If you’re new to exercise, and want something you can easily do at home, look no further than Pilates.
This low-impact practice is not only accessible for beginners but builds strength, mobility, posture and coordination, all without any equipment.
Fitness
Cardiorespiratory and aerobic demands of squat exercise – Scientific Reports
The main questions of our study are to examine the maximal V̇O2 achieved during five sets of squat exercises (10 reps per set, 5 sets, 3 min rest interval, 65% of 1RM) in relation to predetermined V̇O2max and how these values differ according to participants’ training status. Our study showed that the highest V̇O2 was observed during the 5th set of squat exercises, almost reaching 100% of the participants’ predetermined V̇O2max. When the highest V̇O2 values were presented according to training status, participants with higher strength experienced an increase in V̇O2 during squat exercise up to 108% of their V̇O2max, while the highest V̇O2 of participants with lower strength was 93.7% of their V̇O2max, measured immediately after the final set. When the highest V̇O2 during five sets were averaged, participants reached over 90% of their V̇O2max. Regardless of participants’ training status, oxygen demand during squat exercise was extremely high.
An increase in V̇O2 during resistance exercises has been previously reported. However, there are substantial differences in the amount of V̇O2 between our study and previous studies9,19. Previous studies reported V̇O2 during squat exercises ranging from approximately 16 to 31.3 ml/kg/min depending on the length of the rest intervals9,19. In the present study, we observed values above 40 ml/kg/min, and in some participants, V̇O2 increased above 50 ml/ kg/min, exceeding their pre-determined V̇O2max. A significantly greater V̇O2 observed among our participants could be due to training status and the specific exercise protocol. The 1RM among our participants was 141.4 ± 31.3 kg, whereas the 1RM reported by Ratamess et al.9 was 127.9 ± 31.1 kg. Furthermore, Ratamess et al.9 employed higher intensity resistance exercise, set at 75% of 1RM, whereas our study employed a lower intensity, 65% of 1RM. Given that all participants in our study successfully completed 10 reps of squats until the fifth set whereas participants from Ratamess et al.9 did not, the exercise in the current study elicited a higher demand for aerobic metabolism. Another rationale for the relatively higher V̇O2 during our squat exercise could be due to different squat techniques. In the present study, all participants were instructed to perform a full squat with a full range of motion. In contrast, other studies either utilized only half squats or did not specify the depth of the squat. Performing full squatting is likely to elicit a higher oxygen demand.
Interestingly, the levels of V̇O2 relative to V̇O2max and the highest heart rate relative to maximal heart rate clearly showed that multiple sets of resistance exercise could be considered as vigorous- or high-intensity cardiovascular activity20,21,22. When viewed from an intensity perspective, squat exercise can be classified as a form of vigorous- or high-intensity activity22. However, since vigorous- or high-intensity aerobic activity is defined as an activity sustained for a prolonged period (e.g., ≥ 10 min)22, squat exercise does not meet this criterion given the rest interval periods and therefore may not be described as such. Furthermore, our findings suggest that aerobic demand of resistance exercise is much greater when individuals could exercise at a higher intensity without sacrificing the volume, represented as number of repetitions. Among the participants with high strength, V̇O2 exceeded their pre-determined V̇O2 max at the 4th set of squat exercise, while participants with low strength reached up to 91.69% of their V̇O2max at the 4th set. One noteworthy implication of our study is that we examined the fluctuations in cardiorespiratory responses and RPE throughout the progression of squatting repetitions and sets. This stands in contrast to merely assessing the average and peak V̇O2 observed during one bout (i.e., session) of squatting.
During rest intervals, we observed higher CO2 production than VO2 consumption, whereas the opposite was observed during the squat exercise periods. Typically, individuals only breathe once at each descending and ascending motion within a repetition during squat exercise, resulting in this distinctive breathing pattern that may cause a difference between pulmonary and cellular metabolic demands. During squatting exercises, participants may not be able to exhale sufficient amounts of CO2 produced as a result of bicarbonate buffering process. Breathing is modulated by central and peripheral chemoreceptors, which may respond to CO2 and H+23,24. Although elevations in CO2 and H+ during squat exercise are the primary precursors to an increase in breathing, breathing is limited to the exercise rhythm during squatting, which may cause hypercapnic acidosis24,25. When breathing was no longer limited to the exercise rhythm during rest intervals, participants hyperventilated and exhaled CO2. The increase in V̇CO2 in relation to V̇O2 was significant. While we did not measure the partial pressure of arterial CO2, our results indicated that participants experienced hypercapnia during the five sets of squat exercise. This was demonstrated by the ventilatory efficiency (Supplemental Fig. 2), which showed a continuous increase with successive sets. Diverse breathing techniques employed during squatting may yield varying V̇O2 and V̇CO2 responses.
