High-Achievers & Athletes,

Yesterday, Max and I went for a 40’ easy afternoon run in La Foret de Soignes followed by a nasty OG arm pump (clips here). 

For some of you, this might be counterproductive to combine endurance training with resistance. But today, we are going to debunk how those two spectrums can co-exist and how they can be blent in the same training session (or split) for improving your cardiovascular health as your body composition. 

 

4 YEARS AGO...

 

Right before COVID-19 globally hit the world, I had close to zero experience in running. Expect from the running track sessions I had to hit for my athleticism classes at University, running was not in my training radar. Back then, I was heavily focused in Functional Bodybuilding with Awaken Training Series & PERSIST (programs created by Marcus Filly that I was already closely following for three full years). When we were forced to train at home while the gyms were shut-down, I started at one point to get bored with the few weights I had and my unique 16kg plastic Kettlebell. 

In July 2020, I started to officially had the drive to have some running sessions into my week. It started with three running sessions: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I wanted to commit to have three running sessions added to 5 resistance training. Add the time, this new training schedule gave me a lot of energy. I was on top with my sleep, nutrition and overall happiness. Gyms juste re-opened and Belgium's weather was exceptionally gorgeous. COVID was still present but we could again spend time with our loved one and enjoy those missed social bonds again. 

With this new training split, I also found tons of joy with my Functional Resistance Training (FRT) workouts and those few runs per week. After a few months of adaptation, another 4th run came into the equation which eventually translated to a year later, hitting my first semi-marathon in September 2021 with a 4'03''min/km pace. 

 

TRAINING GOALS 

 

At the time, priority was still on body composition and overall strength training. Running was just the icing on the cake. I was usually running in the evening which didn't alter my performances in the gym. I was (without realizing it) already in that "hybrid athlete" mantra of combining both modalities. I looked good, felt strong and my running game was skyrocketing. I didn't over-analyse or complicated stuff, I was just enjoying my training and having fun. 

 

Now, you are probably questioning how, in your situation and fitness experience, could you add a new training modality or blend different goals into a nice smooth, elegant training program.

 

Well, the answer is usually the same...

Before anything else, you should focus on answering this question: what are you currently curious about? 

 

  • Are you a gym rat that has been crushing resistance training for years but is getting bored with the traditional « BRO SPLIT » and is looking for something new? 

  • Are you a running enthusiast that’s plateauing or getting consistently injured and is looking to enter that mystical « weight room »?

  • Or are you like me, 4 years ago, looking to add something new into your current training lifestyle that you enjoy? 

 

This is a question that I invite all of you to truly reflect and to think on because, if you don’t feel that initial spark of curiosity, it will be much harder to stay disciplined when things get hard (cause it will).

 

RESISTANCE TRAINING vs CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCICES 

 

Resistance training and cardiovascular are completely two different modalities that will increase different capacities but are complementary. One doesn’t go without the other. 

On one hand by consistently training (supposing you are recovering and nourishing properly) with some sort of resistance training (bodyweight, bands, weights, etc) you are focusing on improving muscle mass, power output, joint support, mobility, reducing imbalances, decreasing risk of injuries and therefore, increasing your metabolism hence a higher Basal Metabolic Rate (more on this later). 

 

On the latter, working towards a better cardiovascular system will improve numerous positive outcomes - including healthy blood circulation, increased oxygen delivery to your tissues, enhanced recovery, better overall fitness, reduced risk of heart disease and stroke, enhanced endurance, improved mental acuity, increased longevity, and the list goes on. 

 

WHY AND HOW COMBINING BOTH? 

 

Why you should try to have some sort of resistance training (3-5 resistance training sessions close to ~ 60’ as a general baseline) and cardiovascular exercice (30’ of steady state Z2 aerobic work) in your week is pretty obvious, right?

 

We want to be STRONG, HEALTHY & FIT.

 

Now, how to combine both spectrum can be a little bit trickier to answer. 

When you come back to my personal case, notice that in order to succeed my first 21.1km, I ran 3-4 times per week for one year and had already 6 years of weight training under my belt. 

Combining both world could be as simple as we did last week of hitting the road for 30-40’ and smash some weight right after or a little bit more complex in finding the right balance of weekly aerobic volume paired with the right amount of resistance training (depending on your goals and fitness level). There is a lot of different ways that you can combine FRT with cardiovascular exercices and it shouldn't be based solely on one approach. However, you need to do some trials and errors to find what suits you, your agenda, goals, preferences, and time. 

 

ISN'T RESISTANCE TRAINING AND CARDIO CALLED "CROSSFIT"?

 

Well, yes... and no. 

 

CrossFit is defined as constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity. So yes, CrossFit combine resistance training with cardiovascular exercises + A LOT of different modalities. 

Using this way of training can be a way of combining the two spectrums that we have discussed so far. But, IT DEPENDS on where you are at with your fitness experience. 

 

See, the foundation that is required to handle the training volume of resistance training with cardiovascular exercises can't be built solely on doing CrossFit. As a beginner, with all the complexity of the different modalities, movements, skills, and exercises that is being thrown in your face (plus the high intensity component), you brain and body isn't capable of improving what truly maters - which is QUALITY OF MOVEMENT PATTERNS and BUILDING MUSCLE MASS. As someone that begins his fitness journey, you need to take the time to understand the fundamentals (compound movements, mind-muscle connection, and body awareness) before combining too much information. This comes in the form of taking the time to properly execute movements and overtime, develop better fitness capacities.

 

Coming back on what we discussed earlier, resistance training helps you increase muscles and therefore, your Basal Metabolic Rate. 

 

But what does this fancy name exactly means? 

 

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy your body needs to function while at rest, such as breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining basic bodily functions. It's basically the energy your body burns just to stay alive. 

Having more muscle mass means you have a higher BMR because muscles are metabolically active tissues. Meaning they require energy (calories) to maintain themselves, even when you're not actively using them. So, the more muscle mass you have, the more energy your body needs just to sustain those muscles. 

 

See where I'm going now?
 

In simpler terms, having more muscle mass means your body needs more energy just to keep those muscles going, which in turn can lead to a higher basal metabolic rate - which inevitably help you get FIT and enable you to combine Resistance Training with cardiovascular exercise more effectively. 

 

The key take away here is to always start simple, slow and to put your attention on what your curiosity is telling you. 

 

We hope this helped!

 

Passionately,

 

Your coaches, at KINAVIA

Written by Benjamin Desmet

 

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P.S: if you are struggling to find the right balance of those two spectrums and need support on tailoring what you specifically need, have a look at our 1:1 PREMIUM ONLINE COACHING and book a free consultation so we can help you craft the right path for you. 

 

 

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