Barbell Shrugged Physiology Friday: How to Build a Killer Cardiovascular System w/ Dr. Mike T. Nelson, Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash
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Aug 15, 2025 Dr. Mike T. Nelson, a coach with a master's in mechanical engineering, joins Anders Varner, Doug Larson, and Travis Mash to discuss the intricacies of building cardiovascular fitness. They dive into personalized training strategies for achieving a sub-six-minute mile, the importance of fitness assessments, and the benefits of rowing over cycling. The conversation highlights high-intensity training, nasal breathing techniques for better performance, and finding the right balance between performance and recovery in training.
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Assess Before You Program
- Test current capability before programming so your plan matches reality.
- Use simple assessments (one-mile, VO2/Cooper) to guide priorities and constraints.
Use Validated VO2 Surrogates
- Use VO2 tests (Cooper run or Concept2 2K) to estimate aerobic engine size.
- Compare results to population data to choose targeted interventions.
Check Anaerobic Capacity With Short All‑Outs
- Assess anaerobic/lactate capacity with short all-outs (30s, 60s, 180s) on a rower or running 200/400m splits.
- Use RPE or simple split drop-off to decide lactate-specific work.