Strength workouts that keep heartrate up?
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Scubdup
Posts: 104 Member
Can anyone suggest good workout formats that will keep my heart rate above 70%max for 30 mins?
My health insurer rewards members for exercising for certain lengths of time at certain heartrate levels.
It's meant I've been doing more cardio sessions (no bad thing) but I'd like to get back to doing some strength training too.
Yesterday I managed to do some EMOM mini workouts and juggled my heartrate well enough to get the max reward and that's inspired me to try and cone up with some more of that sort of workout.
My health insurer rewards members for exercising for certain lengths of time at certain heartrate levels.
It's meant I've been doing more cardio sessions (no bad thing) but I'd like to get back to doing some strength training too.
Yesterday I managed to do some EMOM mini workouts and juggled my heartrate well enough to get the max reward and that's inspired me to try and cone up with some more of that sort of workout.
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Replies
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Incorporate cardio between sets to keep your heart rate up. My former (but on great terms - I got to where I wanted to be) trainer had me doing burpees and windspints between sets. I know, I know, no one likes burpees and wind sprints, but they will keep your heart rate up through your sets.2
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Kettlebells....... or do your weights in a circuit ..... or Jill yourself and do kettlebell training in a circuit
But check out what you do with a kettle bell ... clean and press for 20 reps each side followed by renegade rows for 20 reps, followed by snatches 20 reps each side followed by 20 goblet squats, amrap pull-ups, 50 swings and repeat until your 30 mins is up5 -
Urgh. Thanks for the replies (I think! - Those workouts sound tough!)
I found a few articles that completely back up what you've both said:-- https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/6-easy-ways-add-cardio-your-strength-workout-ncna827366
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/382612-heart-rate-weight-training/
I think a combination of circuit-training and "met-con" style workout formats, combined with a few compound movement exercises should get me what I'm after.0 -
Fitness blender have a few good strength and HIIT combination videos that work great to keep your heart rate up. Have a look on their website for HIIT and Strength combined videos1
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I prefer circuit strength training as well so I can get through my workout faster. My husband is the opposite and takes an hour to do his routine and I probably take about 30-40mins for the equivalent routine.2
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My health insurer rewards members for exercising for certain lengths of time at certain heartrate levels.
How would they know what your heart rate is??
I would separate weights & cardio to get the most out of each of them. It's hard to lift heavy and with proper form while rushing around trying to keep your HR up.
10 -
Kettlebells....... or do your weights in a circuit ..... or Jill yourself and do kettlebell training in a circuit
But check out what you do with a kettle bell ... clean and press for 20 reps each side followed by renegade rows for 20 reps, followed by snatches 20 reps each side followed by 20 goblet squats, amrap pull-ups, 50 swings and repeat until your 30 mins is up
^That's what I would have said. Thanks H1udd.
Good conditioning cross over.1 -
Why would you want to do two things poorly? Either keep your HR up with a cardio session, or lift and focus on proper form and build muscle.
I lift every other day (5x5) and do >30 mins cardio daily. My goals being strength and endurance focused.
What are your goals? Develop a plan based upon these. Not some arbitrary statistics formed by insurance risk.
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Cherimoose wrote: »My health insurer rewards members for exercising for certain lengths of time at certain heartrate levels.
How would they know what your heart rate is??
I would separate weights & cardio to get the most out of each of them. It's hard to lift heavy and with proper form while rushing around trying to keep your HR up.
I assume he's linking his Fitbit(or equivalent) to an app they provide.3 -
I'd say for an actual true strength program, you're not going to be able to do that...you can't really run a proper strength program doing a bunch of cardio in between.
You can do circuits and other types of conditioning work that also incorporate resistance training, but you're basically doing a cardio plan that incorporates resistance rather than a true strength program.
How much time is required for the rewards? I run a full body program 3x per week and it takes me about 30-40 minutes and I usually do a 20-30 minute spin on the stationary bike after and road ride 3-4x per week on my non lifting days.5 -
I do the weight circuit at my gym, which is 10 machines and stepping in between.
You use machine # 1 for 1 minute, then rest for 30 seconds. They have a step bench in the middle and I do that for 1 minute. (I don't just step, I really get some height on it to keep my heartrate up), then rest for 30 seconds. Then machine #2 for 1 minute. Rest 30 seconds. Step 1 minute, then rest for 30 seconds and so on...
It takes about 30 minutes. There is a stoplight at my gym that tells you Green for go and Red for Stop. By the end of it, I'm sweating.1 -
Lift lighter weights faster?
You could do things like sets of 15 light squats, super-setted with 15 light bench. Then sets of 15 light straight legged deadlift, alternating with sets of 15 barbell rows. But the weight would have to be light. You could add this to the end of a regular lifting routine. Or you could just do cardio.
