Cardio Training for Kettlebell Lifters
Ivan Denisov, 2024 [Machine Assisted Translation]
[Transcription of a video posted on Ivan’s Youtube channel, @ivandenisovkettlebellclub This material has been reproduced exclusively for educational purposes as allowed by the Fair Use Doctrine under U.S. Law]
For Ivan, cardio is defined as long duration work that causes oxygen-transport system overload. If your muscles get tired, this isn’t cardio. Cardio tires you out “internally.” Corresponding to this, work with a high heartrate isnt general cardio, it is specific. You can do cardio at low or high heartrate - Zone 1 or Zone 3.
Zone 1 - Low heartrate working zone is 120-140 bpm. This can shift higher or lower depending on your level of training, and also varies based on what exercise you are doing. Bicycle can be 120, running 140, rowing 145, snatch 150. Regardless, if you are moving freely and not hammering your muscles, you are in this zone.
The benefit of Zone 1 is the restorative effect of low-intensity cardio. In this zone, physical energy is created by burning fats and sugars, in the so-called “oxidative process.” Burning sugars is 15x more efficient than burning fats. The body has a large supply of these resources so we can work in the low intensity zone for a long time without tiring the muscles. In this zone, spent lactic acid is restored, and the capilarry network is developed to transport oxygen in the blood.
The high heartrate/high intensity zone is called Zone 3. This happens when we accelerate as in a sprint. The most important benefit is the adaptation to working under high heartrates. It’s hard mentally to sustain effort at a high intensity. If your mind adapts to it, you can maintain power longer, this is advantageous in kettlebell lifting. Additionally, the energy systems developed in Zone 3 are specific to working at a high heartrate. When you are consuming oxygen as fast as you can ingest it, it feels like you are suffocating. In conditions of oxygen starvation, mechanisms for increasing your v02-max are activated and developed - the body is forced to adapt via lung function, blood/oxygen capacity, and even on the mitochondrial level. If you have good adaptation to Zone 1 work only, you will be comfortable at low heartrates, but it doesn’t carry over to high intensity work.
Ivan is often asked about improving “recovery.” Primarily, this is worked on via high volume cardio at low intensity (Zone 1). You can’t do high volumes with high intensity, because the muscles get tired and you will break mentally. The more volume you can handle, the faster the recovery process.
Even if you can handle a good amount of high intensity work, you will get burned out. This happens because lactic acid is produced in Zone 3, but consumed and processed into energy only in Zone 1.
Historically, there were 5 intensity zones. Ultralight (110-120), Easy (120-140), Moderate (130-150), Submaximal (155-170), Maximum (175-220). The range can change depending on training- beginners lower, professionals higher. Ivan’s Maximum zone at his competitive peak was 190-240, he states that at 190bpm he felt “kind of great.”
In modern physiology, heartrate zones are separated into 1, 2, and 3. Zone 1 - fats and sugars are burned (“oxidized”) to produce energy. Zone 2 works both slow and fast-twitch muscle fibers in combination, usually at a pulse of 140-170. Zone 3 (170+) is when the lactic acid system takes over. The Fast-twitch muscle fibers are driven by lactic acid.
Both slow and fast-twitch muscles are always working, but different modes of effort activate them. Ivan uses the example of holding his wristwatch stationary - he has to use only the exact amount of muscle necessary, this is slow-twitch only.
An important consideration is how to maintain strength while working high volume cardio - it’s challenging to achieve in Ivan’s experience. Maintaining strength regardless of the intensity zone of the work. He claims this is the most important element in all kettlebell training. We will revisit it later [in a different video].
Which exercises are good for cardio? Firstly, only do things you are already good at. If you are trying to learn something new during cardio workouts, your movements will be uncoordinated and you will tire yourself out by moving inefficiently, rather than by appropriate cardio work.
In some types of cardio it’s acceptable to have short pauses between work. This lets the muscles alternate between load and rest. This means team sports can be used for cardio, but only if you aren’t standing around waiting for the ball to come to you - in this case the pauses are too long. Soccer and basketball are good options.
Kettlebell lifters have to keep in mind the possibility of injury in team sports, by collisions or tripping, or jamming a finger with the ball. You can sprain an ankle hiking or break your collarbone bicycling (especially with clipless pedals). Injuries can happen anywhere, so you need to be aware. Driving a car is probably the most unsafe type of transport, but people usually don’t think about the risks. Don’t worry too much, because you might manifest trouble into your life by overthinking.
So, running, bicycle, swimming, cross-country skiing, rowing are all good options, but also kettlebell lifting. Note that if you perform various exercises with a light kettlebell it can be cardio work. A simple example - 10 reps OALC each hand, then 10/10 snatch, 10 2hand Swings, 10 half-squat, deadlift, then repeat. If it is done with light weight, nonstop, and your heartrate is Zone 1, it turns out that you are doing “cyclical” cardio. Cyclical work has the advantage over team sports in that you work more gently. There is less strain on the body than if you were playing basketball where at some point you will have to sprint, perform explosive movements, and intermittently raise your heartrate.
Cardio can be any action whatsoever - any work of long duration that doesn’t kill your muscles. You can only sustain large volumes of cardio work in Zone 1, or at most Zone 2. The trend of modern elite athletes is to only work in either the 1st or 3rd zone. Either we work cardio in the Light zone, or we work intensely in the competitive zone. Ivan says he doesn’t know if this is correct or not, but research has shown that athletes make 90% of their gains in Zone 1 and 10% in Zone 3, and that there isn’t much benefit in the transitional Zone. Importantly, this only has to do with professional sports training. It’s not relevant to beginners who have only been training a few months.
