Beauty of strength training: Improving your cardio

Strength training is often associated with building muscle and increasing strength, but did you know that it can also have a positive impact on cardiovascular health? 

First of all, what is cardio? Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, refers to any physical activity that raises your heart rate and improves the function of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. It is an essential component of fitness that contributes to overall health and well-being. Regular cardio exercise can help with weight management, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and improve mental health.

Strength training, also known as resistance training, involves using resistance to induce muscular contraction and build strength. This can be done through a variety of exercises such as weightlifting, resistance band workouts, or bodyweight exercises.

While cardio exercises like running, swimming, or cycling are typically associated with improving cardiovascular health, strength training can also play a significant role in enhancing cardio fitness.

Table of Contents

• Increased muscle strength
• Lower resting heart rate
• increased endurance

Increased Muscle Strength

Strength training helps to build and strengthen muscles, including the muscles of the heart. As the muscles become stronger, stronger muscles improve the efficiency of oxygen utilization, making your heart and lungs work less strenuously during physical activities because they can pump blood more efficiently, leading to improved circulation and oxygen delivery throughout the body. This increased efficiency can enhance overall cardiovascular health and endurance. This enhanced efficiency contributes to lower heart rates and better endurance.

I will be talking about “running” as an option for cardio in this post, but there are many different types of cardio, and you can find your favorite cardio! You definitely do not always have to pick intense cardio, such as running. Walking is one of the great low-impact cardio activities you can enjoy. You may want to read HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TYPE OF CARDIO FOR YOUR FITNESS GOAL for your reference.

I believe one of the moments you feel overwhelmed by doing cardio is when you are out of breath and feel like you cannot keep going anymore. That was me! I tried running many times, but I just could not keep going because I was out of breath and my heart was pumping so fast, and it was definitely not a fun experience. In my mind, “to be able to run better, I have to practice by running more.” But the more I practice running, the more I hate it! It was just a bad cycle. Therefore, I just stopped trying to run. I was like, “I am not a runner; it is ok; I will do something I like!” That is right! You do not have to force yourself to do something you do not enjoy! However, I honestly always had this thing in the corner of my mind: “I wish I could enjoy running“. I am sure I am not the only one!

After I stopped trying to run, I got into strength training. I have been doing strength training for about 2 years now, and I just started wondering if I could run better just because I felt stronger and more confident in my fitness level. One day, I was at the gym, and I decided to run on a treadmill. Do you know what happened? I ran 5K for the first time in my life! I felt amazing! I was not out of breath at all, and my legs were not hurting, but I just felt like I could run more and more! I will never forget that feeling. Since then, I have been running a few times a week, and my max distance at this point is 12K (outside) and 15K (treadmill). I am just so excited that I feel like I can run more. The most exciting thing is that I am truly enjoying running now.

Now, I proved that strength training improved my cardio fitness level!

Lower Resting Heart Rate

Regular strength training can lead to a lower resting heart rate. This means that your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood when you’re at rest. A lower resting heart rate is an indication of a healthier heart and improved cardiovascular fitness.

One of the workout techniques I recommend to improve your cardio fitness is “supersets”. Supersets are a popular workout technique that involves performing two exercises back-to-back without rest. This method is highly efficient for those looking to maximize their workout in a limited amount of time. 

To perform a superset, choose two exercises that target different muscle groups or the same muscle group. For example, you could pair a chest exercise with a back exercise or two different chest exercises. Perform the first exercise and immediately move on to the second exercise without resting. After completing both exercises, take a short break before moving on to the next superset or set of exercises.

There are various types of supersets you can incorporate into your workout:

• Antagonistic Supersets: Antagonistic supersets involve pairing exercises that target opposing muscle groups. For example, a common pairing is bicep curls followed by tricep extensions. The primary benefit of this method is balanced muscle development, as it allows both muscle groups to recover while the other is working. This can lead to improved overall muscle symmetry and reduced risk of injury.
• Agonistic Supersets: In contrast, agonistic supersets target the same muscle group with two different exercises. For instance, performing a bench press followed by a chest fly. This technique intensifies the workout for the targeted muscle, leading to greater muscle fatigue and potentially more significant muscle growth. Agonistic supersets are particularly effective for breaking through plateaus and promoting hypertrophy.
• Pre-exhaustion Supersets: Pre-exhaustion supersets involve performing an isolation exercise followed by a compound exercise that targets the same muscle group. An example would be performing leg extensions before squats. The isolation exercise pre-fatigues the muscle, making the compound exercise more challenging and ensuring the muscle works harder. This technique can help in improving muscle endurance and strength.

Supersets offer several advantages besides improving cardio fitness levels:

• Time Efficiency: By reducing rest periods, supersets make your workout more time-efficient, allowing you to complete more exercises in less time.
• Increased Intensity: The continuous movement from one exercise to the next increases the intensity of your workout, which can help improve cardiovascular fitness.
• Muscle Endurance: Supersets can enhance muscle endurance by pushing your muscles to work harder with less rest.
• Variety: Mixing different exercises keeps your workout routine interesting and can help prevent plateaus.

I personally love and do supersets most of the time, mainly because I can save time. I highly recommend this technique, especially if you have limited time at a gym. 

Increased Endurance

Strength training is often associated with building muscle mass and power. However, many people overlook its significant impact on endurance. While endurance is commonly linked with cardiovascular activities like running and cycling, incorporating strength training into your fitness routine can lead to substantial improvements in endurance.

Strength training exercises, especially those that involve multiple muscle groups and compound movements, can help improve overall endurance. When your muscles become stronger, they can sustain activity for longer periods without fatigue. One of the primary ways strength training improves endurance is by enhancing muscle efficiency. When you engage in strength exercises, your muscles learn to perform tasks more effectively. This increased efficiency means your muscles can sustain prolonged physical activities with less fatigue, thereby boosting your endurance. This increased endurance can translate into improved performance during cardio exercises, allowing you to go further and push harder.

Strength training also contributes to a higher metabolic rate. As you build lean muscle mass, your body requires more energy to maintain it, even at rest. This increased energy expenditure helps improve your overall stamina and energy levels, making it easier to endure longer workouts or physical activities without feeling exhausted.

Let’s say you feel a burning sensation in your legs when running. That is one of the signs of muscle exhaustion. I remember I started feeling fatigue in my legs right after I started running, and that is another fact that stopped me from running. When you do strength training, you are training your muscles, and you will feel muscle fatigue during the workout. Eventually, you will have the strength to push yourself harder and go further. In strength training, there are specific numbers of repetitions you do for each exercise. For example, you are doing a squat. You aim to do 3 sets of 8 repetitions of squats. Even though it is always hard to finish each set, your mind tries to push you through it, especially because the number of repetitions is low and you know that it is achievable. Eventually, when you run, you get this feeling, “I cannot run anymore,” but at the same time, you get this feeling, “I can push it though!“. I truly believe that strength training can train you not only physically but also emotionally. After you push it through, you will hit this stage: “I can run more.” Trust me, I have been there, and let me tell you this. You will feel awesome!

Strength training is not just about building muscle; it can also have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. By improving muscle strength, lowering resting heart rate, and increasing endurance, strength training can enhance cardio fitness and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine can offer numerous benefits for your overall health and well-being.