It is unclear whether training proficiency and subsequent muscular strength are determinants of cardiorespiratory fitness26,27,28,29. Highly trained individuals are accustomed to a higher training intensity and frequency than relatively less-trained individuals, leading to greater neuromuscular output and adaptation30. As such, highly trained individuals can perform a greater volume (load, repetitions, intensity) of squat exercises, which may result in a higher level of V̇O2 than those with low strength during resistance exercise. Interestingly, we observed that the high strength group showed a higher level of V̇O2 (relative; normalized to body weight) at the same relative intensity compared with the low strength group. These results suggest that aerobic demand of resistance exercise may be more evident among individuals with certain levels of resistance training status. In addition, the predetermined V̇O2max level was lower in the high strength group compared to the low strength group, although this difference was not statistically significant. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that all study participants performed the squat exercise at 65% of their individual 1RM. This indicated that the squat load was obviously higher in the high strength group compared to the load used by the low strength group. Therefore, the high strength group may exhibit higher V̇O2 responses compared to the low strength group due to relatively lower aerobic efficiency and/or the absolute training load during exercise in the high strength group. Individuals, who are not accustomed to resistance exercise, may not have the same cardiorespiratory response as observed in our study.
The effort inherent to the execution of squatting exercises at 65% of 1RM, as performed in our study, is submaximal. This relative intensity corresponds to a margin of repetitions that is less than maximal exertion, influencing the V̇O2 observed. Previous research11,31 has established a relationship between the number of repetitions and selected percentages of one repetition maximum in both trained and untrained men. These studies11,31 indicate that the effort required at 65% of 1RM is substantial but not maximal, which aligns with our findings of significant oxygen demand during the exercise intervals. Our study further highlights that the substantial oxygen demand observed during the squatting exercise is influenced by both the training status of the participants and the submaximal nature of the effort. The high strength group demonstrated a higher V̇O2 relative to their V̇O2max compared to the low strength group. This suggests that individuals with higher strength capacity may be able to sustain higher aerobic demands during resistance exercises, even at submaximal intensities.
This study has several limitations. First, the findings of this study are specific to the squat exercise protocol used and cannot be generalized to other resistance exercise protocols, such as chest presses or arm curls. Different volumes (i.e., intensity, repetition, and training load) of squat exercises may result in different outcomes11. Second, nutritional and hydration intakes, which may be potential confounders, were not controlled for in this study. These factors may have impacted the association between squatting and cardiorespiratory outcomes. Lastly, our findings may not be generalizable to wider populations, given that we examined young, healthy, well-trained, male participants only.
Fitness
The three Pilates exercises every beginner should start with, according to an expert instructor
Exercise is good for you. Even in today’s social media-led world of differing opinions, I think most people can agree on that. But experts are often hit with the same question – how much exercise should I be doing?
As with the answer to most fitness questions, it depends. It depends on what your goals are, where your starting point is and your wider situation. However, I still think it’s an important question for the average person to ask.
Why? Because most people are incredibly busy, and fitting your fitness efforts into an already rammed weekly routine can be tricky. Knowing a ball-park figure to aim for, and some tricks for achieving it, can bridge the gap between someone doing no exercise and someone doing some exercise. And as you’ll find out, this can make a significant difference to your health.
So, I spoke with a cohort of industry-leading experts to determine how much exercise the average person should be doing each day for optimal health.
How much exercise should you do each day?
If I could have you take one thing away from this feature, it would be that movement in any form is usually worthwhile. It doesn’t matter if you can’t commit to a full hour in the gym or hit 10,000 steps a day, “every move counts towards better health”, according to the latest World Health Organisation guidelines on physical activity.
Small amounts of movement can have an impressive impact, whether that’s swapping escalators for stairs where possible or squeezing in a five-minute bodyweight workout wherever you can.
I would also suggest establishing weekly targets, rather than daily ones, as this provides more margin for error amid the unpredictability of life, and can better reflect your consistent behaviours over time. Now, over to the experts.
“Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,” says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University.
“For example, even burning 500 kcal per week shows reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive – according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.”
“The same is true for resistance training. Doing only one set of lifting heavy a couple of times per week, to repetition failure, shows benefits to maximum strength that confer benefits to functional performance. But again, doing more than one set is more beneficial in a dose-response way.”
