Nah, it took the hip pain to remove my blinders.

Bill

While Arthur may not be unbiased, he is absolutely correct, and research has backed this up. There is no need for aerobics or running for cardiovascular conditioning, fat loss, or any other aspect of health or fitness. High intensity strength training can provide greater cardiovascular benefits more quickly, with less time invested, and more safely, and is far more effective for improving body composition.

In an interview with Stephen Langer MD on a TV show in the 1980’s Arthur Jones said,

“…the lifting of weights is so much superior for the purpose of improving the cardiovascular condition of a human being that whatever is in second place is not even in the running, no pun intended. That is to say, running is a very poor, a very dangerous, a very slow, a very inefficient, a very nonproductive method for eventually producing a very limited, low order of cardiovascular benefit. Any, ANY, result that can be produced by any amount of running can be duplicated and surpassed by the proper use of weight lifting for cardiovascular benefits. Now I realize that there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people in this country who don’t understand that, who don’t believe that, who will not admit that. Now these people are simply uninformed. Certainly, it’s possible to run with no benefit, it’s possible to lift weights with no benefit. I’m talking about the proper use of weight lifting; and properly applied, weight lifting will improve your cardiovascular benefit to a degree that is impossible to attain with any amount of running.”

He was absolutely correct.

I agree there are too many running injuries. I don’t think it makes running bad, but many people are going about it the wrong way. Too much too soon.

Great book. Born To Run, by Chris McDougal.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

Yes people ACTUALLY did wake up and say lets go for a run. To hunt, to travel, to get water.
And people still do this in the Copper Canyons of Mexico. The Tarahumara Tribe.

Running does not just injure unfit people. There is a reason nearly every issue of every running magazine contains an article on treating running-related injuries. Compared to high intensity strength training it is a poor, inefficient, and ineffective way to eventually produce a low level of cardiovascular conditioning, at the expense of other aspects of fitness and health. Nautilus inventor Arthur Jones put it best in an interview with Stephen Langer, MD,

“…the lifting of weights is so much superior for the purpose of improving the cardiovascular condition of a human being that whatever is in second place is not even in the running, no pun intended. That is to say, running is a very poor, a very dangerous, a very slow, a very inefficient, a very nonproductive method for eventually producing a very limited, low order of cardiovascular benefit. Any, ANY, result that can be produced by any amount of running can be duplicated and surpassed by the proper use of weight lifting for cardiovascular benefits. Now I realize that there are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people in this country who don’t understand that, who don’t believe that, who will not admit that. Now these people are simply uninformed. Certainly, it’s possible to run with no benefit, it’s possible to weight train with no benefit. I’m talking about the proper use of weights; and properly applied, weight training will improve your cardiovascular benefit to a degree that is impossible to attain with any amount of running.”

If a person is only interested in improving fitness, there is no good reason to choose running over strength training. The choice to run instead of lift weights would either be irrational or uninformed, or influenced by emotional factors such as enjoyment of running or fear of the kind of truly hard work high intensity strength training involves.

I suggest looking for a Parkour group in your area to practice with. I found one locally through meetup.com which I started training with recently.

The subject of boot camps, so-called kickboxing classes, etc. deserves more in depth discussion than I have time for at the moment, and will be addressed when I’m done with the book.

I took the liberty to discuss this post with my fitness students most of the typical responses were raised for example, “if exercise is not fun than I won’t do it” which is what I expected with all the “fitness industry fads and marketing strategies”.

The point that I was trying to make to my students and I think that this is the point that your making is that the fitness professional “chooses” the exercises program. With recreation the individual “chooses” the recreation activities, as the examples that you provided “martial arts and parkour.

My other concern that I would like to share is in relation to “insurance premiums” – all these boot style training programs, boxing and kicking programs – “high force or high impact” high risk physical activites are forcing huge increases in the price of insurance premiums.

Arthur Jones pointed out his concerns that if the medical community ever turns on the fitness community that “proper exercise” could be put back a hundred years. Drew by the comments that you have made I think that you are also greatly concerned for the future of “proper exercise” the same concerns that Arthur Jones made many years ago.

Thanks
Steven

I spent this winter playing full court basketball 3 days a week, 3 hours a week. No weight loss.

A month and a half ago I started a high intensity workout using 5 exercises and 10/10 reps. I have seen a 10+ pound weight loss, but also a significant decrease in my waist. All my clothes fit much better now. This is from working out 15-20 minutes a week on Saturday morning and eating a low sugar diet.

So, I would also have to add: something is not better than nothing.