I'm supplementing jiu jitsu and running with cardio lifting to increase cardiovascular endurance, increase total body strength, and max out on calorie burn.
What do I mean by cardio lifting? I'm not talking about that class gyms offer, aka Body Pump (which is not bad). But I AM talking about maintaining an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time while conducting full body lifts and cardio circuits.
Advantages:
+Enormous caloric burn: 1000+ calories over 70min, similar to the burn you get when running, doing jiu jitsu, swimming, or roughly 14 hours of what's going on in this picture.
+Muscle definition: You won't get super muscly with this but you'll get a more shredded, sinewy, fighter type look. Lean and mean.
+Endurance: pushing for 70-90 minutes with a high heart rate translated into success during a 90 minute half marathon despite lack of training by running. My cardio endurance over 90 minutes is as high as it's ever been.
Disadvantages:
-No major increase in muscle mass: If you want muscle mass, high weight low reps is the way to go, that takes patience and focused effort on individual muscle groups.
-Jack of all trades, master of none: Full body exercises prevent focus on any one muscle group.
-Time: 70-90 minutes. You've got a life to live, I get it.
-High Effort: You have to constantly push, if you have juice left at the end of a set, give it another rep. You'll get sweatier than the people around you as you transform into a superior athlete.
-Gear: You need a heart rate monitor (HRM) because you won't have time to manually check your pulse.
Here's the basic pattern I follow:
Here's one I've done.
Example:
-Stretch/Foam Roller
-1 Mile Rowing Machine Warmup: 60-70% HR
-Olympic Lift Medley: recover back to 60% HR before beginning the next set.
*Continue this 60% trigger with all other lifts. Once your HR returns down to 60%, start the next set.
-1.5 Mile Run: 70-85%
-Superset dumbell chest press: x12, 8, 6, increase weight each time. Do this on a bench then immediately on a stability ball, so 6 sets altogether.
-Jumping Pull Up: 3 sets x20, I do it on a bar that's about 6-12" above my hands extended vertically. The lower the bar, the easier it is. Get a platform if you're still developing those mad ups.
*Alternate between the chest presses and pull ups to give the muscle groups some time to recover without lowering your heart rate.
-1.5 Mile Run: 85-95% for advanced athletes, 70-85% for moderate athletes
-Rafikis: sit up on a decline bench with some form of weight in your hands. I use medicine balls or plates and feel like Rafiki from the Lion King.
-Back Extension/Oblique Side Bend: 3 sets, unweighted, 10lbs, 25lbs, decrease reps with more weight
-1 Mile Run: 70-85% Cooldown
Nice work. Grab some water. If you want to make up your own or want me to make one up for you, just send in your goals and I'll be glad to help you out.
Keep lifting,
LSF
PS: I couldn't even begin to think of a good enough caption for the treadmill picture up there.
-This is how you win at treadmill.
-She's not fat, she's efficient.
-"I don't see why people complain, running is just as easy as driving."
-Once you've mastered the Treadmill Sit, try modifying it so you're resting your arm on the backrest. This will better engage your core and condition you for more complex seats like sitting on stools.
Advantages:
 |
| Burn 1000+ calories in just 14 hours. Source. |
+Enormous caloric burn: 1000+ calories over 70min, similar to the burn you get when running, doing jiu jitsu, swimming, or roughly 14 hours of what's going on in this picture.
+Muscle definition: You won't get super muscly with this but you'll get a more shredded, sinewy, fighter type look. Lean and mean.
+Endurance: pushing for 70-90 minutes with a high heart rate translated into success during a 90 minute half marathon despite lack of training by running. My cardio endurance over 90 minutes is as high as it's ever been.
Disadvantages:
-No major increase in muscle mass: If you want muscle mass, high weight low reps is the way to go, that takes patience and focused effort on individual muscle groups.
-Jack of all trades, master of none: Full body exercises prevent focus on any one muscle group.
-Time: 70-90 minutes. You've got a life to live, I get it.
-High Effort: You have to constantly push, if you have juice left at the end of a set, give it another rep. You'll get sweatier than the people around you as you transform into a superior athlete.
-Gear: You need a heart rate monitor (HRM) because you won't have time to manually check your pulse.
- Stretch/Foam Roller
- Warm up cardio
- Full body lift
- Cardio, 75-80%
- Weights A and B alternating
- Cardio, 85-95%
- Weights C and D alternating
- Cardio, 70-85% Cool Down
Here's one I've done.
Example:
-Stretch/Foam Roller
-1 Mile Rowing Machine Warmup: 60-70% HR
-Olympic Lift Medley: recover back to 60% HR before beginning the next set.
*Continue this 60% trigger with all other lifts. Once your HR returns down to 60%, start the next set.
-1.5 Mile Run: 70-85%
-Superset dumbell chest press: x12, 8, 6, increase weight each time. Do this on a bench then immediately on a stability ball, so 6 sets altogether.
-Jumping Pull Up: 3 sets x20, I do it on a bar that's about 6-12" above my hands extended vertically. The lower the bar, the easier it is. Get a platform if you're still developing those mad ups.
*Alternate between the chest presses and pull ups to give the muscle groups some time to recover without lowering your heart rate.
 |
| If you want to reduce muscle reaction time you have to Mufasa during your lifts. Pun. |
-Rafikis: sit up on a decline bench with some form of weight in your hands. I use medicine balls or plates and feel like Rafiki from the Lion King.
-Back Extension/Oblique Side Bend: 3 sets, unweighted, 10lbs, 25lbs, decrease reps with more weight
-1 Mile Run: 70-85% Cooldown
Nice work. Grab some water. If you want to make up your own or want me to make one up for you, just send in your goals and I'll be glad to help you out.
Keep lifting,
LSF
PS: I couldn't even begin to think of a good enough caption for the treadmill picture up there.
-This is how you win at treadmill.
-She's not fat, she's efficient.
-"I don't see why people complain, running is just as easy as driving."
-Once you've mastered the Treadmill Sit, try modifying it so you're resting your arm on the backrest. This will better engage your core and condition you for more complex seats like sitting on stools.
