Strength And Cardio Supersets - Amy Ashmore

,b y A m y A s h m o r e , PhDQUIZ 2:PAGE 81Strength and Cardio SupersetsUse your knowledge of muscles, machines and movement to create powerful workouts.Alternating strength sets with time oncardiovascular equipment is a popularway to train clients. When designed andexecuted correctly, this strategy can veryeffectively overload muscles, producingmaximum results in minimum time.Jamnik 2010). The challenges that personaltrainers face are to help clients define theirlong-term goals and then to determine atraining program to reach those goals.Strength and cardio supersets target specificmuscles yet are basic enough to contributeto attaining general health-related goals.Specificity PrincipleThe key to effective superset workouts isspecificity. The specificity principle statesthat the muscles worked during an exercise will respond according to the specifictraining demands. When the specificityprinciple is applied to strength and cardiosupersets, the same muscles must be usedduring both sets. The muscles will respondto the unique demands of each mode ofexercise and will increase the total work.The specificity principle is easy to seefrom a training perspective, but it can bedifficult to apply infitnesssettings. This isbecause the client's health-related goals arenot always easy to identify (Shortliffe &28Overload PrincipleFor workouts to be etfective, musclesmust be overloaded. They must be subjected to mechanical stress (beyond theactivities of daily living) that forces themto respond physiologically. The mostcommon ways to overload muscles are toincrease the weight that a muscle must liftand to increase the speed of the exercise.But another way to overload muscleswithin a session is to apply different movements to the same muscles. This varies thepattern of muscle activation, recruiting different fibers within the same muscle. Theresult is that more of the muscle is worked.April 2011 lOEA Fitness JournalDesigning Strength andCardio SupersetsStrength and cardio supersets are a hybridform of exhaustion supersets. A typicalexhaustion superset alternates an isolatedexercise (which involves only one jointand a specific muscle group) with a compound exercise (which involves one ormore joints or muscle groups) for thesame muscle group. An example of anexhaustion superset for the quadricepsis to alternate leg extensions (isolated)with squats (compound).In the case of strength and cardiosupersets, the work focuses on the samemuscle group for both, but it varies thepattern of activation. The strength set canuse either a compound exercise like alunge or an isolated exercise like a lyingdown leg curl. Whether to use a compound exercise rather than an isolatedexercise depends on the client's goals andfitness level.

The three most common types of cardiovascular equipment to use duringstrength and cardio supersets are steps,bikes, and treadmills or ellipticals. Each ofthese three types is characterized by aunique movement pattern, as noted below.Although the movements are all similar toone another, each one targets differentmuscles. The key to designing effectivesupersets is to choose strength exercisesthat most closely match the muscles usedduring the cardiovascular mode.Cycling is a simple movement. Use it todesign simple or low-intensity supersets.Pair cycling with basic isolation exercisessuch as knee extensions. However, add variety to that superset by asking clients torotate the leg outward (toes in) from thehip to isolate the vastus lateralis or inward(toes out) to isolate the vastus medialis. Aunique and slightly more advanced compound exercise to pair with cyclingis the angled leg press. This targets both the knee extensors andthe hip extensors.Treadmills and EllipticalsTreadmills and ellipticals use a walkingpattern. In its most simplified analysis,walking is spine, hip and knee flexion andextension. Using a treadmill is true walking. An elliptical simulates walking, butthe biomechanics of an elliptical motiondiffer slightly from those of walking. Anelliptical motion has been shown to require greater spine, hip and knee flexionthan treadmill walking does (Burnfieldct al. 2010). The same study showedthat compared with treadmill walking.StepsSteps and stair climbers use a simple steppattern that is hip flexion followed by hipextension. The primary muscles used tostep are rectus femoris, iliacus, psoas major,sartorius, hamstrings and gluteus maximus.The rectus femoris (RF) is the primarylarge muscle responsible for hip flexion.Therefore, an effective but high-intensitysession would target the RF during bothsets. A suggested isolated exercise to useis seated knee extensions. Compound exercises that would work well with stepping include any squat variation (front,standard, hack or power), lunges anddead lifts. It is important to note that although the RF is activated during thesesuggested compound exercises, it is acting as a knee extensor—as opposed to ahip flexor, as it does during stepping.The gluteus maximus (Gmax) is theprimary large muscle responsible for hipextension. An isolated exercise that targets the Gmax and complements steppingwould be a prone hip extension. Whenyou're selecting a Gmax compound exercise, remember that the Gmax is most effective when the hip starts at a flexedposition and moves to full extension, asin a squat or a dead lift. However, othercompound exercises may be used, including those mentioned above for theRF, along with stiff-legged dead lifts andgood mornings. But for activating theGmax, these will be less effective than asquat or a dead lift.BikesCycling is knee extension with hip extension. The movement is produced primarily by contraction of the quadriceps andhamstring muscles. The Gmax is also involved in hip extension, but to a lesser degree. The primary muscles used to cycleare quadriceps, hamstrings and Gmax.Session Design for Individual ClientsIn strength and cardio supersets, base the design of each session on the client's goals and fitness level. Below are three types of superset options: they include a strength set alternatedwith high-intensity intervals, endurance training or active recovery.High-Intensity Intervals. A high-intensity workout is great for cardiovascular fitness andweight loss. The high-intensity exercise recruits fast-twitch (F) muscle fibers, thereby increasing the total workload. High-intensity intervals should be thought of as bursts of speed orpower, such as a 30-second sprint on the treadmill. A good rule of thumb is that the exercisershould not be able to maintain the intensity for longer than 2 minutes. For an interval to bemaintained for longer than 2 minutes Indicates that the intensity is not high enough.High-intensity exercise is appropriate for intermediate to advanced clients only. The decision to include intervals is entirely at the trainer's discretion, based on the individual client'sfitness level. Also important with high-intensity training are to keep clients standing duringstrength sets if they have an elevated heart rate after the cardio set, and to always permit abrief recovery period before transitioning to the strength set.Endurance Training. Endurance training is good for clients who want or need sustainedheart rate training. Low-to-moderate-intensity cardio training will engage the slow-twitch (ST)muscle fibers. Clients can increase the overall intensity of the workout by supersettingstrength sets and using heavier weight to recruit F fibers.Active Recovery. Active recovery is a great option for deconditioned clients and specialpopulations. These clients can use the time on the cardio machine to recover trom the strengthset without actually resting. Appropriate cardio modes for this purpose are cycling or walking.Intensity should remain low.April 2011 IDEA Fitness Journal

