Many people play sports in which they develop strength and endurance capacities simultaneously . Therefore, it is important that they work on them in order to meet objectives and progress within their scope. However, sometimes, according to studies, mixing both in the same activity can cause certain interferences that do not allow the muscles to develop as intended. Therefore, in order for you to know the keys to achieving your goals, throughout this article we are going to offer you tips to combine strength training with resistance training .
Combine strength training with resistance training
Combining strength training with resistance training is more complicated than it may seem at first. One of the biggest problems is the interference phenomenon . This takes place when in a routine of these characteristics the organism suffers a conflict of adaptations. This causes, for example, accumulation of residual fatigue or transformations of the muscle fibers . In this way, in order for you to deal with this negative point, below we are going to offer you guidelines so that you can exercise in the most efficient way possible while protecting your health .
Organization of routines
A good organization of each routine is essential if we want to carry out strength and resistance training together . Carry out a high concentration of load directed to a reduced number of targets per training phase will allow to produce positive adaptations and minimize interference effects . We should not focus on all the points we want to achieve at the same time, but we have to distribute them on different days of the week.
Failure to achieve muscle failure
This point is important because if we can avoid reaching muscle failure in strength training, we will be able to reduce the metabolic and hormonal stress that is part of said training. Also, recovery will be easier and faster.
Distance between the different workouts
It is essential to mark a distance between the strength and resistance training sessions when these are directed towards the same muscle group. This fact will facilitate the recovery of the body and improve its adaptation in each of the exercises that make up the routine. Thus, for example, it is more advisable to carry out leg strength training and running training (endurance) on separate days.
Endurance in the morning and strength in the afternoon
Any high intensity resistance training session should be done first thing in the day if we want to get the most out of it. Afterwards, it must be borne in mind that the recovery period must last at least three hours . The reason is that the activity of important endurance-related enzymes must return to baseline levels prior to resistance exercise .
Taking the above into account, the best option is to combine resistance and strength training by practicing the first in the morning and the second in the afternoon. In this way, our body will have enough time to recover and return to giving the best of itself. We will undoubtedly avoid many injuries , being able to perform, in addition, to the maximum.
Muscle hypertrophy and resistance training
The combination of strength training focused on muscle hypertrophy with high intensity resistance training is not advisable according to the experts. The reason? Generates a high degree of interference . The reason is that the development of the two capacities produces totally opposite peripheral adaptations . This fact prevents the organism from optimal and simultaneous development of both components of performance.
Among the peripheral adaptations to strength training aimed at muscle hypertrophy, the increase in the synthesis of contractile proteins stands out. This causes an increase in the size of the fiber and the cross section of the muscle. It also promotes an increase in glycolytic enzymes, in addition to a reduction in capillary and mitochondrial density, and considerable metabolic and hormonal stress at the cellular level. For its part, high intensity resistance training produces adaptations at the peripheral level. In this case, these adaptations are an increase in muscle glycogen reserves, an increase in capillary and mitochondrial density , and an increase in oxidative enzymes.
Muscle hypertrophy and moderate endurance
The concurrent development of moderate intensity resistance training and strength training via muscle hypertrophy has a lower degree of interference. This is because there are no adaptations opposed to training .
Low intensity training and strength training
Another option if we want to improve our body’s response to simultaneous resistance and strength training is for the first to be low intensity and then carry out the second. Now, the sessions should not be exhausting .
