And just like that, this thread is over. As usual you had some amazing questions which allowed me to broaden the horizon in terms of what we know.

A big "Thank You!" to everyone who took part in this.

Until next time, stay safe, stay true and stay awesome.

Hahahahahaha GiorgosD. Trust you to ask a question that requires a lot of answering.

So, here goes. The debate (if any debate is being had at all) between walking and other forms of CV has to do with intensity vs duration. Is 100m sprinted ten times equal to 1km ran once? The answer is, obviously, no. To understand why we can't easily substitute duration for intensity consider, again, the example of 100m sprinted 10 times. The physiological (and psychological) pressure applied on us by each activity is different and the physiological adaptations that result from that are also different.

So, to get back to the specifics of your question: Can you chunk up the one and a half hours of walking into shorter chunks and maybe up the intensity during at least some of them so you still make the total time? Yes, you can. Is it the same? No, it is not. Is it better or worse? No one can answer that, exactly. It is different.

Every time we exercise, even for a minute, we create a massive number of neurochemical changes in our bloodstream and in our gut. These, in turn, affect our hormonal profile and the way the body manages the energy that is available to it and this, in turn, creates neurobiological changes in us which lead to longer lasting physical adaptations. Consider that, all things being equal, we are in a different emotional, psychological and biological phase in different parts of the day.

During exercise the brain is in communication with different organs which also 'talk' to the body and each other. This creates a complex web of interactions which is why it is so hard to be prescriptive with exercise plans. What works for one person does not, necessarily, work for another.

The trick, always, is to move your body and do the best you can sustainably. So, if you workout a 'plan' that allows you to do that go for it. There is no perfect and everything is a compromise of some kind. The magic is to do things sustainably.

I hope this helps.

Damer I have a question about walking (regarding monthly challenge but trying to generalize for everyday use). If I am at last day where I get to walk 1h30, can I break it down into two 45' walks or three 30'? I am pretty sure I can maintain higher speed that way and it fits my working/house choring schedule. In general, are shorter walks equally beneficial for CV and calorie burn, considering we keep same total duration? Does it really help if I walk shortly after eating?

The pressure, the pressure! But no, I think I'm done. For this time.

Thanks Damer, that does answer! And it makes perfect sense!

I will keep this open until tomorrow so any questions that occur to you, now's the time to bring them up.

GiorgosD how hard we breathe is the only reliable determinant of how energy-intensive a workout is. If you breathe hard doing eliptical it is working.

Anek not a silly question at all. With every workout and every program we create we balance intensity, duration and volume. We generally know that time is something no one has enough of. So duration is restricted out of necessity. Volume is also restricted. In the early days of DAREBEE we had more volume-focused workouts with a lot higher repetitions. We then found, as we expanded our trials with more groups that not everyone can do those volumes and we were cutting out beginners (some times) and older people.

So, we changed approach. Depending on what muscle groups are being worked and the overall synthesis of the workout we tend to, on occasion, repeat the first set of reps exactly. This quickly induces fatigue and better activates adaptations that need to occur without, however, being so difficult that beginners or older people cannot join in.

I hope this answers your question.

CaptainCanuck bridges. We used to do a lot of bridges to coordinate the arms/legs push as you push off with your arms and, at the same time, tuck in your feet so you land on them. And, as I am writing this, I am thinking it's been years since I did bridge exercises.

Damer I am not sure if I will ever do one, but from what I have read, they require an explosive movement by your feet off the ground, so stuff like crunch kick, reverse planks and butt ups all look like they would be good. Not exactly sure how to work the arms though, because that is an odd angle.

Thanks again, Damer. That really helps with my new plans - going to have to rewrite some things.

Damer thanks so much for answering thoroughly both my questions!

I experimented with 15 kg weight plate as KB in gym to see how it goes, and I was able to finish two 8' sets, and gassed out in the middle of third (30" on, 30" off programming). I was breathing heavily, truth be told, but couldn't tell if it will have similar CV adaptation as sprints or jump rope (some fighters and coaches claim so). I do 20-22 swings per 30" with 15kg, is it good or not for VO2 max training (I remember that's the case with anaerobic training???)

A lot of people are telling me that elliptical is very easier for aerobic system, thus burning lot less than running, but I breathe quite heavy, with an already very good CV foundation. Why is that? I always try my hardest when shadowfight (multiple attackers scenario) so can I assume I can compare it with an 8-10' mile?

Thanks a million again!!!

I have a maybe silly question: why are the repetitions in for example Ironborn day 29 side raises: 8-8-7-5, instead of 8-7-6-5? Is there a science reason behind?
My orderly brains thinks that a regular decrease in number should be better, but maybe that's just mild OCD
Thanks!

facuzayas DAREBEE is the result of neilarey's vision to make exercise accessible to everyone, everywhere. Some of her guiding vision can be found here. We generally sum it up with "Fitness is a right, not a privilege." It shouldn't require having a lot of money for gym memberships and fancy clothes or special equipment or be privileged enough to live near gyms or have lots of space in order to get healthier and feel stronger. Everyone on the team is guided by that same vision.

Because we place the needs of those who come to DAREBEE first we also don't do the usual sponsored posts, merchandise and adverts routine. Everything here is for the people who come to DAREBEE and they are central to everything else we do.

GiorgosD both are fine, equally, as they depend on the person's ability to maintain intensity. If, for instance, you do 30 minutes of shadow boxing which requires you to throw a combination of fast punches, use head and body evasions and ducking and completely activates your core plus throws your body weight, with each punch, and you twist on the balls of your feet and you do not, in all that time, slacken the pace, then you have a heck of an energy-intensive workout on your hands.

Elliptical is probably easier because once you set the level of difficulty you can't slack off, you have to maintain it regardless.

I hope this helped.