“This is the world of professional sports, and you don’t need to compare yourself with pros. Many people will watch professional workouts and try to imitate the volume. There’s no need to go wild, you have to gradually increase your physical capability. So start with 20-30 minutes a day. Stability is the only sign of mastery, and you can only achieve results with stable and systematic workouts. In order to force the body to adapt the load on oxygen transport systems has to be constant (daily). Take the large lung capacity of wind-instrument musicians. It’s built by constant breath work.”
Professional athletes have a mental switch, like a “lightswitch” which allows them to enter Zone 3. Most famous athletes know how to use this. You turn it on and you are ready to go all-out, to the death. It’s an important capability for competitors. You have tunnel vision and only see the goal ahead of you. This mode really develops the Zone 3 energy systems.
Another question, is it possible to go without cardio? Sometimes in the gym you find people who never do it. They exist, but in most cases they compensate somehow with easy work that they don’t realize is cardio. For example someone working in a warehouse, he says he doesn’t do cardio, but he’s carrying boxes all day and constantly moving, constantly physically active. Then there are IT workers who sit at a keyboard all day, and try to compare themselves with those who move on a regular basis. Another example is a trainer in the weightroom, they are constantly demonstrating and correcting form - this is work in the “Ultra-light” cardio zone too. We have to consider the entire load throughout the rhythm of life - maybe you walk 15 minutes to the bus stop, or 40 minutes to the office. The person who walks to work says “I don’t need cardio.” But they are still burning excess lactic acid in Zone 1.
Ivan notes he personally likes doing cardio because it is restorative. He was mainly interested in high-intensity work, but maybe - he says - this was to his detriment. But he was capable of doing it, so he did a large amount and found it interesting.
Another question, isn’t cardio boring? If you compare it with basketball of course it is. But if it is boring, why do so many people skii or do triathlon? Ivan considers it like Meditation.
“You gain energy when you are alone and fighting with yourself, breathing evenly. Afterwards you feel excellent, your energy is replenished. Especially 2 or 3 hours on roller skiis, you cant get through it without meditation. In the first 10km your mind is racing, but afterwards time goes faster and faster as you come to a meditative state where you are running on autopilot. The feeling of accomplishment in completing a race or a certain distance is also very important. This is Energy work and it’s what distinguishes cyclic long-term work from the usual basketball, soccer and so on.”
Ivan likes to use roller-skis. For heavy people (he is 115kg) it’s not possible to run for 90 minutes, but skiing is no problem. Another advantage is you get to enjoy the scenery. You have to actually go somewhere, it doesn’t have to be a treadmill or rowing machine. Cardio is about overcoming mental blocks, and when you are stationary it’s more difficult to get accustomed to the effort. That’s the essence of this meditation. Simple walks are ideal. Nordic skiing (or roller-skiing) is good, because ski poles connect the large muscle groups, so you work more efficiently. You do need decent skiis, and technical ability, for it to be a good choice for cardio. If it’s fun for you, it gives you a certain advantage.
[Finally, Ivan brings up sports “nutrition” by which he means supplements. He sells them on his website so I’m not sure if this section is an ad.]
First, L-Carnitine. It helps break down fatty acids and makes them more available as fuel for cardio work.
Next is Beta-Alanine. It has gained popularity in the last 15 years. It speeds up peripheral circulation. If your body itches, you can tell it is working. Use it in combination with Creatine to help spread the supplement throughout the muscles. Beta-alanine is effective in developing the capillary network.
Next is Citruline, it has the almost the same effect on peripheral circulation. There are some OTC analogues but supplements are generally cheaper.
Taurine helps your nervous system work. Ivan doesn’t know how effective it is, but he assumes it wouldn’t sell well if it didn’t. It’s like Citruline in that it helps you recover faster and have more energy.
Creatine has the same effect. It also accelerates recovery. Creatine is a shuttle that carries ATP into the muscle - the more Creatine you have, the more ATP is available. So strength and strength-endurance is increased. Also your strength recovery is faster because you have higher ambient levels.
Glutamine. Bodybuilders use it in high doses, it is an antioxidant. B vitamins are also useful, as are “Isotonic gainers.”
Glucose gels, such as long distance runners use. Glucose is quickly absorbed by the body, so you can continue to work without a decrease in power.
Potassium/Magnesium is another antioxidant, it is good for heart health. It helps to alkalize the body. Some athletes use OTC drugs such as Panangin (potassium/magnesium), Asparkam (potassium/magnesium), or Riboxin (?). These support the heart and help cardio recovery.
Ivan recommends protein supplements. After you work out you need to replenish amino acids, often dietary protein doesn’t provide enough, so you become overworked and can’t train the next day. 2g/kg protein is sufficient, Whey protein. Many recommend mixing it with milk but it’s inconvenient unless you have a cow at home. Just use water.
“Charge yourself with positivity, charge your muscles with energy, and of course don’t forget to train. Supplements are great but if you don’t pay enough attention to training, then supplements or even some prohibited drugs won’t help you at all. Lift kettlebells well, be healthy, and good luck to everyone.”