- Cardio or aerobic exercise is important for fitness and overall health.
- No need to run for hours. Strength training also works if it gets your heart rate up.
- Shorter breaks, longer workouts, and explosive movements can improve your cardio using weights.
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It’s a myth that your workout routine should focus on either running or lifting weights. Cardio and strength training complement each other, Incorporating both can make you healthier overall, experts previously told Insider.
Good news for those who don’t like running. Get the benefits of aerobic exercise and increase your aerobic fitness without running.
Certain types of weight training can get your heart pumping enough to count as aerobic exercise. Stan Efferding, world-record powerlifter, professional bodybuilder, and coach. Hitting weights can be less boring than traditional aerobic exercise.
“When I say I do cardio, that doesn’t mean I go out for a jog,” he told Insider. It’s not likely to do that, and it’s not fun.”
Add cardio Your routine strength training can help even if you’re a runner Or a cardio athlete. Building muscle can also improve speed and endurance.
Shorter rest times between sets
Weight training is generally anaerobic exercise. In other words, it means doing intense exercise in a short time. The body doesn’t have time to take in enough oxygen for fuel, so it relies on glucose (the sugar stored in the blood) instead. As a result, anaerobic exercise can only be maintained for short periods of time.
Athletes often rest for a few minutes between sets of anaerobic exercise to give their muscles time to recover and build as much strength as possible for sports like powerlifting.
However, resting also lowers your heart rate. Exercise becomes aerobic when your heart rate increases and you maintain a higher heart rate long enough for oxygen to fuel your exercise.Aerobic exercise makes you breathe harder, but you can sustain the effort for longer (your VO2 max or ability to use oxygen effectively).
One strategy for turning weight training into cardio is to shorten rest periods. This allows your body to function more consistently over time instead of alternating between strength and recovery.
“It’s all about training hard enough to keep your heart rate going,” Efferding said.
Less rest means you can’t lift that much weight, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
By incorporating a variety of training styles, you can build your overall fitness.general physical preparationSo a busy day with rest combined with a lighter day with more speed can help.
evidence suggests that Combining strength and cardio for the best health benefitsIt also helps you live longer and reduces your risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Try longer workouts with lighter weights
Another way to turn weight training into cardio is to lift light weights for long periods of time. AMRAP style workout.
The goal is to move continuously at a steady pace. Dutch Kills Fitness,previously told an insider.
A major benefit of long workouts for athletes is learning how to pace themselves and maintain high intensity without quickly becoming exhausted.
Pacing workouts not only build stamina and endurance, they help you better understand your body’s capabilities so you can get the most out of your training.
However, it’s important to aim for something challenging that you can maintain throughout your workout and make sure you’re lifting the right weight for your goals. too light for some exercisesespecially those with large muscle groups like the legs, can’t take advantage of the benefits of strength training and are just wasting time, personal trainer Miriam Freed previously told Insider.
Incorporate Explosive Exercises
Certain weight exercises can also rapidly increase your heart rate for aerobic benefits. Fast, full-body moves like hang power cleans, kettlebell swings, medicine ball throws, and thrusters are great options.
Plyometric exercises such as squat jumps, burpees, box jumps, and tuck jumps are not weighted, but they can increase your heart rate while building strength. Mixing them into your weightlifting workouts will get your heart and lungs working, helping you complete your workouts and improve your stamina and overall fitness.
Finally, activities such as rowing and continuous kettlebell exercises can help improve endurance. Better for building muscle than running They also provide resistance, personal trainer Noam Tamir previously told Insider.
