LITTLE ROCK — Combining cardiovascular training with strength exercise can provide an exciting new twist to your workout routine.
It’s sort of like adding turkey to your BLT when you’ve never done it before. Tasty. Plus, you get more out of the workout (and the sandwich) with the added ingredients.
This week, I’ll discuss the advantage of this unique form of training and will introduce a new way to enjoy cycling.
For those with limited time to exercise, combining strength and cardiovascular training can cut your workout time by as much as 50 percent. If you like to exercise during your lunch hour or early morning, this format might be a perfect fit.
Other than time savings, combining strength and cardiovascular exercise challenges your body in different ways than performing each of them separately. The added stimulus will absolutely help you burn more calories per minute of exercise, turning your ho-hum workout into a fat-melting inferno.
Your heart rate will also be higher, on average, than when performing each type of exercise individually. This adds a unique cardiovascular benefit that could improve your overall heart condition and lower your risk for heart disease.
There are some considerations you’ll want to take into account before jumping on an elliptical with a pair of dumbbells. The logistics can be challenging. Some strength exercises are simply impossible to perform without giving your full, undivided attention specifically to them. A squat, for example, is not a strength exercise easily combined with working on an elliptical or treadmill.
However, an overhead press makes a perfect companion to many cardio workouts.
This week’s exercise uses the overhead press as part of the strength exercise. The Spin With Medicine Ball L is a safe, effective combination exercise that will really challenge your entire body while you’re pedaling away on a stationary bike.
Grab a medicine ball, sit on an upright bike or spinning bike and set the resistance as high as you can handle and still move the pedals.
Begin pedaling as hard as you can. If you’re pedaling so fast that you’re out of control, then increase the resistance.
Once you reach your maximum speed, press the medicine ball upward into an overhead press.
Bring it down to chest level, then press it out in front of you as you would in a chest press.
Continue for 10 of these “L” repetitions while pedaling like a maniac.
The sheer intensity of this exercise requires that you have a sturdy foundation of fitness before attempting the combination. But you can dial it down a notch and cruise at a more comfortable speed and resistance level until you feel more comfortable.
In any case, you’ll save time and have fun with this strength and cardio combo move. Enjoy!
Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master’s in kinesiology, and he is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
ActiveStyle, Pages 25 on 01/28/2013