Stair Climber Quotes

I trained. I punished myself. I thought making myself suffer on a day-to-day basis would prepare me for climbing hard at high altitude. I slept on the floor. I carried ice in my bare hands. I beat them against the concrete just to see if I could handle it. I never missed an opportunity to train. I ran stairs until I vomited, then ran more. I ruined relationships to get used to the feeling of failure and sacrifice (it was much easier than holding on). I trained in the gym on an empty diet to learn how far I could push myself without food or water. I imitated and plagiarized the heroes who lived and died before me. I spoke only strong words and ignored weakness at every turn. I subdued my fears. I was opinionated and direct. I became a man either well loved or truly hated. I was ready for anything.

While cardiovascular fitness is still important, high-intensity cardio training tends to stress our adrenals, which then produce cortisol in response. And as I explained in the previous chapter, cortisol leads to weight gain, particularly around your middle. Rather than going as hard as you can to sweat as much as you can for as long as you can on a run or on the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, or bike for a high-intensity cardio workout, you want to aim for what’s known as Zone 2: a moderate-intensity cardio. Zone 2 is the sweet spot where your body is burning fat and not tipping you into a stress response. Moderate-intensity cardio also stimulates your mitochondria, the powerhouses of your cells, which you want to stay strong, because when their function declines, aging tends to accelerate.6