This thought has always been in my mind but I disregarded it because of the "fear factor" of cardio as known by the average body builder trying to keep all muscle while dieting down. Here's an article I found and it helps me reason for adding the training I am currently performing:

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When Fitness Means Life or Death

Are you fit enough to save your own life?
That’s the premise of a new reality show from Discovery Health that premieres tonight. Called “Fit to Live,” it’s based on Dr. Pamela Peeke’s book of the same name and raises the question of whether you have the strength, endurance and agility to escape a natural disaster, flee a burning building or pull your family from a wrecked car.


Fitness isn’t about working out at the gym or running a marathon, notes Dr. Peeke, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and chief medical correspondent for Discovery Health Television. Fitness is important for coping with life’s emergencies, big and small, whether it’s running to make an airport connection or fleeing a burning building.


“Fit to Live” joins a series of reality-meets-health TV shows like ABC’s “Fat March” and NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” But this show isn’t a weight-loss contest. It’s a fitness test to determine if someone, whether they are skinny or fat, is in good enough shape to save their own life. In the show, five average people are given 10 minutes to escape a simulated fire in a 30-floor building. During the simulated emergency, they find stairways blocked and “bodies” to rescue, and none of them can make it to safety on the roof. “They all died,'’ noted Dr. Peeke. After undergoing a month of basic fitness and health habits, the contestants retake the test.


While this may sound far-fetched, I can personally attest that fitness counts in an emergency. On September 11, 2001, I was on the ninth floor of the World Financial Center, which was just across the street from the World Trade Center. After the second plane struck the Trade Center, my building was evacuated. A nine-floor descent doesn’t sound like much, but my group was stuck behind a slow-moving overweight woman. It took what seemed like forever to get out, and it was truly frightening. The evacuation was far more challenging for the people several floors above us.


Dr. Peeke notes that the television show focuses on escaping a burning building, but the real message is about the importance of fitness to cope with life’s everyday emergencies, like sprinting for a train or catching your dog when it escapes.


“When people think of fitness, they think of athletes and bulging biceps and running to the gym and doing squats,'’ said Dr. Peeke. “What I’m trying to do is get people strong enough to be able to survive 21st-century living.

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“Fit to Live” premieres on the Discovery Health Channel tonight at 8 p.m. (check your local listings). For more information and the repeat schedule, visit the Discovery Health Web site.

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Being a father, a parent, there is something always in the back of your mind, "What if...?" To take that step a little farther, a wife, a mate, a close relative, a friend, "What if...?"

Supplement for thought.

Frank,

I agree with you on cardio year round. I try not to do to much as I want to be able to create a deficit when I start a contest diet, but some days Ill do 20 mins low intensity and some days 20 mis interval training.

Not only does it help maintain sub 10% bodyfat I see no hinderance in strength gains, which to me says Im on the right track to lbm gains.

Now if I overdo it when I play soccer and dont refuel my body with A LOT of calories, then the next day my strength is down and I just posted about this in this section.

Good article Frank! I myself HATE cardio and will almost never do it... I will have to through some more in the routine. I usually go to the track on Sundays during the summer/spring time and run 40 yard sprints instead of going to the gym to do hamstrings. So that kind of counts as a interval cardio?

I like to walk on the treadmil while I watch "Harold & Kumar Go to WhiteCastle", but that is a 25-30 mins brisk walking maybe 2 times a week.... guess I'll have to up it a little bit.

quote:

Originally posted by ChunkyButt:
Good article Frank! I myself HATE cardio and will almost never do it... I will have to through some more in the routine. I usually go to the track on Sundays during the summer/spring time and run 40 yard sprints instead of going to the gym to do hamstrings. So that kind of counts as a interval cardio?

I like to walk on the treadmil while I watch "Harold & Kumar Go to WhiteCastle", but that is a 25-30 mins brisk walking maybe 2 times a week.... guess I'll have to up it a little bit.

I do my low intensity while watching pumping iron at 6AM in the morning. well I have a few bb movies that I alternate between, nothing better than that when you are trying to get ripped...course I save this for precontest, need my sleep now:-) Post workout is all I do right now as prescribed above.