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Strength or cardio: What’s more important for longevity?

The Australian Financial Review (AFR) •
November 15, 2026 • 06:00 PM
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Research shows an elite VO2 max cuts mortality by 80 per cent, but adding two short strength sessions a week delivers the ultimate health dividend.

Strength or cardio: What’s more important for longevity?

I started triathlon when I was nine and did almost nothing else until I was 42. Thirty-three years of swim, bike, run, repeat, all the way to Ironman. Strength training was something other people did.

When I finished Ironman California in 2023 in seven hours and 56 minutes, I was probably the fittest I’d ever been. I also couldn’t have lifted 60 kilograms off my chest if my life depended on it.

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