For a bodybuilder, a rigorous gym workout and diet plan are essentials. But when it comes to fitness enthusiasts just stepping into the journey, things could get overwhelming. Therefore, expert physician Dr. Peter Attia teamed up with elite performance coach Dr. Andy Galpin to figure out this hurdle.
The duo devised a method for those who’ve never stepped inside a gym but wish to get in shape. In such cases, the goal isn’t to curate the perfect aesthetic or get strong on athletic levels. Rather, they provided a secret hack to achieve the best of both worlds without having to hit the gym.
The conversation began with Dr. Attia describing a hypothetical case of a subject wanting to change their physique. This particular individual has not hit the gym for a while, although he has been performing light-intensity exercises in the form of hiking and playing with his kids.
“So, the last 10 years, my only exercise has been like activities of daily living, which include sometimes hiking and playing with my kids. But yes. I haven’t been in the gym in a decade.”
The challenge was to design a routine that covered strength training and muscle mass growth. Dr. Attia added that for the hypothetical case, he started him on a Zone 2 cardio routine—light-intensity exercises that included jogs, brisk walks, cycling, and more.
Dr. Galpin took over the case and explained an exception applicable there. While for senior trainers, strength training and muscle mass growth were mostly independent goals, that wasn’t the case here. For the untrained, any amount of intense cardio could provide both results on a foundational level.
“You’re at this end of the spectrum – the opposite – those are going to be basically linked at this phase in your training. So we don’t have to do both! You can do one and get both adaptations at the same time.”
To add to this, zone 2 cardio doesn’t need to be specially tracked in one’s routine. Many daily life activities end up playing the role of light-intensity exercises. In a previous conversation with neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Galpin elaborated on this.
Zone 2 cardio hacks: What did Dr. Galpin suggest to Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Huberman?
Now that it was clear that Zone 2 cardio was an efficient way to ensure that individuals derived both muscle mass and strength, the Kinesiology professor revealed its sources.
During their conversation, Dr. Huberman confessed how he never managed to find the time to practice zone 2 cardio. Amidst a busy schedule and squeezing in his workout, he had to toss out other activities. However, Dr. Galpin assured him that even simple tasks such as taking groceries in and out, pacing around while talking over the phone, walking inside one’s office, and more constituted Zone 2 cardio. Therefore, it did not need a specific measure and was easy to follow.
