balancing HIIT, strength training, and cardio
This is a question that comes up a lot! How often should you be doing HIIT, strength training, and steady state cardio each week?
Let’s start by breaking down each modality.
HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training
HIIT is a method of training that alternates short periods of all-out intensity with longer periods of recovery. Think :20-:30 of an all out sprint followed by :60-:90 of rest.
HIIT has wonderful benefits if done in proper doses. For most people, 1-2 HIIT sessions per week is plenty. If the volume gets much higher than that, joints won’t be happy and the body can actually start to have a negative response.
Somewhere along the line people got obsessed with HIIT and feel they need to do it all the time. In fact, many group fitness studios only offer HIIT and want their members to train there 5 days/week! Aye aye aye.
Do I hate HIIT? No. (actually yes, personally I have to force myself to do it HA but that’s beside the point) I do hate to see people waste their precious training time on it when they could be getting better results elsewhere though.
Strength Training
Properly loaded and well-executed weight baring exercises are the preferred foundation of physical fitness. Not just for body builders, athletes, or meat heads - for everyone. Weights and reps will vary depending on the movement and fitness level of the individual, but muscles should be challenged to near failure (sometimes to actual failure) with adequate rest between sets.
So that group fitness class that involves 700 reps of random weighted exercises for an hour straight is not strength training. That’s cardio with weights, it’s not NEARLY as beneficial as true strength training, and it’s mislabeled. I’m sorry I said it!
When completed with good technique and full range of motion, strength training:
Builds and maintains muscle, strength, and power
Improves bone density
Protects joints
Supports fat loss
Builds self confidence
The list goes on . . . . .
We recommend at least 2 solid strength training workouts per week, with 3 being optimal.
Steady State Cardio
“Steady state” cardio refers to low/moderate intensity cardio at longer durations. This could be a 20-60 minute incline walk or elliptical sesh; or 2-5 minute intervals on a rower or bike at a moderate intensity level followed by a shorter rest. The idea is to keep your heart rate around 60-70% of your max. You should finish a steady state cardio workout with a nice sweat, slightly elevated heart rate, and an energy boost.
When done in the appropriate volume for one’s goals and fitness, steady state cardio can improve heart health, recovery, and cognition. 1-2 sessions per week works well for most people.
There ya have it. Hope you find this rundown helpful!
Ready to get the best results from your training program? Grab our New Member Special - 2 Weeks of Classes for $25!
Our weekly class schedule is set up so that you can get everything I mentioned above without having to think about it. Just show up and we’ll take care of the rest!
Monday - Strength Training
Tuesday - Steady State Cardio
Wednesday - Strength Training
Thursday - HIIT
Friday - Strength Training
Saturday - HIIT
Sunday - Steady State Cardio
fitness through tough times
Last weekend a friend of mine from home passed away. Needless to say, these last few days have been pretty sad. There are a lot of rough emotions out there, but “sad” is one of the worst if you ask me. Life must go on, and you can’t let things take you down - but it can be hard. Really hard.
One thing that has been there for me through this tough time, and is always there for me. . . is my fitness. I know that if I can just get myself to class, I’ll feel better. And when you feel like dog doo doo, you need to do as many things as you can to feel better.
I’m not talking about walking into a gym alone and depending on yourself to get a great workout. This works for some people - but not me. Knowing that I have a trusted training program, coach, and supportive community at the gym waiting for me every day is what I need. Am I plugging my own business big time right now? Haha yes, I am indeed! Because I believe in it and it’s there for me through the good times and the bad - and it can be for you too.
Even if it’s not at Heat, having a consistent relationship with fitness will save you in many ways. You already know the physical benefits (if you don’t, check out my other blog posts!) Strength, cardiovascular health, improved bone density, and longevity to name a few. The emotional and mental benefits are just as powerful though. Every workout is a chance to boost self confidence, enhance your mood, and reduce stress. Like a non-pharmaceutical anti-depressant :)
So no matter how you’re feeling today, prioritize exercise. And beyond that, prioritize intelligent training with a trusted professional. It’s so important.
GET TO STEPPIN
Warm weather has arrived! Weather you like it or not 😊 . . . it’s here.
