cardiorespiratory fitness
how to get better at cardio and strengthen your heart
just 4-5 minutes of intense physical activity per day can nearly halve your risk of major cardiovascular events.
people who say they dont have time to exercise are making value based decisions, not facing real constraints!
if you want to live better for longer, training your heart is non negotiable.
this is how you get better at cardio, and how you strengthen your heart.
heres the plan in 3 steps:
1. make it a habit
2. nail/understand the fundamentals
3. build the pyramid
cardio is a game where you play against yourself. dont let other people discourage you. slow and steady.
1. make it a habit
knowledge without adherence is useless. the biggest win is making cardio a habit.
start by blocking off 30 minutes, 2 days per week.
1 hour per week is .89% of all waking hours.
these are non negotiable appointments, not optional slots.
start with walking.
if you cant show up to 2 weekly walks, youre never going to be able to progress any further.
only when your appointments become routine should you consider leveling up.
if you want to try jumping into real cardio, be my guest, but in my experience, going from zero to one is the hardest step.
we are aiming for as little friction as possible to set you up for success.
2. nail/understand the fundamentals
time to choose an exercise.
whats most important is that you select a modality that you can perform safely, consistently, and pain free for the entire duration of the session:
s tier: run, bike, swim
a tier: row, stair master, elliptical, ruck, jumprope
b tier: be creative
c and d tier: there are no bad choices
f tier: burpees
now that you have an exercise, some science:
our goal with cardio is to build a big pyramid. you want a wide base and a high peak.
in other words, a strong powerful heart that can endure.
we dont want a skinny pyramid thats super tall. we dont want a wide pyramid that super short. we want as much area under the curve as possible. we want an equilateral triangle.
we do this with two approaches, both required:
> slow cardio
> fast cardio
you need both to build your pyramid.
slow cardio
the goal with slow cardio is to keep your heart rate at a level that pushes you slightly, but that you could hold “forever.”
it is extremely, extremely important to get this right.
your own effort level is the best gauge.
a few tricks:
> talk test: you can talk, but its annoying enough youd rather not.
> nose breathing: go as fast as you can without using your mouth.
> tech/bio nerds: this is zone 2 training, keep your heart rate at roughly 135-155 bpm, although it can vary.
dont overdo it. dont go too fast.
your zone 2 might not be a run!!!
thats okay!
when i started, my zone 2 pace was a painful 10:30-11:00 minutes per mile.
sticking with it got me down to 8:00.
this is why people say they suck at cardio!
what you consider your “jog” might put you into the next heart rate zone—zone 3—where lactate builds up faster than your body can process it.
youre not a bad runner, and youre not bad at cardio, youre training in a way that your body cant sustain.
you need to be patient. you need to build your aerobic base—the pace you can hold all day even if thats an uphill walk.
spend time in zone 2, just below where it starts to feel hard. in time, your easy pace will become what used to feel impossible.
benefits:
> burns fat like nobodys business.
> boosts endurance and mitochondrial function.
> improves heart efficiency and metabolic health.
> cuts injury risk and speeds up recovery.
fast cardio
the goal here is to spike your heart rate to near max once per week.
short, brutal, but worth it.
be creative:
> 6x 30 second sprints with 30 second walk rests.
> run up stairs, walk down.
> as many kettlebell swings as you can in 5 minutes.
> all out mile.
> interval or vo2 max sessions (my favorite is the 4x4 method 4 minutes on, 4 minutes off, 4 times)
an all out mile takes under 10 minutes but pays massive dividends. this is your most important session. cut it last if life gets crazy.
benefits:
> strengthens your heart, boosts hrv, lowers resting heart rate.
> improves hormone signaling and vo2 max.
> makes you faster.
where to start:
if youve been sedentary and are ready to move past walking:
start with 2 days of 30 minutes of slow cardio.
once youre comfortable, switch to 1 day slow, 1 day fast.
if youre already active your minimum is:
> 1 day of 30 minutes slow cardio
> 1 day of fast cardio
dont overthink it. do one session stupidly slow. do one session as hard as you can. thats the foundation for a stronger heart.
3. build the pyramid
one session of each (slow/fast) is maintenance (the baseline) but once youre solid with your 2 weekly cardio appointments, if you want more, you can start adding in sessions, time, or intensity.
for slow cardio:
stretch session(s) to 45-60 minutes.
gold standard: 180 minutes of zone 2 per week (there is no upper limit).
caveat: if 1 hour per week is all you can commit, fantastic.
for fast cardio:
stick to one all out session per week simple but tough.
my non negotiable protocol:
> tuesday: vo2 max or interval session
> thursday: 1 hour zone 2
> saturday: 2 hours zone 2
most of the time i do more. sometimes i do less. but i always show up for 1 of each session, just to make sure im greasing the engine.
thats it.
this combo builds a heart thats tough, fast, and ready for anything.
youll have more energy, sleep deeper, look sharper, feel better. food even tastes better.
this isnt optional, its how you age better and live longer.
show up to your appointments.
thank you for reading, and godspeed.
— dante