Can strength training also be cardio?

Yogi_Carl

Can strength training also be cardio? I had until recently been sceptical about strength training being sufficient and cardio being secondary until I started to observe my heartrate while training strength.

I calculate that at the age of 52 my aerobic zone is between 100 (60%) and 135 (80%). This is using the formula 220-52. My resting pulse is 36 – did I mention I do Yoga!

I use running on the spot, jacks, high knees and butt kicks for 20 minutes to warm up generally and then go on to a combination of bodyweight and dumbbell strength sets.

Push-ups, Bent over dumbbell rowing, Chair dips, Inverted rowing (Let me ups), Dumbbell squats and Lunges. My upper body is comparatively weak so the sets are strong; 5 x 5-8 reps. I rest for about 30 seconds between sets. With such short breaks I find my heart rate stays in the aerobic region.

I do this routine three times per week. Once a week I also include 3 sets of slow negative pull-ups x 3.

What I notice is my heart rate remains at about 132 bpm which sits up near my 80% aerobic capacity and as it takes around 45 minutes to complete this routine, including warm-up as described – do I really need to factor in any more cardio per week or is this routine sufficient?

I guess a younger person may not find strength training increases the heart rate to within the aerobic zone as the age calculation would present higher readings.

Azdak

Not really. Heart increases during resistance exercise (RE) via a different physiologic mechanism than during cardio, so the heart rate increase is not a reliable indicator. Strength results and cardio results are kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum. If you increase the cardiovascular component of the movement (e.g. lift lighter weights at faster speed) you decrease the resistance benefits and vice versa.

Amberonamission

I switched my workout this weekend and did weights first and cardio after. My HR was a full 10 bpm higher during cardio doing it that way.

If I am doing whole body exercises during weights (for example squats with a 10lb overhead press) My HR is super high for the whole duration of strength training.

Que the person who sez it can't be or that my HRM is inaccurate.... or that I am an alien from outer space because it couldn't possibly do that.

Yogi_Carl

Not really. Heart increases during resistance exercise (RE) via a different physiologic mechanism than during cardio, so the heart rate increase is not a reliable indicator. Strength results and cardio results are kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum. If you increase the cardiovascular component of the movement (e.g. lift lighter weights at faster speed) you decrease the resistance benefits and vice versa.

I respect your reply, but I am also awre that my breathing rate increases also, so something aerobic is happening. The fact that I take shorter breaks possibly means I am not working at my maximum strength demands but more likely am training towards the intense end of cardio.

I think this is where programs like Insanity sit in the in-between between cardio and strength?

Dave198lbs

your program looks great. IMO, there is no need to over analyze it further.

graysmom2005

Bodypump is great for this. It's lower weight, but high rep. 800 reps a class. You still get the strength training benefits, but the squat/back/lunge tracks that are spread without the class give you a big heart rate boost so you get a good burn, while you strength train. Changed my body completely.

officerpryc306

I believe it is. Wear a heart rate monitor and check during your workout. I know I see a steady increase. That being said, I will never substitute pushing weight for a good 4-5 mile run 3-4 times a week.

CoderGal

Talking to nobody in particular, just like to point this out for those reading this post and are more concerned with calories burned (which you shouldn't necessarily be, including different things in your workout is a good thing if you ask me). We should not go by the assumption that heart rate indicates the HRM can calculate calories burned for cardio and strength training. If your heart rate is the same, calories burned are not. The HRM has no idea that your body is lifting weights, the calculations for those guys are based on cardio activities like running or cycling only, not strength training. Look it up.

jasonheyd

I'd say if you're doing relatively low weight, high rep, no or minimal rest between reps & sets, then you can blend cardio & resistance.

I'll sometimes do three circuits of various exercises, one set of one exercise with low weight &15-25 reps, move to the next exercise, repeat until I've done one set of each exercise, and then repeat the circuit two more times.

Yogi_Carl

I believe it is. Wear a heart rate monitor and check during your workout. I know I see a steady increase. That being said, I will never substitute pushing weight for a good 4-5 mile run 3-4 times a week.

Thanks. I do see where you're coming from and enjoy a good 30 minute beach run before heading straight into the sea - doesn't feel so cold then - for a swim; running barefoot makes this an easier transition! Or a run out with my dog in the woods. Nothing challenging or competitive. I have a problem with IT band so I don't tend to run often or for long.

