NO clue if i should post this here or in the conditioning forum … i’m interested in getting stronger so i’ll just leave it here …
For my current education / future job i’m gonna need to be in better shape, but i don’t want my strength training to take a hit
If i would add 1 day a week where i peform steady state cardio (long distance jogging or something) it shouldnt impact my strength too much would it?
Hip flexor got tight so i can’t squat at the moment, deadlifting is doing great right now and i want to keep progressing. Bench press, well i have long arms so automatically my pressing sucks.
Ussually i deadlift and do barbell holds for grip on day 1, on day 2 i train my deadlift (i basically do everything that increases my deadlift). I’m considering doing 30min of easy cardio on day 2 but after that workout i’m way too tired … on day 3 my hamstrings/glutes/lowback/quads are so sore i cramp up just walking up enouth stairs
Would like to know what others think … toughts / ideas / advice?
There is no way 1 day of cardio will negatively impact your strength.
Just do it whenever you can. Doing it on the workout where you are way too tired to do it might actually be the best, because it may teach you how to really push yourself when you don’t think you have anything left.
I’ve been punching out loaded march / ruck runs which hasn’t negatively impacted on strength.[/quote]
Currently in school for education as a security guard, during internship had to literally sprint in certain cases like after thieves or a car accident. Im quick but i was really out of breath for a long time afterwards
After that im planning to get a an education as a police officer, alot of people try to get into that school, due to this their intake tests etc have high standards and fit test days are completely made out of exercises i hate with a passion
[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
There is no way 1 day of cardio will negatively impact your strength.
Just do it whenever you can. Doing it on the workout where you are way too tired to do it might actually be the best, because it may teach you how to really push yourself when you don’t think you have anything left.[/quote]
You could try a day of sprints and a day of lower intensity tempo runs (i.e. 100-400m at 75%, walk or jog for rest). Obviously the sprints would be high intensity, and you may want to do those on a non-lifting day. The tempo runs shouldn’t be as taxing and you could plug them in where you see fit. Some even say that tempo runs help speed up recovery for your lower body by increasing blood flow. I’ve never really found that to be the case, but I wouldn’t say they have hindered my recovery either. The key is to not over-do it on the volume. My sprint sessions rarely go over 2,500m, and if I’m focusing on shorter sprints they usually come out to about 1,000m total. Think quality over quantity with the high intensity work. The tempo sessions allow for more volume as the intensity is lower, and it might take a few tries to find your “sweet spot”.
Another option is the prowler, or any sled, really. A 10-20 minute session of pushes can have you breathing like a fat kid if you do it right. And I can say with certainty, that I have noticed a good sled workout does seem to enhance recovery.
Why not try some intervals? I’ve found those improved by conditioning WAY better than LSD work. Plus, if you do something like heavy kettlebell swings as the interval work that’s only going to help your deadlift and might also loosen your hips a bit for squatting.
You could do something along the lines of 30 seconds on/30 seconds off for 10 minutes with 32 kg or two 16 kgs (or heavier or lighter, depending on what feels better). You’d probably hit somewhere between 10 and 15 reps per set and get absolutely cooked by the end. Or load up a sled or small tyre with your bodyweight and drag it for a minute with a minute rest for 30 minutes. I did that a bunch and my conditioning improved hugely.
But in answer to your question, no, I very much doubt if one session of running would negatively impact your strength.
It sounds like you can gain a lot from a little with conditioning work. If you aren’t pushing to failure you should increase your conditioning pretty quick without impacting strength. Once you get to a point where you really have to push hard with more conditioning volume or intensity to increase cardio performance (beyond roughly an average level), it’ll start affecting strength performance.