Progress

I have approximately a week to go for the Crossfit challenge in Sydney. What I have train and improve for the past week was a great improvement not just towards my physique but also my cardiovascular system. As a competitive bodybuilder that usually does cardio training in the rage of 60 - 70% max HR for about 40 - 60 minutes a day may sound intense enough. Imagine forcing doing 75% - 95% max HR in the period of an hour sound like because currently I am practicing it in my training regime.

I wasn't a believer in an intense cardio training because :

• I'll shrink
• Waste so much calories/energy
• Not good for weight training

This was mainly the reason many people out there that competes or not and including me had in mind. I would categorize shrinking and calorie consumption in the same group. Obviously when an athlete are using their capability to exert energy out mean there are using the calorie as source of energy. This also apply to weight training. I agree that performing an intense cardio training before weight training is not good for an intense weight training and it is best to separate those long/intense cardio session at a different time.

As I mention before that Crossfit is a combination of physical fitness and strength.What I need to improve is my fitness level. For the past 6 days I have apply varieties of training system in my cardio training to improve my capability to do a long period of cardiovascular training. The body uses two pathways to provide our body with energy we requires for various process. The pathways are called :

Anaerobic energy system Phosphate (Alactic): Adenosine Tri Phosphate (ATP) and Creatine Phosphate (CP) are broken down to release energy in a short period of time. The energy is produced without presence of oxygen.

Lactate (Lactic): Glycogen is broken down to produce energy for intense activities approximately for 160second. Waste product (such as lactate) contribute to fatigue/ discomfort. This also produce without the presence of oxygen.

Aerobic energy system Fats, glycogen, protein are broken down to produce amount of energy in the presence of oxygen. Carbon dioxide and water are the by-product in this process.

This are the basic of the energy system and what are being used to create energy, now we have a better understanding what we felt during training we also should know what to consume before and after training. Since cardio training is being apply till today on a daily basis, my daily nutrition changes from 2 serving of carbs a day to 4 serving carbs a day. The average training session in a day I'm doing now is 3, it is a combination of weight training and two cardio training separated in a day.

Form of aerobic training I am applying now are :

Long Slow Distance (LSD) is low intense training such as job for 45min.

Interval training involves high intensity aerobic/anaerobic followed by low intensity recovery period.

Circuit training involves a series of exercises following each other performed without rest in between.

Apart from all those training, weight training is still being apply. So can you imagine how much food I have to consume. As for my physique, I'm still looking hard and full but just not ripped enough to compete for bodybuilding show but looking at the amount of food that I eat, I'm still lean. I hope what I share today may be apply by others that cardiovascular training is not that bad. It has benefits in so many area.