Combining Strength and Cardio

ThoughtAddict · Post by **ThoughtAddict** » Thu Mar 09, 2006 8:54 am

Hello all!

After a short period off from workouts due to a massive influx of work, I'm trying to get back into weight training and cardio. weight routine is yielding good results for me, and I'm at an acceptable level of cardiovascular fitness.

I'm wondering what exercises people have tried to throw a little bit of strength training into cardio workouts. I've dropped jogging altogether in favor of ERG (Rowing Machine) and intense sprint workouts. I like erging, as there is a definite increase in endurance in muscles since I started, but find sprinting doesn't seem to do much for leg muscles. Any alternatives people have had success with, or just different exercises to keep in mind to add variety?

Many thanks, and good health

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 4:18 am

I'm not really sure what you're looking for (muscular endurance??) but here a some options.

1 - Tabat Protocol with weights...usually done cardio style where you do 20secs as hard as you can then 10secs recovery x 8 cycles (4 mins)...choose a compound exercise (deadlift, bench press, squat, swings etc) with about 60% of 1RM and do as many reps in the 20secs as you can as quick as you can. Once your speed starts to slow down, decrease wt as you go if time allows or just use a lighter wt for the entire time

2 - Alternate compound exercise with cardio for entire session...sample - alternate Squats x 6 - 8 reps (as heavy as you can) with 45secs cardio at about 80%...repeat untill you've dona 4 - 6 sets of squats than do 3 - 5 more compounds in the same fashion...if you want you can match lower body weights with upper cardio (boxing, grinder) and vice versa

Your right to drop steady state jogging which does absolutly nothing but waste muscle if your cardio fitness is good. If this isn't what you're looking for post again and be a bit more specific.

indigogirl · Post by **indigogirl** » Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:56 pm

Hiya,

Have you tried interval training?

After a proper warm up, you can sprint for 1-2mins, then jog slowly for 1-2mins, then again sprint for 1-2 mins & jog slowly for 1-2mins, etc. You get drift.

This type of training boosts metabolism.

This is not a set program, you can alter it to suit your fitness level by changing the amount of time spent sprinting & jogging and can be done on treadmill, rower, bike, crosstrainer, swimming, etc.

Indigogirl

Rabaki262 · Post by **Rabaki262** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 6:41 am

Have you ever thought about circuit training? You dont need gym machines to combine strength and cardio you know.

derfist · Post by **derfist** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:12 pm

how many times do you sprint n jog over again n again? this will b d first time i'm doing this, so how should i start?

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:19 pm

start with 5 sprints for as long as you can hold top speed and increase by 1 every week untill you get to 10. at that point increase the sprint length or decrease and start again

Fitness Coach · Post by **Fitness Coach** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 7:12 am

I am happy to hear that you are going to start using weight training in your workouts as it is an excellent method for burning fat. Now, I am not saying you will lose weight will just cardio but weight training will make weight loss 2x as fast.

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:30 am

I am more of a cardio woman but husband does a lot of weight training. We've found a good schedule where he gets on the rowing machine, does weight training, and jogs with me every morning.

Our doc said it was sufficient, so you should be ok doing something similar.

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