Many people have asked me what I mean when I say, “cardioholic”. It’s simply a term I use on myself (and anyone else who wants to self-label), to describe the mentality I had for many years: the only way I could attain the physical fitness I wanted, was to spend hours in intense cardio, in conjunction with a very rigid diet regimen. If you’re at all like that, read on, because there is another way…
Now first, let me say that in no way is that meant to be a disparage cardio. I was a hard-core runner for years and a cyclist before that. There can be no doubt that the calorie burn from the level of cardio I was doing was substantial and, particularly running, unmatched by any other training form I’ve used. I was able to drop weight from a high of 225 pounds (6’2”, currently 54) to below 170, and had more energy than I ever had. As someone with an office job, I enjoyed being outside (I didn’t like the “dread mill” then, and like it less now!), the overall support that runners have for each other and the grime, sweat and toughness that road running provided. However, it had its drawbacks. Dogs. Dogs are a problem as a runner. Or more accurately, dog owners are a problem. At least the ones who don’t believe in leashes or that their dog is the exception to any community rules. Traffic is also an issue. Maybe before cellphones, drivers paid closer attention to their pedestrian neighbors, but it doesn’t seem to be the case any longer. Taking my life into my hands involving both issues took much of the fun out of running. Further, the injuries began to mount…knees, feet, legs, glutes, etc., the constant pounding began to really effect my overall fitness. Then I had THE INJURY and could no longer run. My diet went sideways (literally!) and my overall wellbeing went downhill. What was I to do? Cardio is all I knew? My wife and family had long used the gym as a supplement to their training and often during the winter months, it was the main training format for them. But I was a runner…how could I keep the fitness that I wanted without being able to run!?? Worse, I knew little about gym equipment, and couldn’t picture working out NEXT to people? And what about the gym rats, who had been lifting for a while…what was a now “skinny fat” runner going to look like trying to train next to them? I decided to start with something I knew. My wife is a trainer at a local gym and my family had been going there for some time. I have a basement gym that is pretty well equipped and have used that from time to time, so I decided I would mimic that when going to a public gym…that meant heavy use of the elliptical. It was similar to running and was cardio, so I thought I was on track. Incorrect. The elliptical doesn’t have half the cardio burn that running does and is nearly as boring as the treadmill. Further, THE INJURY didn’t seem to agree with the pressure that the elliptical continually put on my lower body. My weight continued skyward and my overall outlook on fitness grew pretty dismal. While I was in this mode, I was often watching music videos on YouTube, to pass the time on the elliptical. Being too cheap to pay for a subscription, I had to endure the advertising that goes on while loading each video, waiting impatiently for the Skip Ad button to arrive. One fateful morning however, I had an advert for a training program called VShred. Some guy running the thing, called Vince Sant (apparently his name, for the longest time, I thought he just went by his first name and pronounced it funny…Vinsant!), had a pitch that hit me right between the eyes. He said you could still eat the things you wanted (at times) and didn’t have to do hours long cardio and be in great shape. WHAT???!! There’s no way possible…or so I thought. Having no where to go but up, I signed up for his program and became a Gym Rat, following the workouts of the app. I was highly intimidated to use the Smith Machines, Cables, Dumbbells, etc., all equipment I had never used before, sticking right to the cardio. I decided though, that if I was going to become a Gym Rat, I would follow the program as instructed, so I couldn’t say it failed without at least trying my best. A funny thing happened on the way to failure, though…it didn’t. It happened slowly, in conjunction with a change in my diet to carb cycling, the weight dropped ever so frustratingly off of me. A pound here or there each week…but by the end of the first month and a couple nights of not being able to sleep, due to soreness, I started to notice the changes taking place. My waist started to fit better in my pants and my arms and chest slowly began to get some definition. Even crazier, I actually started liking going to the gym and didn’t really pay any attention to what was going on around me…sort of like the old running days when you would kind of go into the runner’s haze…I was just focused on the workout. I was amazed at how much more energy and focus I had and the lifting and training began to be easier and I continued to use heavier weights, but all in a controlled manner, as getting injured again was not in my itinerary. Nearly 5 months later, the converted cardioholic is now back down to a similar weight as when I was running, but have much more muscle and tone than heavy cardio and its constant muscle burn ever would have allowed. I enjoy the gym so much, I’m to the point of looking up and studying new lifts and training. Oh, and yes, I still do cardio…it’s called HIIT training, and it really kicks my…well, if you know, you know. Should you be a Gym Rat or a Cardioholic? I would say both have their benefits, but as my trainer wife always tells me, mix it up. If you’ve never ran outside, give it chance…the stress relief alone is worth it and your heart will thank you in the long run (pun intended). If you’ve never been to a gym? Well, give it try…if you stick with it, you’ll like how you look and how much stronger you feel. Now, if I could only find an advertisement on YouTube for how to make a million dollars in 4 months….;)
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AuthorRich Spalding, CPA, former die hard runner, newborn gym rat, and laugher of his own jokes. ArchivesCategories |