Synergy 2006

The Aerobic (Cardio) Myth

David Landau
www.RationalExercise.com
The true field of dreams, beyond the shadow of a doubt, involves the mania of aerobics or commonly known today as
cardio (cardiovascular exercise). Cardio is a word form, a convenient expression of physical fitness that has been
accepted at face value from the very beginning. Here is the pinnacle of fitness that guarantees promises it can never
keep. Cardiovascular fitness commonly is confused with cardiovascular health, and along with that we have an
overabundance of ridiculous claims. It is here the consumer is attacked from every angle, always promised results in an
impossible hurry. The media literally has taken the ball and run with this no pun intended. Daily musings of the
aerobics/cardio appear in magazines from fashion to muscle and television shows. And so, with the help of broadcast
journalism, media hype, and pseudoscience, it totally has been ingrained in mainstream as a certain requirement for life
and the way to combat moderate to extensive obesity.
Conveniently, aerobics from the beginning was tailor-made at a time that was ripe for the taking. The name itself, at the
time of its inception, had certain magnetism. For the story is told that the original title and concept for the book was
outright replaced to a made up word Aerobics, (taken from the word Aerobic, meaning in the presence of oxygen) in
the favor of the original company that published the book. This was a time and era in the late 1960s when this country
was in the scientific space age, and it sounded so technical, and so the name stuck. Therefore, the name Aerobics, the
pseudo-scientific dogmatic approach to exercise was, by chance, instituted at the right time and the right place. This
country had not seen anything like it yet, and its originator, one Kenneth Cooper knew it, and it was his time to save us.
Nevertheless, there are millions and millions of dollars that have been spent in the direction of the promotion of this
outright clever vogue, and billions are made as a result. The media is clever in portraying glamorous advertising that
promises its victims notions based purely on redundant and phony belief systems. There always are the promises of fat
burning zones, healthy hearts, and perpetual youth, and these are among a whole slew of the myths associated with our
famed cardio. But, unfortunately, much of this hype has been pushed, published, and exposed to individuals who are
willing to spend huge sums of money for products, programs, and devices with, again, nothing but marketing and
promotion behind them. The publicity then is portrayed cleverly, like a love fantasy in a romantic novel but,
unfortunately, when you are finished with it the reality within you again sets in.
This plight has led millions of Americans to follow the ritual of Cardio or heart rate pounding activities that have
become a guilt-ridden dependency; it truly is habit forming. It becomes a means to no end, and there are potential
possibilities of taking it a bit too far. This behavior eventually can become a habitual addiction to bodily exertions. Over
twenty years ago the Washington Post had a questionnaire: Do you know if you are an exercise addict? The following
questions were asked:
1) Do you feel anxious or guilty if you miss one day of exercise..even if you have a good reason?
2) Does your exercise routine often make you late for work or meetings?
3) Does exercise take precedence over relationships with people?
4) Do you continue your exercise routine when you are injured or sick?
5) Do you ignore family members criticisms about the effect your exercise routine has on them?
6) Do you feel as if your body is falling apart if you miss one days exercise?
If you answered yes, you can be considered a borderline exercise (aerobics) addict. Your dreams can really become a
delusional nightmare.

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The general physical adaptations of your body have been developed through physical education, sports participation,
and natural maturation from years gone by. Having raised a family or followed a career to new heights, you now are
looking to fill that void. You hear the only solution is to join a gym. The scenario is as described: You immediately seek
the group that is made up of peers. Then you enter into the trap in any of todays modern health clubs, as you likely are
pointed in the direction of and are told to join an activity class of dance or some type of aerobics. To the dismay of
reality, you are doomed to make the same mistake as others before you. Any of the activity classes with which you will
be involved will not allow for potential changes that your instructor enamored you with in trying to accomplish. Your
chosen activities likely are to involve movements that are extremely fast and highly repetitive. Therefore, they lack any
of the calculated progression that the body requires. Then you try and compete with others, and even yourself. You
become caught on a treadmill and you will be spinning your wheels as there is but a slight miniscule of change to
your body, if any. Actually, you may be no better than you were when you started, and likely worse for the wear. Your
contest becomes a mirage, so to speak. The results are like a finish line to a race, but once you seem to approach the
tape, it is gone.
The bottom line is that you should not be subjecting your self to a mindless endurance contest. On the contrary, the truth
is that these activities simply do not stimulate any of the valuable changes that potentially exist in exercise. Most people
involved with these pursuits never will understand that, and simply will refuse to believe it. The bodies of evidence
say otherwise. There recently were one thousand women interviewed by an author on exercise, and they were asked
whether their bodies improved in the process of their aerobic/cardio endeavors, and the resounding answer was always
no! And so, the promises are there, but the results are extremely elusive.
Most people will say, of course, that the main focus of it all is to have fun, as the entertaining cardio choices are
plentiful and, as well, as alluring. Fun will not get the job done, unless it is in its proper perspective, which is the end
result, the enjoyment of obtaining undeniable and positive physical changes to the body. This exercise should be called
exertainment, as a former colleague once said to me. Fun and personal enjoyment should be understood as a personal
right and choice, where there are plainly hundreds of many other activities outside the realm of cardiovascular
recreation from which to choose. But the fitness crusaders continue to cause a stir and lure people to the latest in
fashionable exercise, or attempt to persuade the public to be associated with the in crowd. Peer pressure prevails and,
therefore, your exercise becomes a social spectacle and you will become lost among the many. What you have done in
the past for pure enjoyment, such as sports, dance, and recreation becomes the latest fad exercise. There are so many
canned activities to choose from, it will make your head spin. There always certainly seems to be something that will
match a persons inner desires and put a tingle the toes.
We have choices of Latin Dance, Boxing Aerobics, Treadmills designed for water, as well as land, Stationary bikes that
have one in pretense of being in the Tour de France, Cardio Strip Tease (use your imagination), and any type of
endurance folly that you could slap a fancy name to. Just when you think that the madness has finally slowed, there is
another new trendy cardio craze to replace these old and outmoded ones. TV infomercials, fashion magazines, and
muscle journals again are quick to expand on this nonsense. It does not stop with the human element. It has gotten so
bad that it once was reported in California that an athletic center with treadmills, swimming pools, and personal trainers
was open strictly for the canine population. Thats right; you dont have to take your dog out for a walk anymore, just
put him on a treadmill. At least the dog may revolt against such nonsense, whereas most people will not. Yes, the
aerobics/cardio cult becomes rather far reaching. It promises that return to glory, but they never quite have enough
evidence to back it.

