This correlates with my personal experience. Lifting is a good idea, but my optimum for it is perhaps once a week, else I fall into overtraining. The rest of the time when I want to exercise mild cardio seems more beneficial.
It's also been proven that HIIT is much more beneficial for your system than LISS.
It might "seem" more beneficial to you, but likely is not more beneficial than the alternatives. However, something is definitely better than nothing, and do what works for you and makes you happy.
Source? What is your definition of 'better?' The context is in longevity, and my link offers some evidence against your statement, so I think you should provide some source for your claim that HIIT is consistent with living longer than LISS because that's not what I've seen published in the last 10 years.
I've competed now in three separate strength sports (powerlifting, strongman, olympic lifting). There isn't a single person on any competitive circuit that only lifts weights once every 8 days. You might be getting strong for you. You started in March, so you are on the ultra-beginner slope that means you can basically do any training in existence and make gains. That will steadily slow.
Regarding a definition of "strong", there are many, but the one most people in the strength industry agree on is:
* 2.5x bodyweight dead lift
* 2x bodyweight full squat
* 1.5x bodyweight bench
* 1x bodyweight standing strict overhead press
No offense to the one person you read, but hundreds of years of strength athletes are on the side of lifting weights multiple times per week.
I have actually read more than one "person". McGuff actually has some credibility, and cites many scholarly articles in his book. However his method is not aimed at competitive weightlifters, which suits me as I don't have hours to spend at the gym every week, or a desire to get huge. I do expect to be stronger than approximately 99% of my peers by the end of the year though, which in my book is a bit better than "strong for me".
Yes, but you said a workout every 8 days was optimum. I'm saying that's completely bad information. You don't have to compete to learn from people who compete.
You wouldn't learn an optimal golf swing from someone who only plays mini-golf at an arcade would you? No, you'd look at the true greats in the game.
Here are just a few people to read instead of McGuff, all of who have some actual strength credentials.
* Wendler
* Coan
* Rippetoe
* Dan John
* Pavel
* Abadjiev
* KilgoreHow much do people consider body shape when looking at those numbers?
The big criticisms of this kind of training would be:
1.) athleticism (he recommends machines, but free weights and calisthenics--replacing lat pulls with pull ups, muscle ups, etc is much better for athleticism)
2.) strength (he recommends machines, no momentum in movements, long recovery periods... this is basically how bodybuilders train to build the most muscle, but power lifters and athletes will optimize for maximum power, which includes momentum in their movements, and more endurance in their muscles)
3.) cardio/weight loss (you will burn more calories and build better cardio with higher volume, repitions)
4.) Injury (machines, low reps, high weights, all increase risk of injury)