaued. By using a varied range, you may find certain repetition ranges to be more suitable for different body parts or a particular movement and you can then set new goals for personal records.

Personally, I feel a higher than normal repetition range is safer for most individuals - beginners or the most advanced because it allows for lighter loads to be used so there are less compressive forces. But don't think lighter means easier - no, far from it. If these sets are worked hard (which they should be) then these high rep sets can be very challenging, enabling the trainee to build good strength and stamina with less joint stress. - Fred Fornicola

Something Overlooked?

For those of you who are (uhmm, slightly older) and may have some type of prevailing injury (which is not exclusive to us old timers) - I believe that some alterations may be in order. Allow me to explain....The die hard high intensity trainee can at times be confused or made to feel "guilty" if they do submaximum effort workouts or multiple sets or perform an exercise that is categorized as - "uncontrolled". I have found through my adventures that higher repetition work is hard and beneficial along with select exercises - allowing me to train consistantly with reduced problematic symptoms - i.e. pain and discomfort. Since my goal is health and overall fitness (and yes I want to look good too so this is in no way shape or form a compromise - my "stats" prove otherwise) I have to make more intelligent choices based on what my goals are therefore not always training to utter failure is part of my plan of action. I follow no schedule of practice but work on how I feel - yes I am an instict type trainee and trainer - I feel that works best for me and the people I train. Although 90% of my workouts revolve around 1 good, hard set of a handful of exercises, I do at times perform submaximal effort multiple sets. This can be done for a general overall workout to induce a good amount of volume that doesn't put me on the floor but does elevate my heart rate and IMO stimulates muscle. Not all work has to be overload to be progressive - meaning sometimes one step back allows for two steps forward.I also believe and practice "other" type exercises that are done for multiple sets as a therapeutic means to achieve my goal - i.e. HEALTH (defined as a strong musculature, cardiovascular system, immune system, mind, spirit, etc.). My point here is that as high intensity "purests" if you will we have to continue to ask ourselves if what we are doing is serving our purpose, our goals that have been established and we must not be guided or guilted or persuaded into making decisions that do not directly help us step closer to our goals. If we do - we compromise ourselves and then defeat our purpose in the long run. - Fred Fornicola

What Should I Do With My Training?

People often ask me what they should do with their training, be it cardio or strength. I used to give them advice about what to do and why, but soon realized that they didn't understand or just didn't want to do what I said anyway. So now I answer the question with a question, "what do you like to do?". Then I say to use that and work at it, become better at what ever it is and they will see the results that they want. I've found that this works better for both parties and I will make a suggestion here and there if they are doing something which might be detrimental to them in the long run. The beautiful thing about exercise is there is no right or wrong. Any thing can be successful if done properly and safely. The worst thing to happen to the fitness industry is that it became an industry at all. Its all about what you like and feel good doing and anyone who says differently is just trying to sell you something - and usually for a ridiculous price. Stick to what you like, do it properly, safely and progress with it and you will be amazed at what can happen. - Tim Clifford, Personal Trainer

Extra Conditioning

Due to time restraints I don't do as much cardio/conditioning work as I would like. Notice I said "as I would like" – not what I HAVE to do. I think that hard, intense training done consistently will help almost any need for cardio but I feel different "cardio expressions" have a skill component just like anything else. For instance, train hard in traditional high intensity manner and then go out and run 10 hard sprints. The sprints will kick your butt. Why? Not because your "cardio" isn't good, it's because you’re not used to the activity. Start running sprints for awhile and you'll get good at them. Anything you start new that is physically challenging will kick your butt at first until you get used to it. Don't believe it? Train hard for a month, get used to that workout so that you can go nonstop through it for 20-45 minutes. OK, so now you feel you’re in pretty good shape! Now grab a surf board and paddle out into the surf when it's running good. Do that nonstop for an hour if you can. It will wipe you out UNTIL you get used to it or build the skill. Do I need extra cardio? I don't know? But................ I do need the extra activity outside the gym. I feel that recreation is an important component of overall fitness. – Jim Bryan, Strength Coach

Old School

There is no doubt that today’s trainee will make his way to the local supplement store to try the “latest and greatest” so he can become lean and mean and reach his ultimate potential in muscular gains and strength (see how buzz words sell), but beyond all of that nonsense is the infusion of devices that are down right dangerous and being played off as providing the ultimate in tools for physical fitness. It seems as though gadgets and gismos have actually infiltrated people who claim to be serious about training. I’m not just talking about the countless number of impulsive purchases made by some overweight, out of shape individual who is watching a Saturday morning infomercial with coffee and donut in hand, but experienced institutions and training facilities who are implementing whosi-whats-its and thing-a-ma-bobs to improve ones core-balance-functional-plyo-strength, or whatever the buzz word or term is this week because it is deemed as “the cutting edge” in fitness.

