I tell my students that “opportunity costs”. We all have the same 24-hour day. Anything we do takes away from something else. When it comes to exercise, we want to direct all of our activities toward the accomplishing of our goals. For example, someone trying to lose body fat cannot exercise well, count calories and macros, and still succeed, if he or she is going to snack and go off-diet frequently.
When we have fitness goals everything we do either contributes or takes away from the stimulus and/or recovery. Thus, we want to be efficient and effective in stimulating an adaptation, and we want to effectively recover (adapt) between stimulating events. Managing the balance between stimulus and recovery is the greatest challenge to a successful exercise program. Few, however, are able to manage this well.
Non-specific physical activities (NSPAs) are any activities above and beyond resting that do not contribute specifical to an individual’s specific performance goals. We really can’t get past having some NSPAs because we have lives outside of our performance goals. (Even a powerlifter has to move some outside of the gym—and actually should.) NSPAs, thus, can facilitate recover or interfere with recovery….Opportunity costs.
First, let me stress that most of us—aging exercisers—are probably not training enough. In other words, it is not like that we are not “overtraining”. Personally, I prefer a more high-frequency approach to exercise (I like to recommend 3-6 weight training sessions, 2-3 cardio session, and 2-3 HIIT/HIIRT sessions per week, i.e., 9-12 exercise sessions per week) which splits the training volume in to smaller chunks to optimize the stimulus-to-recovery ratio. For this to be effective, though, sessions cannot impede upon subsequent sessions. You can’t run daily or do bike intervals and recover for or from intensive weight training for legs. That is, you can’t lift hard for muscle gains and do intensive cardio to lose body fat. There has to be a balance.
Account for NSPA in your training plan and use it to your benefit rather than detriment. If you are trying to cut body fat—walk more. Low-intensity steady-state (LISS) activities can burn calories, albeit at a much lower rate, without impeding upon muscle recovery. In fact, it may even facilitate recovery by increasing circulation to the muscles without depleting stored muscle glycogen. Walking is a great LISS activity that can be performed with great frequency—so, walk as much as possible. A long easy ride on the stationary bike (e.g., while binge-watching your show on Netflix) is another beneficial NSPA.
Other NSPAs that impose greater demands on the muscles (e.g., hiking or heavy physical labor) must be factored into the training. Maximal recoverable volume will be reduced by more strenuous NSPAs. Again, the key is to maximize the training stimulus and optimize recovery. Adjust the training stimulus accordingly and keep a sharp focus on recovery—diet and sleep. Cut the non-essential NSPAs—e.g., exercises that look “cool” but really don’t directly stimulate muscle growth and hypertrophy. These are often the “functional” exercises that are intended to be corrective or prehabilitative, but have made their way into the daily routines of healthy as NSPAs at a great cost to opportunity. Save these for deload weeks, if you really want to do them.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!!