What's more important: striving for maximal health/fitness and a long life or setting WRs or national records or team records in swimming?
I think the latter is overrated. I'm all for improving one's stroke and striving for PBs. Who isn't? PBs produce euphoria and pride and keep you on the path to improvement. But I wonder if restorative, technique based workouts that might help you improve in swimming and/or achieve world or local fame really help make one extremely fit or improve one's health? I think someone referred to Gary Hall as doing "sprinter" type high intensity training and doing his aerobic/strength training outside the pool, which seems perfectly sound. He's getting it all in. I think you need to get it all in and work hard. You gotta break a sweat. A lot. Frequently.
So will TI-ing your life away and looking pretty make you as fit as you can be? Isn't there something to be said for hard training? Not necessarily because it will improve your 50 free (everyone seems to agree it won't), but just to improve health, mental outlook, physical well being and keep the bod hot and the spouse interested? Plus, if you're a distance swimmer you gotta have some endurance. Talent and technique only get you so far, at least IMHO.
I just thought we were supposed to exercise more, and more intensely for optimal health.
Possibly 20 minutes a day of cardio could be a maintenance level if done in a focused, intense manner (after properly warming up; then warming down & flexibility stretching, supplemented by weight training as well- oh, whoops, that is a lot more time isn't it?).
I have also read that the 20 minute cardio target is based on first warming up and/or stretching and then including some form of warm-down after. I believe for those of you that are familiar with the METS measurement, the idea is to maintain an exertion level of 80 METS over the 20 minute period involved.
Possibly 20 minutes a day of cardio could be a maintenance level if done in a focused, intense manner (after properly warming up; then warming down & flexibility stretching, supplemented by weight training as well- oh, whoops, that is a lot more time isn't it?).
I have also read that the 20 minute cardio target is based on first warming up and/or stretching and then including some form of warm-down after. I believe for those of you that are familiar with the METS measurement, the idea is to maintain an exertion level of 80 METS over the 20 minute period involved.