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Arthur Jones on DVD!

For the first time, selections of rare video footage have been
retrieved from archival storage and transferred to DVD. Now you
can own a piece of fitness history, to understand and witness the
man and his work.
Several titles are available, including:
Nautilus Volume #1
Nautilus Volume #2
Nautilus Volume #3
Nautilus Seminar with Arthur Jones 1982
Medicine Man Series (Interviews with Arthur Jones)
Complete Ellington Darden Series
1965 Arthur Jones Show (6 Episodes)
Mike Mentzer Posing in Nantucket
And More

For further details, contact David Landau, Fitness Historian,

by e-mailing: Exarchives@aol.com

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Aerobic and cardio crusaders look at the statistical and empirical evidence of the ever-increasing deplorable obesity in
our society. They are quick to jump in and promise to help turn the tide. Their claims of fat burning and sweating away
the pounds sound rather reasonable. All you have to do join in and just do it. Unfortunately it is a physiological
impossibility to sweat away the fat, and the only possibility of burning fat is if you were literally to set your body on
fire. Regardless and still, the unknowing consumer is conned into this meaningless ploy. This panacea in todays fitness
craze has hardly anyone brave (or rich) enough to confront it. Here again you will find a long list of more featured touts,
claims, and cons that are perpetrated by individuals who are guilty of nothing less than foolish fraud. Its all about the
bucks in an industry whose true objective should be health and well being. Health and well being is a great objective,
however the association of physical activity and health is rather fleeting.
The aerobics or cardio cultists premise proclaims that an elevated heart rate extended over a particular time is healthy.
Their gospel is a belief that heart pounding activity is related to health. They proudly pontificate, tapping their chests,
that the heart is a muscle and deserves equal rights. For their convenience they have conjured up scientific jargon to
justify the position. Sadly, the heart rate theory has been questioned greatly, as the original research involved was
skewed from the beginning. The original data was cobbled together hastily to meet the demands of the times. The
original research was twisted and based on poor controls with unreliable data. Therefore, performance related health is
rather fleeting. In spite of this, a new generation will be there to be taken. No, they are not merely poor concepts, but
clever provocations of disingenuous people with superannuated ideas that are out only for the all mighty dollar. This is a
bad science at best. Again, the commercialism offers nothing more than clever technological trickery, having a complete
niche of its own, in an ocean of ever evolving schemes, scams, and frauds. Nothing fails like success and we will follow
the journey to see how it all has evolved.
These New Nuts Among the Berries have been evident in the trendy recreations that have captivated like audiences for
a period of nearly two hundred years. Dance intermixed with passive exercise was a natural from very early in
American culture. Extremely deep rooted in our history was the elocution of grace, beauty, and physicality. The main
difference was that many of the early parties consisted of individuals whose intentions were sincere in their hopeful, but
false precepts. Nonetheless, a history lesson that must be told and remembered is that "those who do not know this
History are doomed to repeat it."

