Archive: Around Town

A common question from gym members that I get after some of my own workouts, drenched head-to-toe, is "Did you do cardio today?" thinking I just got off the treadmill. This scenario illustrates one of the compartmentalized misconceptions of fitness, that your "cardio" has to be separate from your strength training. The idea that you don't sweat when you weight-lift is perpetuated by the use of fixed axis weight machines, single joint exercises like bicep curls, and guys who lift in their jeans. If you don't break a sweat when you strength-train, you may need to question the exercise(s) that you're doing and/or your lifting intensity (load).

We sweat as a natural response to increased body temperature which includes an increased heartrate during exercise. Most heartrate training is intended for continuous aerobic exercise but heartrate can also be a measure of the overall quality of a resistance exercise. The more activated muscle mass during an exercise, the higher its quality. For example, maximum oxygen consumption is a common measure of aerobic fitness. Values are significantly higher during treadmill testing (running) as opposed to bicycle ergometer testing (cycling) because more muscles demand oxygen for energy during running. Cycling, on the other hand, is a non-weightbearing exercise, therefore less musculature is involved. The more muscles involved, the higher the cardiovascular impact, which is very much applicable to weightlifting.

During cardiovascular weightlifting, heartrate can also be used to control amount of desired work in a strength training set. Instead of counting reps, a target heartrate can tell you when the set is done (using a heartrate monitor). For example, during a big bang multi-joint fullbody exercise (squat, deadlift, etc) I want to hit 90 percent of my max heartrate (for me, 163 beats-per-minute) to get the same training effects as a high intensity interval session. Regardless of the weight on the bar, I continue to perform repetitions until I hit the 90 percent target heartrate or until perceived failure, whichever comes first. If I don't hit my target heartrate (before 12 reps), I need to add load to the bar for the next set. If I hit perceived failure without hitting the target heartrate, I need to remove some load. When the heartrate comes down to about 60 percent during rest, it's time for another "interval."

As a simple case study to illustrate the use of heartrate monitor during weightlifting, a personal training client of mine recently performed sumo deadlifts: five sets of five reps at progressively increased loads starting with a warmup weight. Her average heartrate after each set was 156.6 beats per minute or 83 percent of her maximum heartrate (2-3 minutes of complete rest was given). Most regular exercisers don't hit 83 percent during their standard low intensity cardio sessions let alone their weightlifting.

Cardiovascular weightlifting is about getting your heartrate up to a defined target level. This is different from the use of heartrate to scientifically define the rest interval during weight training; the recommended rest is a drop to 17 or 18 beats per ten seconds or 102-108 beats per minute (Spassov, 1989). Also, during true strength training (heavy loads) in which the set lasts no more than 10 seconds, the heartrate should not exceed 18 beats per ten seconds (108 beats per minute). If it does, Spassov writes "your recovery is not enough and the results are not as good as what you need."

Why not step out of your box, "kill two birds with one stone," get in the best shape of your life, and try out some cardio weightlifting? Stay strong.

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