Even though I have addressed this topic before (a-hem, at least twice before), I’m circling back because A) I keep getting asked, “I did strength training today, what should I do tomorrow?” and B) I keep getting asked, “Is it okay to do both strength training and cardio on the same day?”

If you want to cut to the chase, check out: “Cardiovascular or Weight Training: Which should come first?”

Otherwise, stay right here, ’cause I’m about to WOW you with…pretty much the same thing I said before. ;0)

Here’s the thing – you need to know what it is you want to get out of your workouts. Are you trying to increase overall strength? Are you training for a marathon or similar endurance event? Or are you working towards improved general fitness and a combination of both strength and cardiovascular improvements? You need to know.

If it is your goal to gain strength, then I advise doing cardio on a separate day rather than doing both ST and cardio on the same day. This will allow you to go into your ST routine with fresh legs, and you’ll have the energy and time you need to focus entirely on strength training. Likewise with cardiovascular training – if your main goal is to improve this area, then I suggest doing ST on a separate day.

But, if general fitness is your goal, by all means, attempt the ST/Cardio combo in any order you wish, BUT, don’t overdo it. Use common sense and listen to your body (i.e, an hour and a half on the treadmill PLUS an hour of ST might be overkill. It would be for me, and I do this for a living. Just saying, don’t go overboard ;0)

Fulling realizing not everyone has the time to separate their workouts by a day or two, I recommend the following:

If your goal is ST, then do ST first, stretch, and do light cardio last.
If your goal is cardio training, do that first, stretch, and follow-up with light strength training.

Keep safety in mind. After both cardio and ST, muscles will be fatigued. By combining workouts, especially if you are new to fitness, you may increase your risk of injury by overworking fatigued muscles that, quite frankly, are probably more used to going from sitting to standing than from treadmill to squat press. Listen to your body and pay attention to how you feel. If something hurts, stop exercising. And if you are too fatigued to give your best during your workout, then it is best to focus on the part of your workout that will help you reach your goal (strength or cardio training), and bag the rest for another day when you are rested.

Exercising is good for you, but if you exercise too hard, too long, too often, problems can arise. (Case in point – read: Listen to your body. Respect your limits.)

Overtraining syndrome occurs when the training you are doing breaks you down, making you weaker rather than stronger. This is why every training program, from marathon training to strength training, recommends a “rest day” after periods of intense training – this allows the body time to repair itself. Without this time to repair, regeneration of new muscle tissue doesn’t occur, and performance does not improve.

Maybe it is delayed onset muscle soreness, or the fact you mulched the yard right after running 7 miles and strength training the day before, but if you are an exercise fanatic, you may have overuse/overtraining issues. The symptoms of overtraining mirror symptoms of many things, but if you have in fact trained yourself into a tizzy, there are some common symptoms.

Common symptoms of overtraining:

*Fatigue that limits workouts and may even be present during rest.

*Moodiness and becoming easily irritated

*Insomnia and sleep problems

*Decreased appetite

*Weight loss

*Muscle soreness

*An increased number of illness

*Injuries that are taking longer to heal, or won’t heal

In this situation, adding more exercise, even after rest, will only make matters worse.

What to do:

REST! The more, the better, especially if you have been training intensely for some time. For example, if you have experienced symptoms for a month or so, resting for a week should help. After this rest time, resuming workouts on an every other day routine will ease the body back into activity. By reducing the volume of training you do, you’ll allow the body adequate recovery time.

Cross-training can never hurt. Mix up your regular routine with exercise that works different muscles. If you run, throw in a swim workout, or Pilates.

If a return to exercise brings symptoms of overtraining back, a trip to your physician or sports med doctor is in order. He/She can help you ease back into exercise safely.

This is one of my favorite workouts…two, twenty minute runs with strength training sandwiched in the middle. I purposely selected strength exercises that don’t require equipment so that this workout can be done outdoors.  You could easily tie a resistance tube around your waist and use that during the strength training segment as well. For optimal effect (i.e., if you want to up the “challenge” a bit), use a hill for the strength training too (you’ll see what a I mean below).

Split Run workout

5-10 minute warm up of light jogging or fast-paced walking

20 min jog/run at a moderate pace (6-7 on RPE scale)

10 mins:  Strength Training using stairs/hill (there’s the hill part I was referring to

12-15 push-ups from knees on the hill (facing uphill)

12-15 tricep dips on the hill (feet pointing downhill)

10-12 side-squat steps up hill; walk down and perform10-12 with opposite leg leading

15 squats on the hill, with back toward top of the hill (when facing down hill, the squats are MUCH harder. You’ll see

Stairs: run up 1x, single steps

Run up 1x, two steps at a time

Walk up 1x, single steps

Run up 1x, two steps at a time

2 mins:  Active recovery, walking, allowing heart rate to nearly return to normal

10 mins: jog/ run at more intense pace (7-8 on RPE scale)

5 mins: cooldown

5-10 mins: stretching, focus on hamstrings and hip flexors

* Note: Blue Sky Gym and the author disclaim any liability for any injury, physical or emotional, suffered during or as a result of exercise or activities recommended. As always, you should use common sense and consult your health professional before beginning any exercise routine or program.