Programming Cardio to Support Strength Development
No more spending hours on the elliptical. Create an intentional protocol for your cardiovascular training and get those hours back.
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When you hear someone mention cardio, what you do you think of? For most of us, it’s dripping on a stationary bike (I once made a living doing this), or spending our evenings on the elliptical watching re-runs of QVC (you don’t need to buy that ice machine). Maybe you think of 80s music, sweatbands and leg warmers in a mirrored studio (honestly, fab). Including cardio in your program is important, but it’s not the answer to everything.
My training philosophy doesn't rest on making you skinny. This newsletter doesn't revolve around that either. My driving force is to empower you to create a strong life without restriction – not a skinny one. I want you to feel inspired by your own ability to create a goal on your terms and have the tools to go after what you want. And f*cking achieve it! Why not you? Why not now?
“My driving force is to empower you to create a strong life without restriction – not a skinny one.”
As we discussed, cardio is not among the most influential tools for body composition change. There are some common missteps when including cardio into an overall program:
All Cardio, All the Time
At the end of the day, you need to be strong in order to be a successful, long term athlete. Without strength training, you will continue to suffer from injuries and your performance will suffer. Specifically, the intense and repetitive nature of running requires a strong base of support.
Focusing Only on Burning Calories
Just like a lot of other things, more does not mean better. Doing cardio just for the sake of burning calories wastes time — your fitness watch is not as accurate as you think it is. Your focus should be on pushing yourself a little bit harder each time and on the quality of your sessions.
Mindless Minutes without Intensity
If you are on your phone scrolling, or holding a book/magazine reading (??) while on the elliptical, treadmill, or rower on autopilot for 30-60 minutes, you are spinning your wheels. The intensity of your sessions should match your goals. Unless you are performing an active recovery day, you should be focused and working. You should not be able to carry on a casual conversation without having to take some breaths. Get into the gym, execute your plan and get out.
DEFINING CARDIO
Cardiovascular training is a form of aerobic exercise. Aerobic means “with oxygen” and refers to repetitive, structured physical activity that requires the body’s metabolic system to use oxygen (via breathing) to produce energy. This type of activity can be done for short intense periods or long durations. Some examples: swimming, cycling, running, walking, rowing.
On the flip side, anaerobic exercise is activity done without the use of oxygen. This type of exercise is shorter in duration and higher in intensity. Because the activity is more demanding, the body bypasses the use of oxygen for faster sources of energy. Examples: weightlifting, plyometrics. The benefits of anaerobic exercise, such as weightlifting, are extensive.
Similarly, there are many benefits to aerobic exercise:
Decreases risk of heart disease
Lowers blood pressure
Increases HDL (or “good”) cholesterol
Improves blood sugar regulation
Elevates lung function
Assists in weight loss/management
Note: Before introducing cardio into your program, it’s important to talk to your doctor about any special guidelines you may need. Always do what’s best for your body.
The American Heart Association recommends 5-7 days of 30 minute sessions: a total of 150+ minutes per week. The sessions can be broken up into smaller parts throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if you do 3, 10 minute sessions or 1, 30 minute session.
“5-7 days of 30 minute sessions: a total of 150+ minutes per week.”
The American College of Sports Medicine states that 2-3 of your weekly 30 minute sessions should range from moderate (3-5 on the RPE scale) to vigorous (6-8). A 3-5 RPE is a comfortable to brisk walk. Walk to get a coffee, Take your work call as you walk, bring your dog or your neighbor. A 6-8 RPE is a jog to run.
WHAT THIS DOESN’T MEAN: Running endlessly on the treadmill. Pushing for hours on an elliptical. Don’t get me started on the stairmaster!
WHAT THIS DOES MEAN: You should move your body everyday. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Walking is the most underrated form of exercise. The buy-in is so low, and the pay-off is so high. Just walk. If you don’t like running, THAT’S FINE. I DON’T EITHER. You can still get the benefits of cardiovascular training without lacing up.
“Walking is the most underrated form of exercise. The buy-in is so low, and the pay-off is so high.”
I repeat: you do not have to run if you don’t enjoy it. Remember, you get to create a program on your terms.
TOP THREE FORMS OF CARDIO:
Steady State:
This is my favorite form of cardio. Steady state refers to a repetitive, structured physical activity that maintains a constant intensity of effort. This is a great option for beginners or those just starting their fitness journey. It builds a solid aerobic base to help work towards more intense cardio protocol. It’s easy on the joints, and can be used as recovery on days between hard strength sessions due to its lower intensity.
My friends who are cooler than me told me about a trend on TikTok (I don’t have one!) called the “Hot Girl Walk.” It is essentially steady state cardio. During your walk, you are supposed to think about three things: 1) what you’re grateful for; 2) your goals and how you’re going to achieve them; and 3) how hot you are. You can Hot Girl Walk on a tread or outside. Adding incline is a great way to increase difficulty as you get stronger.
Interval Training:
The biggest advantage to interval training is its efficiency. You can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. Interval training not only helps helps burn fat, but also continues to do so via excess post exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Your metabolism will stay elevated long after your session, up to 36 hours. Additionally, this style increases your power-endurance: your ability to maintain bouts of intensity for extended periods of time. This helps you remain less winded during strength training, allowing you to work more = more gains.
A common protocol is a 2:1 or 4:1 work-to-rest ratio. The work is 15-60 seconds, and the rest is 30-120 seconds for 10-20 rounds. Start on the lower end of the ranges and build from there to increase difficulty over time. Track, field, or treadmill sprints work well.
Metabolic Conditioning:
Metabolic Conditioning or “Metcon” is a form of aerobic exercise used to train both energy systems - one that is for short, intense intervals and one that is used for longer durations - to become more efficient. The most common form of Metcon is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This style of training has many benefits: improved power endurance, EPOC is high, and it’s time efficient. Most boutique fitness classes are based on HIIT training, which is a form of cardio. If the classes you enjoy taking offer strictly strength work without using/going at a moderate pace on a treadmill, rower, bike, etc. – then yes! It would be considered strength training. Otherwise, it’s fun, high energy Metabolic Conditioning (aka cardio). If you enjoy these classes, continue doing them! But include them accurately and intentionally into your overall program.
HOW TO BUILD YOUR WEEK:
The biggest factor in determining what your overall program is going to look like is how much time you have. Your workout program should fit INTO your life, not the other way around. The best program is the one you can stick to consistently. Once you have created your total body workouts, you can add in your cardio protocol.
Keeping your cardio and strength workouts separate helps maximize the quality of each session: come into each one with a specific plan and goal. If you are crunched for time during the week and need to combine, focus on fueling before your training and refueling after.
Two Strength Workouts Per Week:
Three Strength Workouts Per Week:
The modality of cardio you choose is up to you. That’s the whole point of the work I do: give you the tools to decide what you want, on your terms. Experiment with different options to find what you enjoy most and slowly increase the difficulty over time. You like taking classes? Great. Enjoy running? Cool. Want to do the Hot Girl Walk? Stomp the runway.
Incorporate cardio into your routine and reap all the benefits it has to offer. Spending hours on the treadmill is a thing of the past. Comment below with any questions you have!
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