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Should You Separate Your Cardio and Weight Training?
Fitness | July 14, 2016
I’ve been involved with the fitness industry since I was a teenager. And during my tenure I’ve watched as theories and fads have come and gone. But there are a few classic training models that endure. One of them is called Serial Concurrent Exercise (SCE). You might not have ever heard it called that, but I bet you’re familiar with it. Basically it just means doing both cardio and weight training during one workout session, but separating the two. This is a model that’s pretty popular with lots of weight room enthusiasts.
With SCE, the common wisdom is to hit the weighs first so you can put your best energy into lifting heavy (like barbell squats). Then you move to cardio to finish off your session (like running on a treadmill). The idea is to build muscle and then burn calories off so you can lose fat and get yourself a lean and muscular physique.
But my experience and education has taught me that SCE is not the only way. In fact, I believe that it’s not really the best way to achieve a lean, muscular physique. Why? Because it takes so darn LONG and doesn’t work as well.
Since my very first days of posting workouts on YouTube, I’ve preached the gospel of Integrated Concurrent Exercise (ICE). If SCE means one after the other, I’m sure you can guess what ICE means, right? It means combining your strength training and cardio into one workout. One version of ICE is to perform one strength training exercise, one cardio exercise, and then continue to alternate back and forth between the two. And that’s all well and good. But…it still takes a pretty long time.
I take the concept of ICE one step further and combine strength training and cardio into each exercise. When you do this you engage more muscle fibers, burn more calories, build more muscle, and rev the intensity of your workouts up so high that you can reduce your workout session time drastically.
This is how drastically: You could drive to the gym (membership $$$), spend 90 minutes sweating it out, 20 extra minutes waiting for the equipment you need to be free, and then drive home. Instead, I’ve made it possible for you to open an iPad, login, and get your daily workout in within a 15-20 minute time frame. And the bottom line is, you can get the same (and often better, in my opinion) results with ICE as the SCE gym model. Unless you’re single and got a really hot gym crush, I’d rather have all that extra time back.
In 2008 the University of California at Santa Cruz conducted a study they published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research comparing SCE with ICE by splitting a group of female college athletes into two groups and running them through workouts 3 days a week for 11 weeks. One group worked the SCE model and the other worked ICE. The ICE model of training produced greater adaptations in almost every category. The athletes who used integrated training got stronger, leaner, gained more muscle, and gained more flexibility. The SCE participants got stronger and leaner too, but at a significantly lower rate. And the SCE athletes actually lost flexibility in their upper bodies.
If you’re in a good place with your fitness and body goals and you use the SCE model, I can totally understand being afraid to lose your hard-earned gains by trying something new. So if you’re devoted to serial training, here’s a good article about merging the ICE model into your current workout routine from RxMuscle that might help ease your fears.
For me, the proof is in the pudding. I look and feel my best when I focus completely on ICE training, or as I call it, every single workout in the ZGYM! But if you’re on the fence, why not just give it a trial run? All you have to lose is fat. And all you have to gain is muscle, flexibility, and hours of your life back.
Have you ever made the switch from SCE to ICE? I’d love to hear all about your experiences and the body and health changes you saw and felt. Let me know in the comments below!
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My Exercise Equipment
Bodyweight only | Exercise Ball | Hand Weights | Jump Ropes | Kettlebells | Pull Up Bar | Resistance Bands | Sliding Discs
Private Member |
yellowknife, northwest territories, canada
Zuzka, I’ve been following you since 2012 I think, maybe before. Just before you left BR. I started working out with BR and then left quickly because it no longer appealed to me. It seemed less about the fitness and more about looks.
I was so glad when I saw you back on YouTube and I started following again but I could never be consistent and commit to my workouts. My mental state was bad and I was very heavy and unhealthy. I decided something had to change.
This winter I started with a personal trainer doing SCE-type workouts at home. I worked out at least 60 minutes a day, very heavy weights, not much cardio and I ached all over. I followed a meal plan that was heavier in carbs than I was used to. Though I quickly lost 15 lbs, I was overtrained and overtired and no longer in love with my workouts. I plateaued at 15 lb weight loss for months and made no gains in fitness or energy. I felt like garbage.
After taking a couple of weeks off, in early June I decided to go back to what I love and what works for me: short, intense workouts (ICE) with a low carb, high protein diet. I’ve been following your workout schedule since June 4 and using your recipes to plan my meals. I cook every Sunday afternoon for the whole week and I stick to my eating plan. Though I haven’t lost any weight in the 6 weeks I’ve been doing this, I have made incredible gains in my strength and cardiovascular endurance. This week I was able to do decline pushups for the first time in 5 years. I did hanging leg raises (not very high and not so good) for the first time ever. The whole time I was weight training I was not able to do any of these things.