So yeah, you aren't going to get a good strength workout trying to keep your heart rate up. You need rest when lifting.1 -
Kettlebells....... or do your weights in a circuit ..... or Jill yourself and do kettlebell training in a circuit
But check out what you do with a kettle bell ... clean and press for 20 reps each side followed by renegade rows for 20 reps, followed by snatches 20 reps each side followed by 20 goblet squats, amrap pull-ups, 50 swings and repeat until your 30 mins is up
I agree, kettlebells!1 -
i am doing mass2. wont lie. its a killer workout. 4 days a week (m, tu, th, fr) and its on average 40 minutes each time1
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If you are doing a workout to improve your strength then deliberately seeking to keep your heart rate high is a great way to ruin the effectiveness of your workout.
Decide if the rewards offered are worth compromising your workout to achieve them.
CV workouts and HR have a definite link, strength and HR - no!
Your training should have definite goals, if that's to improve your strength then do strength training properly which involves suitable rest/recovery between sets and will result in a low average HR.
If your goal is to earn maximum rewards then do some variety of circuit training and accept your strength progress will be compromised.
Personally if I really wanted these rewards I would earn them through dedicated cardio and I would entirely separately strength train - but train properly.10 -
Do some burpees in between sets. Unless you are in amazing shape the burpees will keep that heart rate up.1
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Superset Opposite muscle groups with no rest. (Chest/Back, Quads/Hamstrings, Biceps/Triceps, Isolated Shoulder Front, Side, Back).
The opposing muscles rest and stretch while you to the opposite movement and you'll get a killer workout. Plus, you can do twice as much work in the same time as sitting between sets and phone scrolling.
In my workout yesterday, I went between Bench Press and Lat Pull while two other people shared the same equipment so there was no time for rest. By the time I was done 3 sets each I was completely winded like I'd been running.
Circuit style workouts work well too and most gyms have machines set up in a series specifically for that. Hard to do if it's busy though as the ideal is NOT to rest at all between machines and go around from one to the next without stopping.
Similarly, if you're stuck with a single apparatus, you can do things in between sets on the floor: Crunches, Planks, Burpees...all good. Lots of ideas for you!2 -
Cherimoose wrote: »My health insurer rewards members for exercising for certain lengths of time at certain heartrate levels.
How would they know what your heart rate is??
I would separate weights & cardio to get the most out of each of them. It's hard to lift heavy and with proper form while rushing around trying to keep your HR up.Why would you want to do two things poorly? Either keep your HR up with a cardio session, or lift and focus on proper form and build muscle.
I lift every other day (5x5) and do >30 mins cardio daily. My goals being strength and endurance focused.
What are your goals? Develop a plan based upon these. Not some arbitrary statistics formed by insurance risk.If you are doing a workout to improve your strength then deliberately seeking to keep your heart rate high is a great way to ruin the effectiveness of your workout.
Decide if the rewards offered are worth compromising your workout to achieve them.
CV workouts and HR have a definite link, strength and HR - no!
Your training should have definite goals, if that's to improve your strength then do strength training properly which involves suitable rest/recovery between sets and will result in a low average HR.
If your goal is to earn maximum rewards then do some variety of circuit training and accept your strength progress will be compromised.
Personally if I really wanted these rewards I would earn them through dedicated cardio and I would entirely separately strength train - but train properly.
^ Personally, I agree with all three of the above. Strength is strength and cardio is cardio, I prefer to keep them separate and give each one their due. Or if your true goal is just to earn the rewards, do some sort of circuit with cardio between sets and accept the fact that you're compromising both your strength and cardio improvements in order to attain your time goal.9 -
Instead of researching how to ruin a perfectly good lifting routine as many have pointed out - I'd spend some time finding out what ways are available to inform the insurance company that you are still getting a good workout, and what's the minimum about of time needing doing cardio to obtain some benefit.
It may be that the 30 min @ 70% daily line only adds a minor improvement to the insurance benefit, compared to the next level down which could be doing it 3 x weekly.
Also to keep in mind - if you do a good lifting routine - your HR should be naturally elevated for the effort done for cardio following it - so you won't need to do the cardio as hard to reach that 70%.
After leg day I can get a good 10-15 beats elevated on a jog or bike ride - especially if it's hot out too.7 -
You can do a Les Mills Bodypump class. They use a barbell with weights to music. It is fun and a change of pace. The barbell (Smartbell) is designed to for quick removal and placing of weight plates. You can determine how much weight you want to lift. It is usually an hour long class and is hosted in quite a few fitness centers/gyms here in the USA and around the world. I know that the Powerhouse Gyms host them here.3
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