I’m sorry, but I can’t see where standing on a half-sphere trying to balance yourself with weights overhead is a productive means at developing anything other than an injury. I once walked into a personal training studio where I saw a woman on one of these balls with a bar on her back trying to do squats. My initial thought was, well, one of utter amazement and then after rubbing my eyes to make sure I saw what I saw, I just figured she was there to see how long it would take her to tear the cartilage in her knee or ankle. I’m not negating that some of the newer products can be used as effective tools but the concepts used to support most of these products is, well, down right ridiculous and propagated by hype. I’m all for improvement but why is it that people (for reasons other than money) constantly need to impose the concept of “building a better mouse trap” when the original works just fine.

Things like this make absolutely no sense to me when I consider that
the focus on an athlete or trainee should be on improving their strength and becoming less prone to injury while working hard at improving their sport or hobby.

Yeah, sure there were items back in the old days that were touted as being the new way to a leaner body and bigger muscles and plenty of “snake oil” salesman who promised that their new elixir would do wonders for your health, but the “takers” were usually those who weren’t doing anything for themselves physically and just wanted a quick fix. You expect that kind of behavior from inexperienced individuals or those who are half-heartedly going about a fitness program, but I for one have a major problem with those who run out and start implementing the latest toy without intelligently and methodically thinking about the pros and cons of using such devices, especially with their trainees.

I recently did an all day seminar at a local middle school on the importance of having a properly planned exercise program and we talked about nutrition, overall health, etc. A few of the kids came up to me after the class and asked how they could improve their jumping or running or whatever their sport was and I simply advised them to have a qualified individual supervise their strength program and to work hard at what they wanted to improve on. I explained to one student that if he wants to improve his ability to jump higher, then he needs to learn how to jump properly and practice his jumping. If you want to improve your baseball swing, work with a qualified individual to learn the fundamentals and practice hitting baseballs. Most of you are probably thinking that that is pretty simple and basic advice and you know what, you are right. What’s wrong with a simple, basic approach anyway? Why does everything need to be complex to be effective? The simple and basic answer is - it doesn’t.

Over the past few years working out and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle has become more and more complicated for people and it doesn’t have to be that way. Work at implementing an overall fitness program consisting of strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility training, proper nutrition, adequate rest and close attention to the sport or activity you are trying to improve.

Like the title says, it’s pretty much Old School. - Fred Fornicola

Personal Preference

Whether you are scientific about training, fly by the seat of your pants or anywhere in between, you can't help but bring your personal preferences in to your training. Over the many years I have had the privilege of speaking with several (and I mean several) of what I would call "well versed" strength coaches/trainers and a common factor that I've noticed is that a lot of them believe in certain things based on their personal likes and dislikes.

For instance, you may read where a strength coach will recommend training 2x per week and advocate 20 rep squats. Why? First and foremost, if worked hard it can be productive but secondly, a lot of personal preference goes into that program. You may see another coach recommend the bench press and have a program based around it and then another coach emphasize the overhead press. Again, more than likely the bench press coach likes the BP and will incorporate it into their program because they feel there is value. Another example is a coach recommending 3x per week training instead of 2 or a person who suggests additional CV work and then another who recommends none.

My point here is this - a lot of what we read (and sometimes write) is based on what the individual finds to be of value to THEM and then passes it along as value to others. Nothing inherently wrong with doing that but it is up to the reader (and the writer) to not read (or speak) as what is written to be gospel and to understand and entertain that which is proposed and embark on the journey themselves. - Fred Fornicola

A New Way To Work Out?

For many years I ran and did bodyweight exercises, because I didn't like weights and believed they would make you slow, bulky, etc,.. I used what I learned in the marine corps, which included push ups, pull ups, squat thrusts, etc. I even did some rope climbing and wrestlers bridges I learned in high school. I did these things when I got a sedentary job after years of physical work. I still use bw exercises and like them.NOW, all this stuff is being presented as if it's been some big secret kept from the public! Really? I had no idea I was so avant garde! The truth is, a lot of people buy into this boot camp stuff for the same reason they buy into Pilates or whatever. They think it will make them look substantially different than they do, in some relatively easy fashion. And there is a certain "tough guy" glamour that appeals to some people. I have seen ads about "blow-torching off fat", like if you do a hard set of bw squats or swing your kettlebell you'll suddenly drop tons of flab. Forget about diet. Forget about how you have to really work hard consistently.I'm waiting for some of these folks to pay some big guy in a uniform to kick sand in ther faces and scream at them about being "pukes and quitters who ain't packing the gear"... I'm hoping the next big craze is "manual labor fitness" so I can get some of these unfortunates to put in my new rock garden and deck. This too, will pass. - Regards,Griff

