Effective Strategies for Integrating Cardio and Strength Training to Achieve Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight effectively and sustainably, cardio and strength training can change your journey in the best way. Combining these two powerful forms of exercise provides a well-rounded approach that accelerates calorie burning and helps sculpt lean muscle. To get you going in the right direction, we spoke to a trainer who explains exactly how to combine cardio and strength training for faster weight loss.

In this article, we will explore how to effectively mix cardio and strength training to achieve your goal. From the best exercises to pro tips, we’ve got everything you need to keep you on the right path to success.

The most effective ways to combine cardio and strength training to accelerate weight loss

1. Circuit training

Circuit training consists of alternating between cardio training and strength training with minimal breaks to rest in between. “This keeps your heart rate elevated, which leads to fat burning while building strength,” explains Ronny Garcia, CPTwith Blink Fitness.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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2. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves intense cardio training with strength movements to quickly increase calorie production. “This type of exercise increases your metabolism because it puts your body into EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption)—ie, continuing to burn calories after your workout is over,” Garcia tells us.

High-intensity workouts are the most effective for burning a lot of calories. That said, they can be rough on your body. “You should balance high-intensity workouts with low- or medium-intensity sessions to achieve balance and give your body time to recover,” advises Garcia.

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3. Jerking

If you haven’t tried jerking before, now is a perfect time to grab a backpack and start! “Walking with a weighted backpack combines vigorous cardio with strength training,” says Garcia. “It’s an effective way to burn calories and build core and lower body strength.”

I replaced regular walking with “Rucking” for 2 weeks and saw my endurance skyrocket

Strategies for mixing cardio and strength training to maximize weight loss

• Exercise at different intensity levels (low, medium and high) throughout the week to give your body enough time to recover and avoid burnout.
• Slowly increase the weights as time goes on to keep challenging your body. This is called “progressive overload”.
• Use supersets, which involve alternating between cardio and strength training with minimal rest breaks in between. This promotes continuous calorie burning.
• Perform compound exercises, which involve several muscle groups at the same time. Examples are squats and deadlifts.