You may hear or read that resistance training (for muscle development) and cardiovascular exercise (for improved circulatory health and aerobic calorie burn) are mutually exclusive. Many people believe that while lifting weights will make you stronger and improve your muscle mass and tone, you’ll have to hop on a treadmill or bike for an aerobic workout. The answer to combining your lifting and cardio? Circuit training! More about the details of this resistance training suggestion after the jump…


It’s true that the traditional routine of alternating between one set of weightlifting repetitions and a rest period does not work out your heart like a session on the treadmill would. The muscle exertion from doing one set of exercises does raise your heart rate somewhat (if the number of reps and weight is sufficient to cause strain by your last 1-2 reps). Unfortunately, your heart rate drops back down as you rest between sets to allow your muscles to recover, preventing you from ramping up your heart rate as you would from aerobic activity.

However, by altering your weight training approach, you can both work your muscles and build up/sustain an elevated heart rate similar to an aerobic workout. Circuit training is, essentially, progressing through sets of multiple, differing exercises without resting in between. Switching to a different exercise move allows you to continue your workout without trying to exert the muscle(s) exhausted from your prior set. Eliminating the rest period maintains the stress on your heart, simulating an aerobic session. If you cycle through enough exercises, your muscles from your first exercise will have had sufficient time to recover and you can begin your cycle again without having to take a break.

You’ll want to target different muscle groups for each exercise to make this work. (Some basic moves for each major muscle group can be found in this post.) You can even interject quick bursts of cardiovascular movement (jumping jacks, squat-thrusts, even an exercise machine) in between lifting sets. In addition, you’ll want to make sure you can transition from one exercise move to another quickly to maintain your heart rate. I typically aim for 3-4 different moves per “circuit.” I find that gives my muscles enough time to recover between cycles without requiring that I traverse the entire gym to get through my circuit.

A bit of fair warning: real circuit training (that gives your heart the equivalent of a cardiovascular-intense workout) is tough! You are both wearing out your muscles and your heart simultaneously, and the amount of effort to sustain your circuits can be demanding. Watch your form, maintain good breathing, and get plenty of water throughout your workout. And most importantly, stay focused. It’s takes a lot of mental effort as well as physical exertion to execute a good circuit training session.

I’d love to hear about your own experience and results with circuit training!