Incorporating cardio into your strength training routine can significantly enhance your fitness journey, promoting muscle growth, fat loss, and overall health. This guide presents a structured approach to seamlessly blend cardiovascular exercises with strength training, starting with daily movement and progressing to more intensive workouts. We’ll take a close look at a variety of types of cardio so you can understand where to start, the best ways to add each into your routine, and the major benefits of each.

Foundation: 10,000 Steps a Day

Before thinking about other types of cardio, focus on getting 10,000 steps a day. This is a good benchmark to ensure you’re getting regular movement.

Incorporating regular movement – like walking –  into your routine enhances cardiovascular health, aids in weight management, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Walking is a low-impact, accessible activity that can serve as a practical starting point.

To increase your daily steps, integrate walking into your daily activities by opting for stairs over elevators, walking during phone calls, or taking short breaks to just stroll around the block. Setting reminders using alarms or other apps can help prompt regular movement throughout the day, and some wearable devices, like an Apple Watch, can even let you know when it’s time to stand up or walk around. These devices can also help you track your steps and motivate you to reach your goals.

Walking daily is an often underestimated yet highly effective way to enhance health and promote longevity. This simple activity helps improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce body fat, and increase muscle power and endurance. Regular walking can also boost mental well-being, alleviate stress, and enhance cognitive function. 

Building Endurance: Incorporating Zone 2 Cardio

After you’ve ensured you’re regularly incorporating movement throughout your daily life by hitting 10,000 steps on a daily basis, consider adding in Zone 2 cardio sessions to your workout routine. Zone 2 refers to low-intensity aerobic exercise performed at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. This will be different for every person, based on their resting heart rate and current level of fitness, but this sweet spot of 60-70% effort allows for sustained activity where fat is a primary fuel source.

Aim for 120 minutes of Zone 2 cardio per week. This can be divided into sessions such as four 30-minute workouts or three 40-minute workouts, making it manageable within a weekly schedule. You can even tack on shorter cardio sessions after a strength training workout to help chip away at that 120-minute goal. (Keep reading for some tips on why you should start with your strength training, then move to cardio!)

Examples of Zone 2 activities include brisk walking, light jogging, cycling at a moderate pace, or swimming.

Zone 2 training improves the body’s ability to oxidize fat, aiding in fat loss and supporting a lean physique. Regular Zone 2 cardio also enhances mitochondrial efficiency, meaning your body is better at producing energy and overall has a higher capacity for endurance. It also minimizes muscle fatigue, allowing for effective strength training sessions and muscle maintenance.

This type of cardio (and sprint training – keep reading for more on that) are also crucial for ensuring healthy lung function and even increasing lung capacity. The older we get, the more lung capacity we lose, and as our lung capacity decreases, our risk for heart disease increases. That’s because when our lungs work better, our heart doesn’t have to work as hard. And this, overall, can contribute to longevity.

Enhancing Performance: Introducing Sprint Training

If you have a really good routine down that you’re enjoying and able to stick to, where you’re doing your strength training, hitting your steps, and incorporating your Zone 2 cardio, you can start to think about adding in sprint training.

Sprint training involves high-intensity intervals with short bursts of maximum effort followed by rest periods. This method is efficient for improving cardiovascular fitness and promoting fat loss. Incorporate sprint sessions twice per week, ensuring at least one rest or low-intensity day between sessions to allow for recovery.

Examples of sprint workouts include interval sprints, where you perform 30-second sprints followed by 90 seconds of walking or rest, repeating this cycle 6-8 times, and hill sprints, where you sprint uphill for 15-20 seconds, then walk back down to recover, repeating for several repetitions.

Engaging in regular sprint workouts can significantly enhance cardiovascular fitness by improving heart and lung function, leading to increased endurance and overall aerobic capacity. Additionally, sprinting promotes muscle development, particularly in the glutes, hamstrings, and quads, contributing to greater strength and power. Incorporating sprints into your exercise routine can also boost mental toughness and reduce workout monotony, making fitness regimens more engaging and sustainable.

Integrating Cardio with Strength Training

If your primary goal is strength training and muscle growth, make sure to perform your strength training before your cardio sessions. This approach ensures that energy reserves are utilized for weightlifting, maintaining performance and reducing the risk of fatigue during strength exercises.

Strength training depletes glycogen stores, prompting the body to utilize fat as an energy source during subsequent cardio. Light-to-moderate intensity cardio post-strength training also enhances blood flow, delivering essential nutrients to muscles and aiding recovery.

Monitor Progressive Overload to Avoid Overtraining

To prevent overtraining and reduce injury risk, incrementally increase the duration and intensity of your workouts. For example, add 5-10 minutes to your cardio sessions or slightly increase the pace every week.

Utilize fitness journals or apps to document your workouts, noting the type, duration, and intensity. This practice helps in assessing progress and making necessary adjustments. Pay attention to how your body responds to increased activity, including energy levels, muscle soreness, and overall performance.

Partnering with a Fitness Coach: Your Next Step to Success

By systematically incorporating daily steps, Zone 2 cardio, and sprint training into your strength regimen, you can effectively align your workouts with your fitness goals. However, tailoring these components to your unique needs can be complex. Working with a fitness coach offers personalized guidance, ensuring your exercise plan is both effective and safe. 

Coaches provide accountability, motivation, and expert insights, helping you navigate challenges and achieve sustainable results. Embrace the opportunity to work with a fitness professional to optimize your journey toward a leaner, stronger, and healthier you.

If you think online coaching is for you, head to the inquiry form so that we can connect one-on-one.

Written by Emily Greffenius, Reviewed by Meghan Farrell, BSN, CPT