Read more: 21 best men’s gym bags for carrying all your workout kit
Walking
A similar approach can be applied to walking, says Dr Elroy Aguiar, an assistant professor of exercise science in the University of Alabama’s department of kinesiology.
“The research suggests that the ideal combination for getting most benefits would be walking around 7,000 to 8,000 steps per day, in terms of volume, and part of that should include 20 to 30 minutes of walking at 100 to 130 steps per minute or faster,” he explains.
A study by the University of Granada concluded that, “if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps [per day]”, while 8,000 steps would “significantly reduce the risk of premature death”. It found that faster walking has similar benefits too.
“But the new WHO messaging also says that all movement counts to some degree,” Dr Aguiar adds. “Accumulating little bursts of activity throughout the day just to elevate your heart rate and your metabolic rate a little bit – like walking a bit faster or further to your car – still counts in terms of exercise.”
A large meta-analysis published in the European journal of preventive cardiology concluded that there was a significant link between higher step counts and a lower risk of both all-cause mortality (any reason someone might die) and cardiovascular mortality (death due to diseases of the heart and blood vessels).
These benefits could be seen from daily step totals as low as 3,867 for all-cause mortality and 2,337 for cardiovascular mortality – a far cry from 10,000. Better yet, increasing your daily step total by 1,000 “correlated with a significant reduction of all-cause mortality of 15 per cent, and similarly, a 500-step increment correlated with a reduced risk of CV mortality of seven per cent”.
In plain terms: a little movement can do a lot of good. However, as a blanket rule, Dr Aguiar points to the WHO guidelines, which have also been adopted by the NHS.
Physical activity guidelines
“Adults should aim to do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least two days a week,” the NHS website states.
“[They should] do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week, spreading exercise evenly over four to five days a week, or every day.”
The NHS also recommends minimising the time you spend sitting or lying down, and breaking up lengthy sedentary periods with a spot of activity. On the whole, these figures are a good benchmark and worth keeping top of mind.
Strength training
One area I haven’t addressed from these guidelines is strength training. The WHO guidelines highlight that doing this twice per week can yield impressive results and we now know due to recent studies that strength training can be especially beneficial for bone and muscle strength in midlife, as hormones start to change.
“The evidence suggests that lifting weights regularly – a couple of times per week – improves body composition, glucose homeostasis [linked to risk of type 2 diabetes], muscle mass, cognitive function, metabolic processes and mobility,” says Dr Blagrove.
If you’re thinking of committing to a couple of strength training sessions per week, leading strength coach Dan John recommends full-body workouts for the best results. And these can be as short as 10 minutes for beginners.
“The body is one piece,” he says. “For example, walking is not just for your feet or ankles or legs or butt. Walking does marvels for the spinal column. Walking does marvels for the eyes and the vestibular system. It’s a whole-body movement.”
He recommends focussing on “movements, not muscles” and including an element of pushing, pulling, hinging (at the hips), squatting and carrying in each week of your training.
As case studies, he shares two of his favourite quick kettlebell workouts, which cover most bases; the humane burpee and the SparHawk.
Or, if you want more flexibility in your exercise plans, you can combine his three favourite kettlebell exercises – the kettlebell swing, goblet squat and Turkish get-up, or press-up if this last option is too tricky – in any way you want.
“[In a workout, I think doing] 75 swings, 15 goblet squats and 15 press-ups [or 10 Turkish get-ups] circles that near perfect volume load for a new person who’s in some kind of shape,” John says.
Cardiovascular exercise
“The only parameter of fitness that strength training tends not to change is cardiorespiratory function, which aerobic-based exercise is needed for,” says Dr Blagrove.
For those newer to fitness, walking will suffice here. But for anyone who has established a decent base level of cardiorespiratory fitness (the ability of the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to the working muscles), slightly more intense activities like faster-paced running, swimming or cycling might be needed to see improvements in this area.
As for quantity, Dr Blagrove points to research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. This suggests that “endurance performance can be maintained for up to 15 weeks when training frequency is reduced to as little as two sessions per week, or when exercise volume is reduced by a third to two-thirds (as low as 13-26 minutes per session), as long as exercise intensity (exercising heart rate) is maintained”.
In other words, a couple of short sessions each week should be enough to maintain many parameters of cardiorespiratory fitness for most people.
