Weights and cardio - how to find a balance.
We want to do it all. Gym 3 days per week, running on the weekends plus all the recovery work. We should be doing yoga for mobility, pilates for core strength as well as keeping up with work and socials. Here are some simple ways to focus your training and get some solid returns for your efforts.
PERIODISE
To be effective, your training should be programmed. That means that your sessions should be aimed towards whatever goal/outcome you are currently training for. If, for example, you are training to get stronger, your program and sessions should be geared towards that objective. The law of interference means that adding any other training method to this will limit the progress you can make if you were to focus solely on strength training.
That being said, generally speaking we are training for health and enjoyment. This is where we are looking for a balance that suits our lifestyle and general training goals. Strength training twice per week will help you maintain previous levels achieved. One to two runs per week of varying intensity will also help you maintain your running fitness. These can be varied throughout the months or year to better suit whatever you’re looking to progress at that point in time.
TRAINING VOLUME
Usually when we get interested in a new form of exercise, we just add it onto what we are already doing. However there will come a point where either physically or mentally it becomes too much. This is where we can plan ahead. If you decide you want to run a marathon, it makes sense to cut back on weights slightly.
Remember to get better at running, you need to run. If you are being told that weight training transfers to running performance, there is a case that there can be some transferrance. However, at the end of the day, you won’t gain the required fitness to run a marathon by back squatting.
ENJOYMENT IS KEY
If you’ve never been a weights person, you don’t need to start strength training five times per week. You can get a lot of returns on two. I have never been much of a cardio fan but over the years have learned to enjoy it more due the competitive element. Find internal drivers that motivate you or seek out external motivations such as a great group training facility.