Warmer weather makes it easier to do one of the simplest, most effective things you can do for your overall health: walk!
And for bonus points, get a walk in first thing in the morning. I know this isn’t possible for everyone depending on schedules, kids, and life. But if you can, starting your day with a walk is so beneficial for your fitness and wellbeing. Why?
exposing yourself to morning sunlight helps regulate your sleep
you’ll increase your daily step count
morning movement will make you feel energized
getting outside will boost your mood
For most people, walking is not only doable - it’s easy! If you can’t do it in the morning, get it in when you can. If your schedule allows, try adding a morning walk to your day.
So throw on some headphones and get to steppin. I think you’ll notice a nice change!
PRIORITIZE YOUR GOALS OVER YOUR MOODS
One of the most important keys to progress in the gym is prioritizing your goals over your moods.
Whether your goal is to lose body fat, build strength, look better naked, or anything in between . . . if you rely solely on your moods to get you to the gym everyday, you probably won't be hitting that PR anytime soon :(
I don't know about you, but I don't always FEEL like working out. Sometimes I want to continue whatever it is I'm working on, sometimes I'm cranky, and sometimes I'm just downright lazy 🤷♀️ But if I skipped my workout every time I wasn't feeling it, I'd be a lot less fit than I am now - and that doesn't align with my goals.
So next time you're wavering on getting into the gym or not, instead of asking yourself "do I feel like it?" ask "who do I want to be tomorrow?" And hopefully that will steer you in the right direction.
Enthusiasm fluctuates, but consistent action accumulates.
goals > moods
WHY WE LACK SELF CONFIDENCE
A lot of people struggle with self esteem, and for many reasons.
Maybe we grew up hearing criticism from family members, teachers, or coaches. Perhaps we internalized and believed things about ourselves for so long that they're hard to change. This stuff can run deep.
At the highest level though, the most common source of perpetually low self esteem in adults is not keeping your word to yourself.
If you keep saying you're going to work out, eat better, go to bed early, get your steps in, etc, etc. and you don't actually do it, you continuously let yourself down. Each time this happens your self confidence takes a hit.
So how do we change this?
We start doing what we say we're going to do when we say we're going to do it.
We become reliable. Not just reliable to others, which is very powerful; but reliable to ourselves. Each time we do what we say we're going to do is a small victory until eventually we're proud of the person that we are.
Start keeping your commitments to yourself and watch how your world starts to change. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised :)
4 WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS OTHER THAN THE SCALE
It's super common for people to use weight loss as the only measure of success when it comes to their workouts.
This way of thinking can be harmful for many reasons! Exercise has so many amazing benefits besides some arbitrary number on a scale.
If any of these apply to you, then your workouts are working, whether the scale changes or not.
You're getting stronger. You can lift more weight, do more reps, or do exercises you weren't able to do before.
You're feeling more energized and productive throughout the day. Your brain is firing at work and you're not hitting that 2pm wall like you used to.
Your clothes fit differently. This is a great sign you're losing fat and/or gaining muscle!
You feel more confident. Whether it's carrying heavy groceries/dog food/children/etc. or playing pickleball with your friends, you can handle it!
Let's learn to celebrate these victories and keep showing up even if the number on the scale isn't dropping.
IF I FOLLOW THE 80/20 RULE, I’LL BE GOOD RIGHT?
You've likely heard about the 80/20 rule when it comes to health and fitness. According to this rule, as long as you stay consistent 80% of the time, you can still make progress towards your goals.
While staying consistent can mean different things for different people, let's focus on the basics. The things most people need to be nailing to reach their goals:
Working out 3-5 days/week
Getting 7,000-10,000 steps per day
Eating about 1g of protein per pound of body weight per day
Sleeping 7-9 hours a night (sometimes this is not possible with little ones in the house)
Drinking enough water
If we're following the 80/20 rule, we're achieving these basics 80% of the time.
If there are 30 days in a month, 80% consistent means you'd be on point at least 24 of those 30 days. That's . . . . a lot of days.
My point here isn't to make you feel bad if you're not being 80% consistent. My point is that 80% might be more than you think. So if you feel like you're consistent 80% of the time and not seeing the results you desire, you might need to take a closer look at your consistency rate.