' li UVilIDEAP R O F E S S I ONAL E D U C A T I O N ' 'M e ! Interval KickboxiiigV BY KIMBERLY SPREEN iwiChallenge yourself with this full-body interval workout2DVDthat incorporatesuITEM: C910289oc Members 34.95* Traditional kickboxing combinations Controlled weight-bearing movementso-Nonmembers 44.95. ft,h,«,i, H,ÍIIS www.ideafit.com/stnke858.535.8979, ext. 7 800.999.4332, ext. 7I N S P I R ET H EW O R L DT OF I T N E S S »1 DEAHEALTH & FITNESS ASSOCIATION«Only the best isgood enough forour customers»ChrissY Romarir-Rubv. MPT. ATCInternational Pilâtes PresenterAIREX* exercise mats and balanceprodticts offer countless possibilities toimprove your fitness. To find out moreplease visit our new website or download our new BeBalanced! programs,trainings manuals and videos for free!elliptical training increased Gmax muscleactivity while decreasing hamstring activity. The primary muscles used forwalking are tensor fasciae latae, sartorius,pectineus, iliopsoas, adductor longus,hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteus maximus and médius.Repeated use of thesame muscles and/orjoints in the same pattem can lead to overuseinjuries.Of the three modes of cardio trainingmentioned here, ellipticals and treadmillsuse the most muscles. This creates numerous superset options. However, because the adductors are activated duringwalking, but not during the other modes,pairing adductor strength sets with thetreadmill or elliptical would be a goodway to target the adductors. Seated adduction is an excellent isolation exercise;a compound exercise like plié squats (toesturned out) is also a good choice.Minor differences in muscle activationbetween treadmills and ellipticals createunique superset options. Because Gmaxactivity is greater during elliptical training, pair the elliptical with an isolated exercise like the cable kickback. Sincehamstring activity is greater during walking, use the treadmill in conjunction withan isolated exercise such as standingcable or prone hamstring curls againstmanual resistance.Safety ConsiderationsAIREX*Bllllic prodlctiMaster DistributorMauis»» tjiinriialinn 1 800-396-3130Dislributflrs:Balanced Body Inc . I SOO-PILATESFitter Intetnational. Inc I-800-Fitter-lMuscle Up Canada 1-SO0-49E-2468Pejform Bettei 1-600-556-74S4PHI Pilâtes 1-e77-7i6 4879Powei Systems. Inc 1-800-321-6975SPBI Products. Inc. 1-800 222-777430April 2011 IDEA Fitness JournalExhaustion supersets should be used inmoderation. Repeated use of the samemuscles and/or joints in the same patterncan lead to overuse injuries. Additionally,neuromotor fatigue during a sessioncould become a factor and lead to injury.Therefore, it is recommended that youadjust the superset paradigm for noviceexercisers or persons for whom advancedtraining techniques may be contraindicated. Include strength exercises that usea different muscle group than is used inthe cardio exercise. For example, alternatean upper-body exercise with cardio. Coreexercises may be substituted for thestrength set when the client is fit enoughfor isolated core work. These could be