ICE definitely works for me and what’s more important, I enjoy it so I actually want to exercise. I hate doing 5 sets of the same exercise in a row and taking hours to complete all of them. I feel it’s so important to find a workout style you love and that loves you back. I look forward to working out with you every day because it’s fun and challenging. I like the results I get with ICE because it fits with my goals to improve my overall strength, conditioning and cardiovascular health without overtraining or getting bored.
As for the haters….I like to think of haters as a sign that I’m on the right track, because if you’re not pissing anyone off, you’re not turning anyone on either.
Keep doing what you do best. We’ve got your back, Z.
Private Member |
astoria, or, usa
For years, I used to obsessively spend hours at the gym! I used to do an hour of cardio and then spend another hour walking around from machine to machine to get my weight training in! Add in driving time and that’s at least 2 hours wasted!! Plus the cardio was mindless, usually the elliptical at a moderate pace watching TV. I never felt that I got a good enough workout unless I was there that long, plus I would spend extra time doing abs and occasionally (rarely) stretching. I was always stiff and could NEVER touch my toes! I remember texting my friend one time, I told her I was going to the gym. I drove almost 30 min to get there and then was totally irritated because it was raining and the gym was PACKED! There was nowhere to even park so I knew it would be a clusterf*ck inside so I went home. I texted my friend to vent to her and she told me she already did her complete workout with warm up and cool down at home in the amount of time it took me to get to the gym. And that’s when she introduced me to you, probably a good 5+ years ago! And I’ve never turned back!! 🙂 plus think of all the sweat and germs at the gym! Ironically, I recently told my sister-in-law that I only work out usually 5-15min and she said she could never do such a short workout. She doesn’t feel satisfied if she doesn’t workout for at least an hour and the usually goes for a run too. I’m more fit and flexible (even through a pregnancy and postpartum) in my early 30’s than I ever was in my entire gym-filled 20’s (skinny is not fit!) 🙂
Private Member |
naples, fl, usa
Yes I have switched! I find, as long as appropriate and challenging weights are used (heavier for lower body), ICE is my preference.
As for the argument above, I recommend all of you to educate yourselves by reading. Try: Body Weight Strength Training Anatomy by Bret Contreras. There are many ways to skin a cat.
I can’t help but wonder why anyone would pay to learn from someone they do not respect? Perhaps they are having a bad day.
Private Member |
Zuzka i heard you don’t want to do both weight training and cardio back to back because say if you weight train then do heavy cardio your body is already so tired and depleted that it uses “all your gains” so to speak and sort of sets you back with muscle gain, nutrients, etc. So I had heard use alternate days with those activities. Your article makes sense to combine those at the same time but is there any truth to running yourself ragged by workout out for so long and actually not improving your health and fitness?
Private Member |
I love your workouts and push myself really hard, but at the end of a 15 – 20 minutes workout I am not really tired. After a short workout I have sometimes so much energy left and feel guilty about it. I’m afraid that this short workout was not enough for me. Should I do another 15 minutes workout in this case? My goal is to keep my shape and stay fit, so I don’t really wanna lose weight.
Private Member |
Zuzka, I just wanted to say that I FREAKING LOVE YOU.
I love everything that you do, how you are constantly growing as human being and how your physique and your whole essence speaks volumes (I don’t know if that’s the correct way to say it, but maybe you get what I mean). I don’t really rely on studies, I rely more on my heart and my gut feeling and my gut feeling has always yelled loud and clear that You Rock. And your way of excercising has been during the past four years or so the kind of style I keep on coming back, find the most efficient in every way and enjoy the most.
So thank yoy once again for everything you do. I have so much love for you. xx
Private Member |
usa
I used to be a stickler for the SCE training because that’s what I learned in class and my textbook when I studied and became a personal trainer 12 years ago. I was taught that ICE or plyometric workouts were for advanced individuals and athletes. Ha! I was a runner and that was my focus then after my runs I would do my strength training 3-5 days/wk. I’ve ran many races including 3 half marathons. In 2011 when I was training for my first 1/2 marathon is when I discovered you, Zuzka, on bodyrock. I was so worn out from my mileage training and so bored with my routine alternating upper body and lower body weight training each day. It so refreshing to do your workouts that I totally quit the other stuff (just not the running). So since then, I only do ICE workouts. When I injured my knee, I stopped running and I took up stationary cycling to keep my cardio endurance. I do not miss my boring old gym or home workouts.