Summary
After speaking with experts at the top of their respective fields, there were clear takeaways. Fitness and longevity can seem like complex subjects and often, the sheer volume of data and advice can be off-putting for the average person. To avoid overcomplicating things, here are the key points you should be bearing in mind when it comes to your daily and weekly exercise.
- All movement counts towards better health – just because you don’t have time to walk 10,000 steps per day, run 10k or spend an hour in the gym, that doesn’t negate the impact of any and all activity you are able to do.
- Incidental movement also counts, whether that’s walking from your car to the office or tidying the house.
- Walking further is better, walking faster is better, and combining the two is best for your health.
- The above message applies to most types of exercise: more is usually better, as are higher intensities, but any amount can be beneficial.
- Walking 8,000 steps per day is optimal if you want to maximise your return on investment (in relation to all-cause mortality).
- Small increases in daily steps have been linked to improved health, with benefits starting at roughly 4,000 steps a day for all-cause mortality and 2,500 for cardiovascular mortality.
- Two short (as low as 10 minutes) full-body strength training workouts each week can be enough to trigger impressive results.
- Two short (13-26-minute) bouts of aerobic activity per week is likely enough to maintain or improve cardiorespiratory fitness in most people.
“My main message is for people to simply pick a sport, exercise or physical activity they enjoy and can consistently adhere to long-term,” Dr Blagrove says.
“There isn’t an exercise type or modality that is ‘best’, or a volume threshold that people should be trying to achieve, like 10,000 steps per day. But doing a small amount of something active most days long-term is better than trying to do excessive amounts short-term then quitting because it feels like a chore.”
Read more: 16 best running shoes for all types of runs, tried and tested by our experts
Harry Potter star Ralph Fiennes has always been admired for his impressive acting skills, but the 62-year-old has now turned heads for an entirely different reason.
The Voldemort actor underwent a total body overhaul ahead of starring in a remake of The Return. His personal trainer Dan Avasilcai put the thespian through five months of training, two of which included a regime of weight training and running combined with a diet rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and vegetables.
Ralph’s trainer shared several photos of Ralph post-transformation on social media, with the actor’s makeover causing a furore among fans, with the star almost unrecognisable from his recent role as Cardinal Lawrence in the political thriller Conclave.
Keen to understand the level of work that goes into Ralph’s epic transformation, we spoke to personal trainer Jack Claxton, who works at David Lloyd Clubs, for his take on Ralph’s new physique.
Ralph Fiennes’ training regime
“The routine to get a physique like Ralph’s would be intense – but that’s what is needed for the consistency and discipline to get your body fat down considerably.”
Jack notes that the amount of work needed to get into Ralph’s shape depends on your starting point. “I would aim for four or five gym sessions a week, mixing strength and an athletic style of training,” Jack suggests.
“The strength training would consist of an upper and lower body split twice a week and a core/cardio type programme to hit the athletic side.”
Ralph’s recovery
Prioritising recovery is essential when working at this level, implores Jack. “Regular visits to a sauna and plunge pool, plus active recovery such as walks and swimming will ensure you don’t get injured and keep your mobility up.”
Strength training in your 60s
In later life, our approach to fitness needs to be different. “In our sixties, we’re not just training for aesthetics, we’re training for longevity and independence,” says GymBox’s Ronni McKay.
“My biggest tip is to skip generic plans. Work with a trainer who understands the unique needs of older adults and build something tailored. People think it’s about doing what you used to do – when it’s really not! It’s about doing what works now – safely and consistently.”
As Jack notes, at 62, a holistic approach to fitness is needed, and most of us won’t be able to plunge into fitness headfirst in Ralph’s way.
© Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2“For a beginner, I’d take a gentler approach of two or three weight training sessions per week,” says Jack.
“For beginners, the exercises would be lower impact but still include resistance training. I would suggest sticking with machines and not overcomplicating the workout with free weights straight away.”
He notes that there should still be an element of cardio, adding: “It’s still important to include something that’s going to improve your VO2 max such as cardio training. To achieve progress, we would recommend an upper body resistance session, a lower body resistance session and a core and steady state cardio session.”
Ronni agrees with the importance of recovery, adding: “For a man in his 60s looking to follow suit, I’d recommend a smart, balanced routine that prioritises strength, mobility, and recovery.
“There should be a focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses,” Ronni continues. “These exercises hit multiple muscle groups and build functional strength. Add in isolation work to support joint health and build shape. Daily mobility drills (even just five to 10 minutes) can make a huge difference in how you move and feel.
Whether Ralph has kept up his intense regime, we’ll have to wait and see…
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