The Heart Doesn’t Lie

In recent years, cardio in general has been demonized due to bodybuilding circles claiming it hinders “gains” and that muscle is the end all, be all for peak health. Which I won’t entirely disagree with, because lean muscle mass can be extremely beneficial to your health and performance.
However… I want to cover “cardiovascular health,” and hopefully clear the air a bit.
When we talk about cardiovascular health, most of us are pointing to: cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max/CRF) and resting heart rate (RHR). And whether you like it or not… these markers show up as some of the strongest predictors of long-term health and mortality we have.
Higher VO₂max is consistently linked to longer life, lower disease risk, better metabolic health, and stronger resilience as you age.
Even small improvements: 1 MET, a few VO₂max points, make a measurable difference.

Then you have resting heart rate (RHR), which tells its own story. A drifting-up RHR over the years is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular events and early death. A lower, stable RHR usually means your system is efficient, conditioned, and not fighting uphill on a daily basis.

But here’s where the athlete lens matters.
Athletes… especially fighters, grapplers, and strength athletes, tend to view conditioning as “sport stuff,” not “health stuff.” Where they do the bare minimum to get by. But the same research applies: when athletes have higher cardiorespiratory fitness, they don’t just perform better; they recover faster, tolerate higher training volumes, handle stress better, maintain power deeper into rounds, and reduce long-term cardiovascular risk despite years of intense training. High CRF is strongly linked to better autonomic balance (think HRV), lower inflammation, and improved capillary density… all things that help an athlete train more and break down less.

And fun fact most lifters don’t want to hear: athletes with higher aerobic fitness tend to hold onto strength better, manage fatigue more effectively, and maintain performance later into their careers.
The engine matters, even if you don’t think of yourself as an “endurance person.”

I wont lie though, cardio isn’t the only predictor.
It sits beside major players like smoking status, metabolic markers, central fat distribution, and yes, even strength. In athletes, the lowest health risks consistently show up in those who are both:

Not one or the other. Both.

So no, cardiovascular health isn’t the one and only.
But yes, it’s one of the strongest, clearest, most controllable levers you have, whether you’re chasing longevity, performance, or both. A well-conditioned heart improves everything: strength training, recovery, stress tolerance, blood sugar control, sleep, and overall athletic capacity.

The takeaway?
You don’t need to be a marathoner. You just need enough consistent conditioning: zone 2 work, some higher-intensity intervals, and weekly volume that challenges you without nuking your recovery.

Build a heart that supports the athlete you want to be; and the older adult you eventually will be. The engine isn’t everything, but if it’s underperforming, everything else becomes harder than it needs to be.

MINDSET

Most people wait until something feels “off” before they think about their heart — athletes included. But cardiovascular health isn’t reactive; it’s proactive. You don’t improve it because you’re broken… you improve it so you don’t break.

Train smart, but never forget to train hard.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of Unmasked by The Weekly Standard!

If you found value in these insights, share it with a training buddy or post it on your social feed; let’s spread the knowledge and push each other to new levels. See you next time!