If you’re like many of the busy people I know, you get to the gym, make a beeline for the cardio room, hop on the first open machine you see, throw down your requisite number of minutes on the machine, then high-tail it back to your car with nary a post-workout stretch, or even a passing glance at the weights on your way out. When you’re short on time, it is tempting to skip what you think are the “non-essential” parts of your program and go for the calorie burn instead, but you’re actually missing out on valuable and necessary components of a well-rounded and effective fitness program. It is possible to fit both strength and cardio into your schedule, even if you only have an hour to work with.

Performing strength and cardio in the same workout session is known as concurrent training. You may have heard that you shouldn’t perform strength and cardio in the same session, but this can actually be a very efficient way to train. But which one should you do first? It is a common dilemma every exerciser faces. The simple truth is, just as there are many ways to skin a cat, there are many answers to this elusive question. The long and short of it is this: it depends on your overall goal. So, let’s begin with that.

What is your goal?

- If your goal is to increase strength and muscle hypertrophy, do your strength training first.

- If your goal is to improve cardiovascular fitness, do cardio first.

Is it really that simple? Yes, for the most part. Ultimately, it comes down to the type of exercise you do. A study published in the IDEA Fitness Journal (April 2007) examined the use of the cycle ergometer
(a lower body exercise), followed by strength training of the lower and upper extremities. Results indicated that lower body cardiovascular activity (cycling, running. stair stepping) had no effect on upper body performance during strength training, but it did impair performance during lower-body training. Conclusion: to maximize strength training sessions performed after bouts of cardio, make sure strength training is Iimited to alternate extremities.

Example
After running, power walking, cycling, dance or step aerobics, or stair master/stair climbing: perform upper body and/or core exercises.

After swimming, rowing, boxing, elliptical training with lots of upper-body resistance (i.e, you’re using the attached poles the way you should), or cross-country skiing: perform lower body and/or core exercises

And remember, you don’t have to do three sets of each strength training exercise to reap the benefits. One set of 10-12 exercises performed at an intensity that equates to about 75% of your 1RM (i.e, the 8th or so rep is the last one you can complete with good form), will result in respectable strength gains.

Still worried that strength training won’t leave enough time for the amount of cardio you need? Try interval training. Alternating bouts of high-intensity training with active recovery burns more calories in less time than steady-state cardio. Try bumping up the intensity of your workout to 85-90% of your max heart rate for a short time (30 seconds to 2 minutes, depending on your level of training), then actively recover by lowering the intensity until your heart rate returns to within 60-80% of your max heart rate.

Resources:

Kravitz, Len, PhD; IDEA Fitness Journal, April 2007; vol 4; no.4; p20-21

* 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.