Rest is a Meaningful Exercise

We here at Everest Strong Coaching came across a very interesting article by Russian sports scientist V.N. Seluyanov, entitled “Heart is Not a Machine.” Seluyanov has authored over 100 scientific papers.  In his most recent study, he discovered varying adaptation processes in the bodies of athletes.  In layman’s terms, Seluyanov discovered the incredible importance of having the appropriate proportion of muscle and heart development in order to achieve optimal results, and the incredible risks of not doing so.  

As Seluyanov explains, the heart is not a machine, therefore it is imperative that a person not train blindly.   When we train we are simultaneously training our heart and our peripheral body muscles. Thus, an optimal workout is one that maximizes cardiac output by achieving balance between the two systems and not overtaxing one over another.

While we often push ourselves to the limit, wanting to squeeze more work into less time, one factor in achieving optimal training involves adequate rest periods between sets and reps, regardless of the exercise. Specific interval training with appropriate rest periods is absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy heart.  While interval training has been popularized of late, there is more to know and understand about the fad and how to implement the technique to your benefit.

Two methods of heart training include ‘D’ and’ ‘L’ training. D training, commonly used to strengthen the heart, occurs when you raise your heart rate to 180 within one minute and keep it there for 30 seconds, and then only rest two minutes. This will increase the heart’s diameter.

The problem with increasing the heart’s diameter is that it does not recover and return to normal size after the athlete has stopped training. This is why some athletes die young, of heart attacks no less.  Here Dr. Seluyanov prefers to train athletes with the L method, which elongates the heart fibers, as it maintains the heart’s flexibility.

In the D training scenario, our heart rate is raised too high and/or remains elevated for too long.  This leads to long-term damage of the heart.  But when an ideal workout is employed, the heart, instead of becoming damaged, becomes elongated leading to improved function and conditioning due to increased heart volume.  Thus it is imperative to not allow your heart rate to rise above 180.  Instead it is best to keep it between 120-150 for the longer durations of exercise as this is where optimal results are achieved. 

Finally, the strength of a person’s heart is best measured in an evaluation of the resting heart rate. The average person might have a resting heart rate between 66-70 beats per minute (bpm), while an athletic person might be around 50-55 bpm. A very developed athlete would likely have a bpm of 40-42 and the most advanced athletes will average around 30bpm.

To  learn more about heart and muscle training, adequate rest intervals for your body and how to improve cardiac output without incurring damage, check out our team at Everest Strong Coaching.