You might know someone who always thinks they need more cardio.
Maybe you know someone who thinks they only need strength training.
Strength training and conditioning are like oxygen and water…you need both to be healthy.
Strength training gives your body the ability to generate force.
Conditioning is the ability to use that force efficiently so you can sustain it for long periods of time without feeling fatigued.
Someone who only lifts weights will struggle carrying groceries up a flight of stairs without feeling gassed.
Activities like hiking or playing with your kids/grandkids should be enjoyable but if you’re lacking in conditioning, you’ll be more focused on where in the world the finish line is and why these dang kids aren’t tired yet!
Believe me when I say, you too, can have the energy to keep up with the kids in your family if you push your body in the correct ways.
Now on the other hand, someone who is only doing cardio is more likely to sprain their ankle walking up those flights of stairs versus the person who strength trains due to the weakness of their muscles.
A lack of strength training makes you more prone to injuries and slows down your metabolism.
When you are working on conditioning, you should consider incorporating strength exercises into the session.
You may be wondering why and how you would do this. Fortunately for you, I have an answer.
Let’s use runners as an example of why you should do this.
Someone who is only running but doesn’t strength train will only develop proficiency at the one thing they’re always doing…running.
They will be just as gassed as the weightlifter when hiking or carrying groceries up a flight of stairs because their body only knows one thing…how to run.
The best sprinters (like Usain Bolt or Justin Gatlin) are strength training as well. That’s a big part of what makes them exceptional.
Now someone who is incorporating step ups, squats, and multiple functional movements into their conditioning workout will become better fit to do anything, including running.
This is because they are training different movement patterns and adding variety to better equip them to their life outside of a gym.
It’s the combination of both strength AND conditioning that creates the best athletes and the healthiest, fittest people in our general population.
Strength Training and Conditioning each result in a different adaptation for the heart.
Strength training results in concentric development of the heart where the ventricle walls get thicker improving the strength of the muscle.
Conditioning results in eccentric development of the heart which expands the chambers of the heart. This allows for an increased volume of blood to enter the chamber.
When both of these occur, the result is increased stroke volume and efficiency of the heart. A stronger heart muscle combined with increased volume capacity allow for more blood to be pumped throughout the body with every beat.
What if your primary goal is to lose weight?
We hear it all the time as fitness professionals, “I want to lose weight, so I need cardio not weightlifting. “I don’t want to look bulky and I’ll get bigger if I lift weights.”
Lifting weights boosts your metabolism and doesn’t simply make you the hulk…gaining muscle isn’t that easy.
Don’t you think you’d see a lot more hulks walking around if that were the case? Sadly, we see more “dad bods” with the beer bellies walking around.
When it comes to your strength workouts, remember to mix up the volume and intensities of your sessions.
Incorporate muscular endurance training with high reps and low weight.
Perform hypertrophy with moderate to high reps and moderate weight.
Incorporate maximal strength training with low reps and heavier weight.
Take a recovery period with a deload phase to avoid overtraining.
Each of those phases of training are going to help you with your strength.
When it comes to your conditioning sessions, there are also ways to periodize your cardiovascular health. And don’t worry, it doesn’t involve adding more and more burpees to each workout.
Steady state conditioning is the best way to improve your stamina and endurance.
Depending on your training experience, you may start with 10 minutes of steady state which can move up to 15 minutes.
15 Minutes will progress to 30 minutes.
Before you know it, 30 minutes progresses to 45 minutes and 45 minutes becomes an entire hour of steady state conditioning with no break.
You may also add interval training where you’re getting your heart rate up for a short period of time followed by a longer period of time with the goal of getting your heart rate back down in the lower zone.
Now how often should you train?
Most of our members at No Limits Fitness train 3 times a week with 2 strength training days and 1 conditioning day.
Training 4 times a week, you may want to do 2 strength training days and 2 conditioning days.
If you train 5 times a week, you can train 3 strength days with 2 conditioning days.
Now that you have the recipe, let’s get cooking!
