Integrating Strength and Endurance Workouts for Effective Weight Loss
When your ultimate goal is weight loss, there are many steps you can take and changes you can make to make every second in the gym count. That’s why we’re here to share how to combine strength and endurance training to lose weight and get in shape, according to a fitness pro.
This powerful combination of training methods can be a total change in your workout routine, helping you burn body fat while sculpting muscle mass. Many gym goers focus on just one style of exercise in their workouts, whether it’s cardio or lifting weights, but combining the two can maximize your results and create a well-balanced approach.
How to combine strength and endurance training to lose weight faster

Concurrent training is the most effective way to combine strength and endurance training to lose weight quickly. “This method alternates between strength and cardio/endurance workouts,” explains Ronny Garcia, CPT, Blink Fitness. “It’s effective because it maximizes calorie burn and improves metabolic efficiency after exercise.”
Plain and simple, strength and resistance training will help you build muscle mass. “Building muscle increases your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which helps you burn more calories even when you’re not exercising,” Garcia tells us. “It also triggers the EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) effect, which allows you to continue burning additional calories after your workout.”
Endurance training, such as swimming, running or cycling, can burn a large number of calories. Over time, this will help your body use fat as a fuel source, helping you lose weight.
“Together, these types of exercise allow you to maximize caloric intake while building muscle mass,” adds Garcia.
How switching between strength and endurance training optimizes fat burning

Performing strength training promotes muscle growth and maintenance, and endurance training optimizes your caloric output.
“Together, you can raise your metabolic rate due to energy expenditure and induce EPOC,” explains Garcia. “You can also avoid overtraining because of alternating your exercises and muscle groups involved.”
The best workouts that effectively mix strength and endurance training

- Circuit training: This style of training combines strength exercises with short rest periods and endurance exercises to keep your heart rate elevated during exercise. “This structure allows you to build muscle while burning a lot of calories,” notes Garcia.
- CrossFit: This training method mixes HIIT with functional strength training. Workouts typically include bodyweight exercises, cardio and lifting to keep your muscles engaged and challenged.
- Kettlebell training: Kettlebell routines are productive because they mix cardio, strength and functional training. “Exercises like kettlebell swings, cleans, and jerks engage multiple muscle groups and raise your heart rate,” says Garcia. “The explosive nature of the movements helps burn calories quickly and efficiently.”
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa