Dr. Vonda Wright

Sprinting does not mean you're running down a track like Usain Bolt. Sprinting is a heart rate function. So I like people to do their cardio really in three ways, but it's layered on. Number one, 80% of the time we're spending in low heart rate based training. This is based on endurance athlete data from Inigo San Martino, who has a lab in my building.

That's why I use his method, but low heart rate, 80% of the time, twice a week. We sprint, which means we're getting our heart rate up as fast as it can go. Now, I happen to do mine on a treadmill, and I'm running as fast as I can without falling off the back. But you could do it on a rower. You could do it on an elliptical.

That's why I use his method, but low heart rate, 80% of the time, twice a week. We sprint, which means we're getting our heart rate up as fast as it can go. Now, I happen to do mine on a treadmill, and I'm running as fast as I can without falling off the back. But you could do it on a rower. You could do it on an elliptical.

You could do it on one of those alpine machines or on the road running up these hills here. It doesn't matter. But you are leaving nothing in the tank. That is different. than high intensity interval training when you're going at 75 to 85. And that's when a lot of people get hurt and have to come to the orthopedic surgeon because they do that five days a week.

You could do it on one of those alpine machines or on the road running up these hills here. It doesn't matter. But you are leaving nothing in the tank. That is different. than high intensity interval training when you're going at 75 to 85. And that's when a lot of people get hurt and have to come to the orthopedic surgeon because they do that five days a week.

What I'm asking you to do is do strategic stress as high heart rate as your heart or your cardiologist will let you go twice a week. It is that stimulus coupled with heavy lifting, coupled with feeding, that's going to recompose your body. And I've seen it time and time again.

What I'm asking you to do is do strategic stress as high heart rate as your heart or your cardiologist will let you go twice a week. It is that stimulus coupled with heavy lifting, coupled with feeding, that's going to recompose your body. And I've seen it time and time again.

It is too intense to truly be restorative, to truly, that the base training, to truly, which is about 60, 65 of your maximum heart rate, to truly be restorative, to truly allow your mitochondria, which are the energy organelles in your body, to become efficient, to use all the food substrates.

It is too intense to truly be restorative, to truly, that the base training, to truly, which is about 60, 65 of your maximum heart rate, to truly be restorative, to truly allow your mitochondria, which are the energy organelles in your body, to become efficient, to use all the food substrates.

But it is not stressful enough to really stimulate your body, especially for women in midlife who have lost their estrogen by and large, or for men whose testosterone is, you need that kind of stimulus for your body to think, oh my God. I really need to lay on some muscle and change my body composition. And listen, I used to do high intensity interval training every day because I get bored.

But it is not stressful enough to really stimulate your body, especially for women in midlife who have lost their estrogen by and large, or for men whose testosterone is, you need that kind of stimulus for your body to think, oh my God. I really need to lay on some muscle and change my body composition. And listen, I used to do high intensity interval training every day because I get bored.

And I'm like, I'm just going to sprint this out. But it wasn't at the top of my heart rate. It was just below it. This is what happens. You do that five days a week. You develop muscle imbalances. You get hurt. You come to your orthopedic surgeon, they say rest, which I actually don't believe in. I believe in active recovery for three weeks.

And I'm like, I'm just going to sprint this out. But it wasn't at the top of my heart rate. It was just below it. This is what happens. You do that five days a week. You develop muscle imbalances. You get hurt. You come to your orthopedic surgeon, they say rest, which I actually don't believe in. I believe in active recovery for three weeks.

Well, your brain gets angry at you because it's used to the daily dopamine hit and And it's just a miserable way to cycle in and out of injury. So this 80-20 method is not only backed up by great scientists, but I've seen it in me. I've seen it in the people I take care of. It is the key to recomposition. So we've got the 80% low heart rate. We've got the 20% sprinting.

Well, your brain gets angry at you because it's used to the daily dopamine hit and And it's just a miserable way to cycle in and out of injury. So this 80-20 method is not only backed up by great scientists, but I've seen it in me. I've seen it in the people I take care of. It is the key to recomposition. So we've got the 80% low heart rate. We've got the 20% sprinting.

When you've got that down and it's your lifestyle, then what I would love for people to do is work on their VO2 max.

When you've got that down and it's your lifestyle, then what I would love for people to do is work on their VO2 max.

VO2 max is the absolute measure of your fitness. It's oxygen, how your oxygen is diffusing from your blood to your lungs and your heart's using it, right? VO2 max... unaided, unsupplemented, will decline 10% per decade as we age. We just get less efficient.

VO2 max is the absolute measure of your fitness. It's oxygen, how your oxygen is diffusing from your blood to your lungs and your heart's using it, right? VO2 max... unaided, unsupplemented, will decline 10% per decade as we age. We just get less efficient.

Yes. Our stroke volume, which is how much blood your heart releases per pump, the diffusion across your lungs, it all declines with age. unless you work on it. But why is that important? You're like, oh good, my VO2 max, why is that important? Here's why it's important.