Keep Your Heart Healthy With Strength Training

Looking to keep your heart healthy in addition to the rest of your body? Keep reading.

A recent column from Kyle Crouse, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, appeared on the website SouthTahoeNow.com and outlined the benefits of Peripheral Heart Action Training for a healthier heart.

Below is an excerpt of that column.

Can a short, four-minute workout be as effective as 30 minutes of cardio? While it may sound too good to be true, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, you’ll be happy to hear it’s true.

Researchers tested traditional treadmill cardio against a fast-paced bodyweight workout, and while improvements in cardiovascular fitness were produced by both, whole-body resistance training presented an added benefit of improved muscle endurance. Meaning fast-paced bodyweight training can improve cardiovascular fitness just as well as running on a treadmill, plus it also provides improvements in muscle endurance.

The training method, Peripheral Heart Action Training, is similar to circuit training. It keeps you moving from one exercise to another with minimal to no rest between exercises while focusing on alternating, non-competing exercises.

For example, start a strength circuit with a squat followed by an overhead press, then move immediately into a plank. The heart must push the blood from the lower body to the upper body, and finally into the core. This systematic exercise selection increases the demands on your cardiovascular system, while also challenging more muscle groups than traditional cardiovascular exercise.

This style of strength training has become the preferred method for athletes, as the bodyweight workout is more dynamic and enjoyable, so on average, they continue the training program longer than treadmill running alone.

Total body movements should be the foundation for any fitness program, whether the goal is fat loss, athletic improvement, or gaining size and strength. While traditional cardiovascular exercise can provide many benefits, improve aerobic fitness, and save time with resistance training exercises!

To read the SouthTahoeNow.com column from Crouse about training for a healthy heart and more articles, click here.