This is a really interesting question and one that I am regularly asked by people looking to get in good shape. Unfortunately, like nearly every question about health and fitness the answer I usually give is, it depends. We are all individually unique with our needs and where we are at with our health and fitness journey so the timing of when to really up the intensity with your cardio training efforts will vary significantly from person to person. You have to appreciate that this type of training is very stressful to the body and problems can easily arise if you are not moving correctly to begin with, or if you have significant weaknesses present. I have found that cardio training tends to be highly over-rated in terms of the rewards it provides to the body and as a result it is regularly over-used and even abused often leading to chronic injuries that could have been avoided if a better plan was put in place. In this article, I will explain how I know when the time is right to shift my training focus to higher intensity type of cardiovascular training.

I cannot tell you how many people I have met over the past 18 years who have come to see me for help with a chronic hip or shoulder problem that had evolved into a much bigger problem that it should have. These were mainly due to treatments that focused on pain relief instead of correcting the underlying cause. In almost every one of these cases the treatment consisted of cortisone injections into the injured area followed by rest. Some were told to see a physio for some treatment but many were told that they will need a few injections over the coming months to get rid of the inflammation and the hip or shoulder would be “fixed”. I am astounded that with all the advancements in modern technology and science, and the ability to access information that can provide great insights into what causes injuries that this is the most consistent course of action. Very rarely does this work and if anything all it is likely to achieve is make the injury worse! In this article, I will explain why this approach to shoulder and hip pain is flawed and what approach is more effective in the long term.

A question I was asked recently was, “Why do you prefer teaching deadlifts before squats?" Many of your articles and videos you mention this but do not explain why this is the case?” This is a very good question and there is a good reason why I often do say this, although I will say it is not a hard and fast rule I always stick to as there are many times I do teach both movements at the same time. Perhaps one of the main reasons I do this is that I see so many people with injuries and problems with the hips, knees, and lower back and usually the movement that creates the most pain and discomfort is the squat. However, the deadlift at times is equally as painful to learn yet I still persist in teaching this movement so this is not the only factor. In this article, I will explain the multiple reasons behind this philosophy and begin to see the long term benefit from learning this way.