Download my “How to Train According to the Experts” guide Exercise is more than a tool for physical transformation—it's a cornerstone of longevity, metabolic resilience, and neurocognitive vitality. In this special episode, I’m joined by Brady Holmer, a distinguished exercise science communicator and lifelong endurance runner, as we deconstruct the latest evidence-based protocols for enhancing muscle strength and cardiovascular health. What’s the optimal exercise protocol to reverse 20 years of heart aging? Is the standard 150 minutes per week truly enough to preserve a youthful heart, or do you need to exercise more frequently? What’s the most time-efficient way to build strength and muscle? We cut through the noise to deliver actionable insights that will transform your approach to training. This episode is accompanied by How to Train According to the Experts — a free, science-backed guide curating evidence-based strategies for optimizing aerobic fitness, strength, and metabolic health. Distilling protocols from leading researchers, it provides actionable frameworks for lifelong vitality. Download it now at howtotrainguide.com Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:35) Why your training goals matter (06:23) Are 3 weeks of bed rest worse for fitness than 30 years of aging? (08:24) How to measure cardiorespiratory fitness (11:19) Why VO2 max is a marker of longevity (14:23) The role of VO2 max in endurance training (17:26) How to improve lactate clearance (18:47) Why zone 2 training may not improve VO2 max (22:42) How to measure training zones 1-5 (28:29) Smart watches vs. chest straps for heart rate (31:43) Benefits of zone 2 training (35:31) Can you combine HIIT and zone 2 in one workout? (40:53) Adjusting the 80/20 rule for time efficiency (45:13) Evidence-based HIIT protocols (49:22) How variation in interval training boosts fitness adaptations (51:07) Why the heart stiffens with age (54:09) How much exercise do you need? (1:00:31) Why exercise should be a daily priority (1:02:16) The exercise protocol that reversed 20 years of heart aging (1:07:24) Dr. Benjamin Levine’s prescription for life (1:10:11) Brady & Rhonda’s exercise routines (1:14:51) HIIT vs. zone 2 for mitochondrial health (1:17:39) How exercise intensity impacts fat burning (1:21:50) Does zone 2 make you a better “fat burner”? (1:27:04) Why HIIT outshines zone 2 for glucose regulation (1:31:00) The benefits of interval walking for glucose regulation (1:32:24) Why training for brain health is all about intensity (1:36:20) How short bursts of activity can extend your lifespan (1:40:04) Why “exercise snacks” lower the barriers to fitness (1:42:27) An alternative to caffeine for fighting midday slumps (1:43:32) The benefits of timing “exercise snacks” around meals (1:45:38) How muscle mass and strength decline with age (1:48:19) The age-related loss of muscle power (powerpenia) (1:50:04) General resistance training principles (1:57:01) Why compound exercises are best for building strength (2:00:05) Why rest intervals are crucial when strength training (2:02:02) How lifting heavy improves mental resilience (2:05:26) Should you train to failure? (2:08:57) Why strength training isn’t a replacement for cardio (2:12:16) Training for muscle hypertrophy (2:17:38) Training and diet strategies for body recomposition (2:22:52) Time-efficient resistance training protocols (2:27:38) Why the interference effect is a myth (2:29:32) The minimum effective dose for strength and hypertrophy (2:31:16) How sauna use improves cardiorespiratory fitness (2:36:17) Why heat exposure supports resistance training, unlike cold (2:39:06) Can omega-3s prevent muscle loss during disuse? (2:41:21) Protein timing, distribution, and its impact on hypertrophy (2:46:53) Creatine supplementation Show notes are available by clicking here Watch this episode on YouTube
Full Episode
Thank you so much for having me. Thank you so much for having me. where we wanted to distill a lot of the cutting edge research that was discussed on the Found My Fitness podcast from these leading experts into a guide that not only was evidence-based, but had actionable insights for people. It's called the How to Train According to the Experts Guide.
So I think the result is we have this really great roadmap that people can follow looking for how to improve workouts, whatever the end goals that they're looking for, whether that is optimizing their cardiorespiratory fitness or their hypertrophy training or perhaps even body recomposition.
So in this training guide, we cover a lot of different aspects of exercise, including training protocols to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, training protocols to delay heart aging and improve the cardiovascular structure of the heart, We also have a lot of information in there on how to train to improve metabolism, mitochondrial metabolism, glucose metabolism.
And we also get into resistance training protocols, whether you're interested in improving strength, bone mass, bone density, muscle hypertrophy. or losing fat at the same time while you're gaining muscle. So that would be body recomposition. In addition, we have some supplemental information in there on sauna use, other protein intake and other supplements like omega-3 and creatine.
So a lot of really great information in this guide. You can find that guide and download it for free in howtotrainguide.com. So that being said, today's episode will serve as a companion to that guide. Brady and I will discuss a lot of the information you'll find in the free guide, and we'll probably give some of our personal takeaways as well.
Yeah, Rhonda, I think putting together this guide, it was incredible. I got to listen and re-listen to many of the interviews that you had with some of these world-leading experts. And I personally learned a lot and had a lot of fun putting it together. So we're going to cover a lot of things today. And I think what we're going to start with is aerobic exercise training, kind of a very
popular topic these days with people interested in how to improve their VO2 max and their cardiovascular health. You've interviewed experts in this area, including Dr. Martin Gabala, kind of an expert in high intensity interval training, exercise physiology, and Dr. Benjamin Levine, who honestly gave like a masterclass on just how to improve heart health. I found that episode very interesting.
So we're going to start today with talking to people about how to improve their cardiovascular health, their VO2 max with aerobic exercise training.
Also one of your areas of expertise. I agree that when Dr. Ben Levine came on the podcast, while I was doing a lot of background information research on his work, so reading his publications, and then after the podcast episode, I felt like I learned just a tremendous amount of information that I had no idea about.
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