Lower Body Strength from Running

It is true that you can only get stronger to a point, but that is the limiting factor with all exercise modalities - strength training included Regardless of the choosen exercise squats, leg press, or running leg strength will only be developed up to specific point based on many factors. Some of which are body leverages, ranges of motion, and genetic limitations as to how fast or how much one can lift or run. IMO being able to overload is not a factor with any activity. Since any modality can be made systamatically more challenging.

If overload really is making the body or muscle area perform more work than currently capable than the following are ways to overload a running workout.

1. progress in speed (jog to run)
2. progress in distance relative to time
3 perform intervals or spriniting activities / add more intervals
4. reduce the rest period of said intervals
5 run hills / same procedures are intervals
6. perform a distance course with hill intervals - if course has hills
7. change the running surface. grass is more challenging than the road - beach sand is probably the most challenging.
8. perform other running activities as intervals ( bear crawls, crab walks, side shuffle, backwards running) (side note bear crawls on beach sand is a killer)
9. Add bodyweight squats or lunges at periods of a long run. every 5 minutes perform 50 squats.
10. perform sprints with push-up intervals. If you think push-ups don't work your hips perform them after sprints.

I just think that all the above are ways of having the lower body perform more work than it's currently able. therefore making it stronger!

Just a thought since most commerical gyms don't have much in the way of lower body exercises, especially if you can't squat or deadlift. Just food for thought. - Doug Scott, Strength Coach

Exercise for the Average Person

As a non-athlete, non-bodybuilding home trainer, I found the following quote to be very interesting. For the last few months I have been following a similar bodyweight routine of chins, dips, body rows, pushups and squats. I do one set to failure on each exercise & train 2 days per week. If the weather is good, I will walk a couple of days per week also. I have found this type of workout to be perfect for the needs of average people that are not interested in sports performance or "bodybuilding", but simply need to increase their "functional ability" for everyday life (mowing the lawn, carrying groceries up the stairs, moving some furniture, etc). In August, I will begin my 48th trip around the sun. I no longer have the time, nor the desire, to try to look like a bodybuilder or male fitness model. I'm just trying to stay in shape for living. When I compare myself to my peer group & not 25 year olds, I feel that I stack up pretty well. – Jay Setser

Raising Your Heart Rate

I think an elevated HR due to lifting heavy weights is different than that of running or other activities. An elevated HR response can be caused by a number of things outside of the "exercise your heart model" - if you will. Body positioning has a lot to do with heart rate responses. If you’re performing a set of leg presses, the position of the body - knees tucked into chest - will cause the heat rate to elevate. If you are performing presses flat on your back your heart rate will be lower than if you were pressing standing up- even if the relative intensity is the same. Holding a heavy weight causes an increase in blood pressure with leads to an increased heart rate - just by the nature of the activity. During times or excitement or great stress the heart rate is also elevated because of the release of various hormones - not related to exercising the heart.

I think that heart rate is very specific and is only on factor when determining the effect on improving the fitness of the CV system. The other is oxygen consumption. This is where the term VO2 max stems from - heart rate has always been used because it is easier to monitor in the field. O2 consumption is done in the labs. During traditional modes of CV activity - running-biking- etc. (all but swimming) - the heart rate is elevated in proportion to oxygen consumption - do to the need to transfer oxygen and nutrients to working muscles. So if your heart rate is raised to 150 BPM than Oxygen consumption would also be raised. However, if the HR is elevated because of a specific body position than the oxygen consumption might not be as high. Therefore causing no improvement in CV fitness.

There is no doubt that HIT raises both heart rate and respiration - breathing heavy. I just don't know if it is enough to improve ones fitness without additional CV training. - Doug Scott

Daily Activity

I am a big fan of daily exercise in some capacity. whether it be in the form of steady state cardio or high intensity strength training. I feel the body is meant to move and needs to exercised on a regular basis. Anyway here is a workout that I have been playing around with on my non lifting days.

at the local track - but it can be done anywhere.

jog a lap
push-ups ( not to failure or even close)
jog a lap
crunches ( not to failure)
jog a lap
body weight squats ( about a minutes worth)
jog a lap
stretch and cool down

for me this workouts out to about 15-25 minutes of activity and serves to get the "lead out" after a tough workout the day before. - Doug Scott, Strength Coach