Treadmill Bootcamp: Benefits of Combining Cardio and Strength in a Workout

Whether one calls them boot camp workouts or circuit training, combined workouts are an excellent way to blast fat and get stronger than ever due to the all-in-one workout they provide. No longer do people need to choose between strength or cardio, and due to the even, full-body workout that comes with boot camp plans, people are able to workout their bodies more and see faster results. Read on to learn about the benefits of strength training, cardio, and how to combine both methods.

Strength Training

Whether one decides to use kettlebells, resistance bands, dumbbells or even their own body weight to strengthen their muscles, strength training provides a plethora of benefits, including:

Better Bone Health – It’s easy to think that strength training is relegated strictly to muscles, but numerous studies have shown that people who complete regular strength training workouts also have stronger bones. This can help prevent or alleviate the symptoms of diseases like arthritis and osteoporosis.

Burn More Resting Calories – While one will obviously burn more calories while working out, stronger muscles also allow people to burn more calories while they’re sedentary as well. This is due to the muscles needing more calories to recover from post workouts as well as more muscles for maintenance, meaning a raised metabolism.

Increased Brain Power – Feeling sluggish? Studies show that strength training can have a dramatic impact on one’s brain health, especially with memory and response times; however, that’s not all. It also benefits user’s mental state, with the endorphins released from strength training producing a happiness high that’s similar to the one received from opioids.

Improves Organ Health – Practitioners will improve their heart and lung health due to the increased oxygen intake and blood circulation, but those aren’t the only organs improved with a proper strength training workout. The skin is the largest organ on the human body, but if one has been carrying excess weight for a long period of time, it can become stretched out. Strength training can help the skin rebound, giving a tighter, firmer appearance.

Benefits of a Treadmill

Treadmills are a mainstay in a lot of people’s homes, and it’s easy to see why. They don’t take up a lot of space, they provide an excellent full-body workout and they’re one of the most affordable machines one can buy. Just some of the health benefits include:

Low-Impact – Joint health should be a priority for anyone looking to start a workout program, and a treadmill is an excellent way to ensure one’s joints are getting a low amount of impact—especially if one decides to power walk on the machine. Running will put more pressure on the joints, but it’s significantly less on a treadmill than it would be on harder surfaces like roads.

Strength Workout – Obviously a treadmill alone isn’t enough to give someone a hardcore strength workout, but it does activate the leg muscles and builds muscle mass in the lower body. If one is really looking to up the ante (and workout the buttocks), a steep incline will place more focus on the muscles in the back of the legs.

Reduce Blood Pressure – High blood pressure is a leading cause of death in the United States, and it’s always great to look for ways to bring it down. Treadmill workouts reduce blood pressure, which can help someone avoid a plethora of health issues, including heart attacks strokes, and organ damage.

Burn Calories – Treadmill running blasts away excess fat better than almost any other cardio machine, and it’s also perfect for beginners looking to ease into a cardio program. One of the primary reasons for treadmills popularity is their ability to burn a lot of calories quickly. How quickly? A 200-pound person running at 6mph can expect to burn over 800 calories an hour!

Combining in Bootcamp

Unfortunately, many people choose to focus on one training aspect, leading to an uneven workout program that does not allow the body to be in its maximum state of health. Combining one’s treadmill workouts with strength training allows one to maximize their workout time being they’re getting the benefits from both methods of exercise. Some of the other benefits include:

Excellent HIIT Program – HIIT relies on devotees to use both exercise methods to get the body of their dreams, and treadmills combined with tools like kettlebells or resistance bands are an excellent way to burn a ton of calories while getting stronger.

More Benefits, Less Time – HITT works by allowing users to get the same number of benefits they’d gain from utilizing separate strength and cardio workouts by combining both methods, meaning one can get the same powerful workout in a fraction of the time it would take to do them separately.

Sample HIIT Workout Plan

The main thing to remember when combining the treadmill with strength training is to workout smart, meaning completing workouts that workout the largest number of muscles in the least amount of time. This sample plan is perfect for those just starting out on HIIT:

Treadmill – 5 Minute Warm Up Walk

Treadmill – 30 Second Sprint

Kettlebell Swing – 20 Reps

Squats – 20 Reps

Treadmill – 30 Second Sprint

Burpee – 20 Reps

Kettlebell Swing – 20 Reps

Treadmill – 30 Second Sprint

Kettlebell Swing – 20 Reps

Pushups – 20 Reps

Treadmill – 30 Second Sprint

Lunges (Alternate Legs) – 20 Reps

One Arm Kettlebell Snath (Alternate Arms) – 20 Reps

Treadmill – 5 Minute Cooldown Walk

Conclusion

Combining your treadmill workouts with your strength training program provides an excellent workout for those looking to lose weight and get fit as quickly as possible without spending hours on a machine. Want to vary your exercise routine and start working out as soon as possible? Fitscope offers online studio classes for treadmills and strength training with dumbbells, kettlebells, etc., as well as old favorites like rowing machines, air bikes and ellipticals, to allow people to vary their workouts while obtaining maximum benefits. Click here to learn more and receive a free one-week trial.