Critical Mass: Starting with Endurance
A tale as old as time, how much mass is too much, and how lean is too lean?
"Fatigue makes cowards of us all."
~ Vince Lombardi / George Patton
Confirmation biases are a real struggle. People tend to get stuck trying to justify or trick themselves into doing more of what they're already good at. Runners want to run, lifters want to lift, fighters want to fight, climbers want to climb, etc.
There’s a lot of buzz in the health and fitness space about strength training and sprinting for longevity. I don’t disagree with that, but I do think the emphasis is somewhat misplaced.
I say this exceedingly begrudgingly. I like to lift. I hate to run.
That’s exactly the point. For years (decades?) I fought the idea, citing literature and peer reviewed studies (as many do) regarding HIIT and VO2max. However, no amount of intensity will ever make up for a lack of volume.
Even Louie and the boys at Westside Barbell deduced a conclusion of “if you want to be strong, you need to be in shape.” From a practical perspective, this highlights that all recovery is fundamentally aerobic — whether it’s between reps, sets, rounds, sessions, days, or cycles.
It also highlights that humans are fundamentally aerobic creatures. How strong are you if you’re not breathing? We understand this quite well in grappling. Physicality does matter. It is a weapon. People become desperate and weak when you suffocate them.
critical mass
noun
The smallest mass of a fissionable material that will sustain a nuclear chain reaction at a constant level.
The total mass of matter needed to generate sufficient gravitational force to halt the current expansion of the universe.
An amount or level needed for a specific result or new action to occur.
This post isn’t about gas exchange and energy systems entirely. It’s about the trade offs between building mass and cutting fat. The same confirmation bias and avoidance of discomfort exists here too.
Many people seem to always be trying to get leaner, or the opposite, they’ve been on a year(s) long (dirty) bulk phase.
To figure out which you’re more susceptible to, simple ask yourself:
What have I spent the last 12 weeks training?
If it had no bearing on future outcomes, what would I prefer to spend the next 12 weeks training?
Obesity is at epidemic levels in America and is a risk factor for virtually all disease — a case for cutting. However, not only are people overly fat, but they are also under muscled — a case for hypertrophy.
One way to conceptualize this trade off is that muscle tissue is a “sink” for oxygen. That means that it increases theoretical or total oxygen update (i.e. VO2max). However, practicality remains a separate issue. In/efficiency is an inevitable question as that same tissue will require more oxygen to operate.
For some, this comes down to personal preference and competition objectives — back to runners running and lifters lifting.
But, what about the general public? What about grappling and combat sports? For either, “functional” training comes down to “carrying your own engine.” How far or how fast will require individualized answers.
To solidify my point, ask your local gear-head whether it’s harder to cram (A) more fuel, or (B) more oxygen into an internal combustion engine?
Spoiler, it’s B.
The big questions then are:
How lean is too lean (where I’m depleted and performance declines)?
How much mass is too much (where inefficiencies accumulate)?
Some body fat is essential for life (about 3-5% for men). The average for Olympic boxing, wrestling, and taekwondo is 10% (ref.), so 3x essential body fat is a fair reference range in my opinion — 9-15%.
It’s important note that statures and frames vary widely. You see a lot more people at that lower range weighing 150 lbs. versus 250 lbs; which illustrates a later point.
Obviously, if you get winded tying your shoes, your quality of life probably sucks. Alternatively, not many people need to or are even capable of pushing their VO2max into the 80s (the world record is 97.5 (ref.)).
For a better reference range, the average (male) UFC fighter has a VO2max of 58 - 68 (ref.) while Olympic boxers and wrestlers clock in at 50 - 60 (ref., ref.). Garmin says that for me, a 30 - 39 year old male, 48.3 would be “excellent” and 54+ would be “superior.”
If I can (aerobically) keep up with an Olympic boxer / wrestler a nip the heels of a UFC fighter, I’m quite satisfied. To be fair, there’s probably not much benefit beyond that 50-54 mark either.
That brings us back to “when do I need to start cutting”? The answer is, when (A) body fat exceeds an acceptable threshold or (B) when VO2max falls under an acceptable threshold.
What does this look like from a practical standpoint then?
If I can control my breathing / heart rate for 1-2 hours of continuous movement, I’m confident recovery won’t be a limiting factor in my desire to train strength.
If I can confidently move intervals of my bodyweight (e.g. bench 1xBW, squat 2xBW) I have more confidence in my physical robustness and resilience (ref.).
While a large part of strength gains are neurological, at certain thresholds more mass is required to move more mass (strongmen lifting Volkswagens and pulling firetrucks don’t weigh 150 lbs.).
If hypertrophy is my goal, it’s important to know that I don’t build strength (myofibrillar) or mass (sarcoplasmic) while training. It’s done while I’m resting and recovering and aerobic efficiency will reduce the time required to do that.