You can still make progress at lower consistencies, it will just take longer. And for some, that might be totally fine! Just make sure you're honest with yourself about where you are and where you want to be.
BIG NEW YEAR ENERGY
Happy New Year! I hope you're coming off some happy times with friends, family, good food, and a break from the daily grind. For those of you that may not love the holidays, might feel completely stressed out by them, I hope you are now recovering!
January is a buzzy time. . . . people are inspired to get to the gym, dial in their nutrition, read all the books, and solve the world's problems. If you're feeling that burst of motivation - then hell yea! capitalize on it and get to work. You can accomplish a lot when fueled by new year resolution energy!
Heads up: buzz kill incoming . . . .
Motivation alone is not enough. Sorry to say it, but according to the research, it's true. You actually already know this because it's happened to you a million times. You're super motivated to start a new workout routine, nutrition plan, job, relationship - anything! You put your best foot forward for a while and then inevitably, that motivation eventually wears off. It's only natural. You can't stay up that high forever.
This is where consistency comes into play. When our motivation wears off we have to fall back on consistency. We need an established routine that's there for us when we don't feel like showing up.
So. . . . let's use this new year energy as fuel to form healthy habits. Go ahead and get your workout schedule planned out and stick to it! Create the routine while you're feeling motivated. When the motivation leaves you, your routine will be there to catch you.
If you can stay consistent all year long, 2024 may just be your best one yet :)
WHY AM I NOT LOSING WEIGHT?!
Are you interested in fat loss? While it's not 100% of people, most people come to Heat with the goal of losing weight.
If you go from being sedentary to working out several times per week, most people will lose fat pretty quickly due to the new stimulus of exercise. But once your body gets used to this more-active-than-before lifestyle, the fat loss rate will likely decrease.
If you're training consistently and intelligently and still aren't losing fat as you wish, it's likely due to your diet. You've heard it before - you can't out train a bad diet. If you're consuming more calories than you're burning, the fat loss will not only halt, it will probably change directions.
Dialing in your nutrition is a huge piece of the fitness puzzle that oftentimes gets overlooked. You could be doing everything else "right" but if you're not nailing your nutrition it can feel like you're spinning your wheels.
If your nutrition is dialed in, so many other important things fall into place. Your performance in the gym, energy levels, sleep, mood, and general happiness levels will likely improve. Who doesn't want that?!
ARE YOU TRAINING HARD ENOUGH?
Are you training hard enough during your workouts? The sad truth is. . . probably not.
Research consistently shows that the average gym goer drastically underestimates the weights they can lift. Or if you're like me. . . . sometimes you're just being lazy.
Much to my chagrin, under-doing it in the weight room can drastically decrease the results you'll see from strength training. Check out these tips to ensure you're challenging your muscles enough to maximize strength and muscle gains:
- at the end of the majority of your strength training sets, you should have no more than 1-3 reps left in the tank.
- the weights should noticeably slow down on the last few reps of your sets. If your reps are moving at the same speed on your first and last rep of a set - you're nowhere near failure. Time to go up in weight or reps!
Still not sure if you're pushing hard enough? Take a set all the way to failure from time to time and truly test your upper limits. 9 times out of 10 you'll be able to do more than you think!
SMART TRAINING 101
Consistency, intelligent programming, fun, mindfulness, and intensity are what drives results in the gym. Not how dead you feel after every workout!
No matter where you are on your fitness journey, it is easy to get wrapped up in the common misconception of workouts only being effective if we essentially have to be dragged off the gym floor...
I hear it all the time, "Wow, that workout really kicked my ass!" or "I could barely walk for a week!" as if it is a badge that should be worn with pride. This may surprise a few people, but most of your workouts should actually have you feeling better when you walk out of the gym than when you walked in. Wait, what? Working out isn't supposed to put you in a constant state of soreness and fatigue? Yep, you heard it right. Smart training is supposed to make you feel good.
Don't get me wrong – burning muscles, heavy breathing, and sweat are all integral parts of any successful program, but grueling workouts are only one small piece to the puzzle in regards to achieving results and staying injury free in the long term.
