I’ve been struggling a bit with motivation to complete necessary cardio to supplement lifting. About my training: lifting 4 days per week in the morning, each day focused around a main compound lift (Squat, Bench, Deads, OHP) which takes me about an hour each training day. Over the past few weeks, I have been using the Runna app for running on top of lifting 2-3 days per week. I complete all of this during the work week, and save the weekend for skiing, hiking, golfing, and anything else that may come up.
Here is my question - is there a less fatiguing/easier on the joints option than running? My right knee flares up a bit with the running so I’d like to switch. I have a road bike but those workouts can be time consuming, and I get quite bored on the treadmill and prefer to be outside. Or are my weekend activities enough in terms of cardio? TIA!
shane.scott,
Thanks for the post and welcome to the forum. I can definitely understand the challenges surrounding time to fit in both lifting and conditioning, as well as programming it in a way that is complimentary.
Cycling would be the least fatiguing (for lifting) and lowest impact option that you could do outdoors. I would push back about the workouts taking more time than an equivalently effective running workout. In other words, I think both produce similar endurance improvements for a given amount of time, with cycling being lower impact.
I think skiing and hiking likely “count” as conditioning exercise, whereas golf would not.
Putting it all together, I would favor ~ 8-10 sets of a squat, press, hinge, and row pattern per week, which could be distributed over as few as 2 days, or as many as 7 days.
I would also plan on at least 2 to 2.5 hours per week of formal conditioning, with *at least *about half of that coming from cycling, a quarter from running, and the rest from your weekend activities.
This would look a lot like the programs within our Time Crunch Template, which includes 6 separate programs based on goals (strength, size, conditioning) and frequency (2,3, and 4 day options).
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Thank you! What about the endurance program?
I like the endurance program, though I suspect for your goals/wants for conditioning, it would be too much formal conditioning (vs. recreation) and not enough lifting. Just my 0.02
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Got it. I would like to add that my issue is not time - I work from home with very flexible hours and the gym is close by. My issue is fatigue and motivation, just want to make sure I’m doing enough for strength hypertrophy and conditioning without burning out and struggling to finish the week. Not sure if that changes anything
Gotcha. I do think with those considerations and your current training load, the Time Crunch programs would be a good fit. Their are some “expansion” options in there, e.g. optional training for those who have more time.
Still, I do think those programs will meet your needs. Depending on your priorities, I would consider General Strength and Conditioning 1 and/or Powerbuilding 1 after that.
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