Thanks everyone for your replies - really appreciate every one.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

The short answer is "it depends." If you are just straight strength training with long rest in between sets it's not really a cardio exercise. If you are circut training with cardio instead of rest or going for slightly lower weights and working through different moves without any rest then yes, but this is circut training (think insanity or JM 30DS). If you are cardio lifting with even lower weights and a crap ton of reps (think body pump) then yes, this is endurance lifting. Each of these has different goals and you set your workout to your goals. If your goal is to maximize the amount of weight you can lift at one time you do option 1. If your goal is to maximize the amount of weight you can lift up and down for 5 minutes you do option 3, if your goal is somewhere in between you do option 2. If you're like me, you do a variety of each one depending on your schedule and mood.

Capt_Apollo

Not really. Heart increases during resistance exercise (RE) via a different physiologic mechanism than during cardio, so the heart rate increase is not a reliable indicator. Strength results and cardio results are kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum. If you increase the cardiovascular component of the movement (e.g. lift lighter weights at faster speed) you decrease the resistance benefits and vice versa.

This. My breathing picks up and I sweat a lot when i lift. Is it cardio? No.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Talking to nobody in particular, just like to point this out for those reading this post and are more concerned with calories burned (which you shouldn't necessarily be, including different things in your workout is a good thing if you ask me). We should not go by the assumption that heart rate indicates the HRM can calculate calories burned for cardio and strength training. If your heart rate is the same, calories burned are not. The HRM has no idea that your body is lifting weights, the calculations for those guys are based on cardio activities like running or cycling only, not strength training. Look it up.

Solid advice

amberecochran

I would have to agree with you. I take a class called Group Power, twice a week, anyone familiar with this? It is a 60 minute barbell program that strengthens all your major muscles using simple, athletic movements such as squats, lunges, presses and curls, to heart pumping music. I wear my HRM while doing it and I burn burn burn every time. The only rest time we have is when we are switching moves.

LorinaLynn

Is it cardio? No.

Does it still benefit your heart and lungs? I can't see why not.

Jackielyn17

Can strength training also be cardio?

I am currently taking a fitness instructor training course, and yes, strength training can be cardio, even power lifting, doesn't mean you need to take lighter weights either. As long as your HR is in the 60-90% range, you are indeed doing cardio. I personnaly double up sets to make supersets and gets my HR up there, obviously breathing is key as well.

drgndancer

Not really. Heart increases during resistance exercise (RE) via a different physiologic mechanism than during cardio, so the heart rate increase is not a reliable indicator. Strength results and cardio results are kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum. If you increase the cardiovascular component of the movement (e.g. lift lighter weights at faster speed) you decrease the resistance benefits and vice versa.

That... doesn't make a lot of sense. "Cardiovascular fitness" is by nature defined by a combination of how strong your heart is, how much lung capacity you have, efficiency of oxygen transfer in your blood, etc. All of those things are improved anytime you stress your CV system. Now obviously, if you're only getting your heart to 130-150 you're not getting the same benefits as if you get it to 165-180, but you're still getting benefit. Similarly, if you're doing cardio like running, your muscles that you're using will get stronger.

Now the benefits are not coequal. Someone like me who runs long distances isn't going to get much cardio benefit from a weight training session, because I'm unlikely to get to a point where I'm really stressing my CV system. Someone who lifts a lot isn't going to get much strength benefit from running, because their legs are already strong. Less benefit and no benefit are not the same thing though.

DavPul

I believe it is. Wear a heart rate monitor and check during your workout. I know I see a steady increase.

No. Just no.

DavPul

Talking to nobody in particular, just like to point this out for those reading this post and are more concerned with calories burned (which you shouldn't necessarily be, including different things in your workout is a good thing if you ask me). We should not go by the assumption that heart rate indicates the HRM can calculate calories burned for cardio and strength training. If your heart rate is the same, calories burned are not. The HRM has no idea that your body is lifting weights, the calculations for those guys are based on cardio activities like running or cycling only, not strength training. Look it up.

Huge Yes to this. But that's not surprising because CoderGal is always knows her *kitten*.

Sarauk2sf

Not really. Heart increases during resistance exercise (RE) via a different physiologic mechanism than during cardio, so the heart rate increase is not a reliable indicator. Strength results and cardio results are kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum. If you increase the cardiovascular component of the movement (e.g. lift lighter weights at faster speed) you decrease the resistance benefits and vice versa.

I respect your reply, but I am also awre that my breathing rate increases also, so something aerobic is happening. The fact that I take shorter breaks possibly means I am not working at my maximum strength demands but more likely am training towards the intense end of cardio.

I think this is where programs like Insanity sit in the in-between between cardio and strength?

The answer was on point. If you do an 'in-between' program you are not maximizing the potential of either.

Sarauk2sf

Can strength training also be cardio?

I am currently taking a fitness instructor training course, and yes, strength training can be cardio, even power lifting, doesn't mean you need to take lighter weights either. As long as your HR is in the 60-90% range, you are indeed doing cardio. I personnaly double up sets to make supersets and gets my HR up there, obviously breathing is key as well.