A smart and effective training program can be broken down into five major parts: Consistency, intelligent programming, fun, mindfulness, and intensity. Let's look at each one in more detail:
Consistency: This one is pretty self-explanatory and the MOST important part of a successful fitness program. If you continuously show up and move your body, you’ll be well on your way to results.
Intelligent Programming: Essentially, this means making sure your workouts make sense for your goals. For example, if your goal is to lose fat, but you are only doing cardio, that’s not the right program for you because strength training(muscle) is essential for maximum fat loss - along with a good diet, of course. The good news is if you have general fitness goals - lose fat, gain muscle, feel better - your program should look something like this: a few days of strength training, a few days of interval or circuit training, some mobility work, and some REST. Don’t sleep on rest (haha - get it) – this could definitely be its own category so I want to make sure it is not grazed over. Rest not only includes getting ample sleep on a daily basis, but rest days also allow your body to recover from this stress and come back stronger.
Fun: Fun is both an underrated and underutilized part of a successful training program. Are you enjoying your training or does it always feel like work? If the latter is true, you’ll want to switch some things up. What forms of exercise do you love to do? What sports do you enjoy playing? Do you have a workout partner that makes exercise more enjoyable? Don’t get this twisted – training is going to be tough at times, but if you are constantly feeling beat up, tired, and dreading your next workout, there's a high likelihood that you are not going to stick with it in the long term.
Mindfulness: In other words, focus. When you are in the gym, it’s necessary to stay present and focused on the task at hand. What is the goal workout you are trying to accomplish? What is the goal of the specific exercise you are completing? How challenging is the weight you are using? Are you using the best possible form for effectiveness and injury prevention? More often than not, we see people just going through the motions in the gym, and while that is absolutely better than sitting on your butt, the addition of this level of detail will most certainly give your training a boost.
Intensity: There is a reason this concept is saved for last - and it's not because it's the least important. While training intensity is a major factor in achieving results, it should only be added once the other pieces are in place. Here's why:
Intensity without consistency = lack of results and high chance of injury
Intensity without intelligent programming = lack of results and high chance of injury
Intensity without fun = lack of results because there’s a good chance you won’t stay consistent - because training sucks
Intensity without mindfulness = can lead to short term results, but comes with a very high chance of injury
See my point? Intensity is a good thing and an absolute necessity if you are looking to achieve high levels of health and fitness. That said, it only becomes your friend once you have the other principles in place to go along with it.
It is when you can get each of these components working together that you will achieve results that last a lifetime.
4 SIMPLE MORNING RITUALS TO IMPROVE YOUR DAY AND YOUR OVERALL HEALTH
1. Hydrate
Drink 2 cups of (filtered) water immediately upon waking up. Hydration is crucial to keeping all of your body’s natural processes working properly, even when you are asleep. That means that if you are sleeping 7-9 hours, like you should be, you’re going to wake up dehydrated.
2. Eat
Unless you are participating in an intermittent fasting diet, which can provide certain benefits, breakfast is a crucial meal. No matter how many times we are told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, many of us still skip it entirely or scarf down some type of carbohydrate loaded bagel, muffin, or cereal before we run out the door. Eating a well-balanced breakfast, that focuses on incorporating plenty of protein, can boost your metabolism, aide in muscle recovery, and help you start your day feeling energized.
3. Take a Multivitamin
The truth is that most of us, even those who prioritize healthy eating, are not getting all of the vitamins and minerals we need from our diet. A high-quality multivitamin can be a life changer for those of us with deficiencies. That said, not all supplements are created equal. Unfortunately, the U.S. does not regulate supplements, which means that you could be taking a vitamin that doesn’t even contain the ingredients listed on the label. Unless you are familiar with the brand and trust their products, we recommend purchasing Canadian products, which are highly regulated for both quality and consistency. One of our favorite multi-vitamin brands is Thorne Research.
4. Get Outside
Getting exposure to natural light as soon as you roll out of bed can be very beneficial for the brain and the body and help get rid of any lingering grogginess. If you can get outside AND move your body for a few minutes you’ve earned bonus points.