I've just begun a hybrid of Cathe Hardcore Series and BB's P90X. Many folks at BB have asked about similarities and differences, and I've posted a few HR comparison graphs at http://forums.beachbody.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/438299664/m/560107223/r/715101975#715101975 fyi. As many of you won't be surprised to see, Cathe's KickMax kicks butt compared with Tony's Kempo-X.
After noticing that many strength training workouts elevated my HR and burned calories as much as "cardio" workouts, I asked a question on the BB Fitness Forum and received the following answer from BB's advice staff. I'm passing it on here, fyi.
Be seeing you,
The Duck
Question posted by The Duck:
P90X, like many programs, recommends alternating cardio and weights/resistance 6 days, resting on the 7th. In a previous post thread Fitness Advisor Steve Edwards mentioned that
quote:
Plyo should not be confused with a cardio workout.
I’ve also noticed that even on resistance training days, P90X gets my HR up and burns calories (see Chest & Back versus Plyo graphic below, and other graphs posted at Chicago Fitness Camp thread) as much as plyo.
Well...if everything elevates HR...what is "cardio" and what is “not cardio”??
Is P90X providing 6 days of varied “cardio” or no “cardio” at all? I'm confused!
Thanks, and be seeing you,
The Duck
Response Posted 11-30-05 08:16 PM by BB Advice Staff:
There are basically two kinds of exercise, aerobic (or cardio) and anaerobic (or strength training). Aerobic means "with oxygen." That's the kind of exercise that burns fat and is beneficial to your cardiovascular system because it gets your heart pumping to provide O2 to your muscles. When exercise is strenuous to the point that your body can't get enough O2 to the muscles, it becomes anaerobic. It's in this stage that you experience muscle breakdown, which eventually also means the muscles will grow back stronger. Anaerobic activity primarily uses blood sugar for fuel, so you don't burn much fat. Also, because you break down muscle with anaerobic activity, it's the kind of stuff you can't do every day.
But the thing is, there's really no such thing as pure aerobic or anaerobic activity. The closest you'd come to pure aeroboic would probably be power walking -- but even then you're probably straining leg muscles to their anaerobic threshold, at least a little bit. The closest you'll get to pure anaerobic exercise is weight lifting where you take plenty of time between sets, which is why some of those hugely strong guys at Venice Beach gym are also fatsos, but don't tell them I called them that.
The thing with Tony's workouts are that he keeps you moving, so even the anaerobic stuff gets your heartrate up, so you experience some aerobic benefit. As for Steve's comment about Plyo, he means that it isn't a pure cardio thing. It does, indeed, have a strong cardio beenfit, but it also has a strong anaerobic impact on your legs, so you can't do it every day.
Not that I put a heck of a lot of credence in heart rate monitors, etc, but if you look at your charts, you'll see a lot more zigzagging with Chest and Back -- that's because it's many bursts of anaerobic activity with small rests. Plyo, however, with it's sustained cardio, features more plateaus.
After noticing that many strength training workouts elevated my HR and burned calories as much as "cardio" workouts, I asked a question on the BB Fitness Forum and received the following answer from BB's advice staff. I'm passing it on here, fyi.
Be seeing you,
The Duck
Question posted by The Duck:
P90X, like many programs, recommends alternating cardio and weights/resistance 6 days, resting on the 7th. In a previous post thread Fitness Advisor Steve Edwards mentioned that
quote:
Plyo should not be confused with a cardio workout.
I’ve also noticed that even on resistance training days, P90X gets my HR up and burns calories (see Chest & Back versus Plyo graphic below, and other graphs posted at Chicago Fitness Camp thread) as much as plyo.
Well...if everything elevates HR...what is "cardio" and what is “not cardio”??
Is P90X providing 6 days of varied “cardio” or no “cardio” at all? I'm confused!
Thanks, and be seeing you,
The Duck
Response Posted 11-30-05 08:16 PM by BB Advice Staff:
There are basically two kinds of exercise, aerobic (or cardio) and anaerobic (or strength training). Aerobic means "with oxygen." That's the kind of exercise that burns fat and is beneficial to your cardiovascular system because it gets your heart pumping to provide O2 to your muscles. When exercise is strenuous to the point that your body can't get enough O2 to the muscles, it becomes anaerobic. It's in this stage that you experience muscle breakdown, which eventually also means the muscles will grow back stronger. Anaerobic activity primarily uses blood sugar for fuel, so you don't burn much fat. Also, because you break down muscle with anaerobic activity, it's the kind of stuff you can't do every day.
But the thing is, there's really no such thing as pure aerobic or anaerobic activity. The closest you'd come to pure aeroboic would probably be power walking -- but even then you're probably straining leg muscles to their anaerobic threshold, at least a little bit. The closest you'll get to pure anaerobic exercise is weight lifting where you take plenty of time between sets, which is why some of those hugely strong guys at Venice Beach gym are also fatsos, but don't tell them I called them that.
The thing with Tony's workouts are that he keeps you moving, so even the anaerobic stuff gets your heartrate up, so you experience some aerobic benefit. As for Steve's comment about Plyo, he means that it isn't a pure cardio thing. It does, indeed, have a strong cardio beenfit, but it also has a strong anaerobic impact on your legs, so you can't do it every day.
Not that I put a heck of a lot of credence in heart rate monitors, etc, but if you look at your charts, you'll see a lot more zigzagging with Chest and Back -- that's because it's many bursts of anaerobic activity with small rests. Plyo, however, with it's sustained cardio, features more plateaus.