Power lifting can be cardio? HR is irrelevant for power lifting when it comes to cardio in the sense of endurance or 'burn'.

FullOfWin

Enough for general health? Probably. Going to build up a lot of endurance? Probably not.

DavPul

Not really. Heart increases during resistance exercise (RE) via a different physiologic mechanism than during cardio, so the heart rate increase is not a reliable indicator. Strength results and cardio results are kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum. If you increase the cardiovascular component of the movement (e.g. lift lighter weights at faster speed) you decrease the resistance benefits and vice versa.

Adzak basically opened and closed the thread with the perfect answer. Lifting and cardio are opposites. To put up a decent amount of weight, you're asking your body to use a large chunk of it's energy in a short period of time (power). To run/swim/walk/etc., you're asking your body to take a small reserve of energy and spread it over a long period of time (endurance). Opposites.

Now you can lower the weights, increase the reps, and decrease the rest time between sets and get a great metabolic effect similar to running, but the weights are so low that it really can't be considered true strength training.

sjohnny

Now you can lower the weights, increase the reps, and decrease the rest time between sets and get a great metabolic effect similar to running, but the weights are so low that it really can't be considered true strength training.

However; with the added weight (albeit light) you will add an element of muscular endurance training to the exercise - endurance is more differenter than strength.

The answer is to do ALL the exercises. Do some strength, do some cardio, do some "conditioning". It all helps your body be healthy in different ways. If you get to a point where you're ready to be a badass at one particular aspect of fitness then you will need to focus on that one aspect to a much greater degree. Until that point while you're just working on being generally fit and healthy, do everything.

sjohnny

10-22

nexangelus

Whilst lifting heavy is not cardio (not long enough really is it?), my sprints both running, rowing and cycling have improved since doing the heavy stuff...coincidence? Me thinks not...so it is more like HIIT, or whatever the interval stuff is called. (kettlebells can be used in interval training as can any weights for short bursts)

Azdak

Can strength training also be cardio?

I am currently taking a fitness instructor training course, and yes, strength training can be cardio, even power lifting, doesn't mean you need to take lighter weights either. As long as your HR is in the 60-90% range, you are indeed doing cardio. I personnaly double up sets to make supersets and gets my HR up there, obviously breathing is key as well.

If your "fitness instructor training course" is telling you that, then they are wrong and you should demand your money back. Or you are just misinterpreting the information, in which case you need to stay after school and write:

"Heart rate increases during strength training are not the same as during cardio"

500 times on the blackboard.

EvgeniZyntx

Now you can lower the weights, increase the reps, and decrease the rest time between sets and get a great metabolic effect similar to running, but the weights are so low that it really can't be considered true strength training.

However; with the added weight (albeit light) you will add an element of muscular endurance training to the exercise - endurance is more differenter than strength.

The answer is to do ALL the exercises. Do some strength, do some cardio, do some "conditioning". It all helps your body be healthy in different ways. If you get to a point where you're ready to be a badass at one particular aspect of fitness then you will need to focus on that one aspect to a much greater degree. Until that point while you're just working on being generally fit and healthy, do everything.

Thank you. So often the post here present the false dichotomy of strength vs cardio that it's great to see a more holistic position.

Azdak

Whilst lifting heavy is not cardio (not long enough really is it?), my sprints both running, rowing and cycling have improved since doing the heavy stuff...coincidence? Me thinks not...so it is more like HIIT, or whatever the interval stuff is called. (kettlebells can be used in interval training as can any weights for short bursts)

You are equating increase in performance with an increase in aerobic conditioning. The two are not the same. Increased muscle strength and power can enhance performance (e.g. 5K run time) without any increase in actual VO2 max.

Azdak

I switched my workout this weekend and did weights first and cardio after. My HR was a full 10 bpm higher during cardio doing it that way.

If I am doing whole body exercises during weights (for example squats with a 10lb overhead press) My HR is super high for the whole duration of strength training.

Que the person who sez it can't be or that my HRM is inaccurate.... or that I am an alien from outer space because it couldn't possibly do that.

First of all, doing squats with and overhead will result in an exaggerated HR response without a corresponding increase in oxygen uptake--so once again, heart rate provides a distorted picture of what is actually occurring in the body.

Second--doing squats with only 10 lb of resistance is not really strength training.

And this is the heart of much of the confusion and misinformation on this topic -- people lump all types of movements and combinations of intensity into the general heading of 'strength training" and then use this incorrect definition to "prove" that these metabolic movements are the equivalent of doing 2-4 RM squats.

No. Just plain "no".

Yogi_Carl

Thanks for inputs - I haven't left the thread; just listening more than typing.