Practical Advice for Adding Cardio to Your PT Sessions to Enhance Clients' Results

Following on from Part 1 of our basic programme writing series, we’ll now look at the cardiovascular aspect of your client’s programme....

Interval training is more effective than steady state cardio

• For most clients, we recommend training CV after the resistance component has been completed.

• This is because for most client’s goals, the resistance training will be the most important part of the programme.

• This will obviously change if the client’s goals are CV or endurance based.

Steady State CV:

• Steady state CV refers to exercise where the heart rate is maintained at a consistent level for an extended period of time (20 minutes +).
  
  
• This type of exercise is typically performed at a consistent, moderate intensity throughout the workout. 

Interval Training:

• Interval training involves alternating periods of high-intensity exercise with periods of lower intensity or rest.
  
  
• The high-intensity intervals are typically short, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, while the lower-intensity intervals or rest periods allow for recovery.

 Interval Training vs. Steady State Continuous CV Training

• Generally, we will look to start beginners off doing some steady state cardio
and progress the workload intensity to interval training as their capability advances.

• In an hour long programme, we suggest to do between 10-20 minutes of CV training.

Benefits of interval training:

Interval Training will benefit the client more by:

• Working at a higher intensity so that the workload is achieved in a shorter period of time.

• Involving the client more in the workout as they need to concentrate on the work:rest intervals.

• Increasing their metabolic rate and keeping it elevated for a longer time period once training has ceased.   
     
   This will impact the number of daily calories burned.

• Spending less time overall doing CV, as most clients get bored doing long periods of CV.

• Lowering the incidence of overuse injuries.

Stay tuned for part 3 of my program design series coming to you soon, and in case you missed it – here is part 1.