This week I want to take a look at the types of exercise we have in the fitness and performance world. And I want to describe those in a way that can help everyone to better understand the types of training we utilize. We are going to create a recipe for success by comparing the major forms of exercise with some of the common and familiar cooking methods we all use in the kitchen.
When we use these analogies, it helps us to recognize the applications and benefits of training. This is a phenomenon I’ve noticed for decades…that many, many folks struggle to learn what kind of exercise is available, and how it relates to their health and fitness goals. Since most of us have experience in the kitchen, this comparison helps us to choose the right exercise, in the right amounts, to meet our needs.
Aerobic training, specifically low-intensity steady-state, or LISS, is equivalent to the slow cooker or crock pot. I often call this long, low, and slow cardio mojo, and this is our circulation-enhancing, sleep-promoting, and endurance-building workout.
Mobility-Stability training, or what I call MOSTA, includes the warmup, drills, cueing, priming, postural correction, stretching, core stabilizing and other movements that nourish our bodies and prepare them for optimal patterning. It’s very similar to prep-cooking when we might wash, sort, measure, cut, chop, mix, and organize our ingredients as we create a meal.
Resistance, or Strength training, is that basic staple of conditioning in which we regularly train to maintain and build our lean body mass, which emphasizes the muscles and connective tissues among others. It’s the fountain of youth and helps us to maintain function through the lifespan. It should be a regular go-to just like sauteing (or baking or simmering).
High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is that dose of exercise that alternates bursts of high output with recovery periods. It increases our power output and metabolic efficiency and it cranks up the heat in a workout just like broiling does in the oven.
Sprinting, or that occasional dose of near-max, brief effort, is a form of training that many exercisers overlook or fear. However, when approached safely in a well-designed (and coached) program, sprinting provides unique benefits that upregulate many hormones and neurotransmitters. And it can be done in many different modes, not just running. This is akin to blanching on the stove.
So there you have it…the 5 major types of exercise that we put into our workouts and training programs, and how they relate to what we often do in the kitchen. How we assemble these components varies from person to person, season to season, and goal to goal. If you’d like to learn a little more, check out this week’s video on The Lifetime Body YouTube Channel (and subscribe), or listen to this week’s podcast where PK and I take an even deeper dive into this subject (and also subscribe). Teaching my clients how to train safely and effectively has been what I’ve been doing for decades. If you’d like a little guidance in optimizing your exercise endeavors, consider going to thelifetimebody.com and signing up for a consult or coaching package. Let’s create your recipe for success!