The First Lady of Aerobics

The history of the cardio/aerobics mania can be traced all the way back to one Catharine Beecher, an early womans
rights activist who showed her concerns early about the deplorable physical condition of the American lady. (As we can
see, women were the chosen center of attention of this early influence.) There were reports that group classes in
gymnastics were the rage in Russia, and with daughters of Russian nobility exhibiting unequaled grace, beauty, and
strength. In order to combat these domestic problems she sought to design a system and raise the bar. As a result of
Aerobics, Beechers style got its start in the late 1820s. Undaunted in spirit, Beecher instituted and organized her system
of recreation in the form of calisthenics in as early as 1828. The term calisthenics is formed by the two Greek words
kalos, signifying beauty and sthenos, meaning strength, and this she saw as the adequate solution and etiquette to the
problem. Her idea was to design a system of exercise that mirrored the popular Swedish System that had been
successfully used throughout Europe. This Swedish System of Physical Training was originated by the famous physical
culturist Dio Lewis. This system indeed was the crme de la crme of the European fitness movement. The time was
now, she thought, to even the playing field for her women.
Catharine Beechers new method of physical training, along with her ideal moral education, was first instituted at the
Hartford Female Seminary in 1828. Located in Connecticut, she originally had founded the school earlier in 1823. A
true innovator, Catharine studied motivational behavior and came to the conclusion that calisthenics combined with
dance and music would, indeed, be popular. Exercise, she thought, accompanied with music would allow for twice the
benefits, for she saw the fervor as a result in more participation. Without a doubt, she had the early line on Aerobics.

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Miss Beechers System was conducted in a large class-like setting. True teaching, she thought, would allow for her
students to learn this system and take it outside, in what was called the gymnastic hall. The gymnastic hall could be
an ordinary school room or a church assembly ballroom. The hall was designed with an outside walkway that covered
the perimeter of the room. This designated walkway was used for preparatory walking and marching that could be
understood as the early roots of the warm up. The oak wood floors were calculated to absorb the shock of the
movements, and there was five feet of space between each participant, to allow for full bodily movements without
interfering with the neighbor. The protocol demanded strict adherence to this procedure, additionally as an
understanding of proper etiquette towards others. Partners were appointed in pairs; female with female and even co-ed.
Miss Beecher believed her system would be sufficiently progressive for both male and female. The chosen leaders of
the calisthenics drills were of medical and scientific background, and were not diploma mill certified.
Consultation of a physician for participation was not just a written formality. With Beechers plan of exercise,
physicians held health orientations and were the superintended leaders as well. Fall in commenced the exercises as the
leaders set the pace while fronting the students in each division. The initial exercises consisted of anatomical actions
that included a variety of deep knee bends, hip twists, alternate toe-touching, and arm whirling.
Movements were gainly executed with exact unison and precision in comparable capacity to military drills, and thus
were labeled military positions. Hand held wooden dumbbells were used, weighing anywhere from 3 to 6 pounds. At
the termination of the days program, proper etiquette was shown in the hall by the participants replacing all apparatus
used to their appropriate places. Systems of exercise were taken rather seriously, as teamwork and etiquette was
understood and strict protocol adhered to.
Unlike the vast array of egocentric aerobics/cardio programs today, calisthenics Catharine Beecher style was the only
legitimate choice. She offered these distinctive advantageous principles of her program:
1.

This system can be practiced in schools of every description, in the family, in nurseries, in hospitals, and in
health establishments, without apparatus and with a room set aside for the purpose.

2.

It excludes all those severe exercises that involve danger, either from excess or from accidents. It is maintained
that many athletic exercises suited to the stronger sex are not suited to the female constitution. This is a system
that contains all that either sex needs for the perfect development of the body. Any more severe exercises are
useful only for men whose professions require some unusual physical strength or endurance. This method is
adapted to mixed schools, so that both sexes can perform them together.

3.

This system is arranged on scientific principles, with the design of exercising all the muscles and of exercising
them equally and harmoniously. It embraces most of what is to be found in the French and English works that
exhibit the system of Ling, the celebrated Swedish Professor, whose method has been widely adapted in
European Schools and Universities. It also contains many valuable exercises that have been employed in health
establishments for the cure of disease and deformities.

Early systematic exercise contained discriminating thought and scientific procedure. It was the interest of physical
educators to maintain exercise as a legitimate science.
Beechers onslaught of womens opportunistic direction and physical education continued through the early 1830s. Her
system of exercise was adopted by a few schools nationally and then interest faded.
Throughout the 1840s, the enthusiasm of physical education seemed to wane. Lacking the fitness evangelical approach,
the evidence of her system abruptly diminished. She then directed her energies toward her national organization for
womens higher education. When there was a sudden revival of interest in physical fitness in the 1850s, the opportunity
was there to write a landmine book called Physiology and Calisthenics, which still can be seen in archival university
libraries to this very day.

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Catharine Beecher blazed the trail for concerned exercise efforts in the early to mid 19th century. Her ideas and efforts
were documented well, 140 years before the cardio and aerobics persuasions of today. Unlike today, her approach was
in careful tune with total education. Her direction was different because it was an honest effort to secure bodily health
and not an effort to exploit people with fitness marketing scams. Like the Greek ideal, Catharine truly was interested in
all to have a healthy mind and a healthy body, and it was not all about the hard driven fitness lifestyle as it is portrayed
today.
Aerobics has to be the least appealing activity. I dont even know how this word came into being:
Aerobics, I guess gym instructors got together and said, If were going to charge money, we cant call it
jumping up and down.
Ellen De Generes

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