How to make gains in strength training while doing cardio

Combining cardio with strength training is not only possible, but it's also an effective way to improve your overall fitness. Whether your goal is to build muscle mass, increase endurance, or improve heart health, merging these two forms of exercise can help you achieve well-rounded results. But how can you do it in a way that maximizes both strength gains and cardiovascular benefits? 

That’s where strategic programming comes into play, and the Boostcamp team is here to break it down. 

Why Combine Cardio and Strength Training?

Strength training and cardio are often viewed as separate disciplines, but when approached correctly, they can complement each other beautifully. Here’s why combining the two can lead to optimal fitness results whether you are training for bodybuilding or powerlifting or something else:

1. Improved Heart Health: Cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart and improves circulation. When combined with strength training, you develop a healthier heart that’s better at pumping oxygen-rich blood to your muscles, allowing you to train harder and recover faster.

2. Better Muscle Definition: While strength training builds muscle, cardio helps burn excess fat that may obscure muscle definition. By blending both, you’ll not only gain strength but also reveal lean muscle that shows off your hard-earned results.

3. Increased Endurance: Cardio exercises, such as running, biking, or rowing, improve stamina. Adding cardio to a strength program can help you develop endurance so that you can train longer and recover more quickly between sets. It also helps you handle more intensive workout sessions over time, improving your overall fitness level.

4. Enhanced Fat Loss: Strength training is known for boosting your metabolism, as lean muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat. Combining this with the calorie-burning power of cardio accelerates fat loss, helping you shed unwanted pounds faster while preserving muscle mass.

5. Balanced Fitness: By focusing on both cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, you’re creating a more balanced and functional body. This means you’re better equipped for daily tasks, sports, or any physical activities that demand both strength and stamina.

How to Combine Cardio and Strength Training Effectively

The challenge for many fitness enthusiasts is figuring out how to blend cardio and strength training without compromising their progress in one area. Too much cardio can sometimes interfere with muscle-building efforts, while overloading on strength work may leave you too tired to get the benefits of cardio.

Here are some key tips for balancing both:

• Timing Matters: It’s important to consider the timing of your cardio relative to your strength training. If your goal is to maximize strength gains, perform cardio at the end of your workout or on separate days. Doing intense cardio before lifting can drain your energy and reduce the effectiveness of your strength session.

• Keep It Moderate: You don’t need to spend hours running on the treadmill to get the benefits of cardio. Incorporating moderate-intensity cardio or even high-intensity interval training (HIIT) a few times a week is often enough to boost cardiovascular health and fat loss without affecting your strength gains.

• Use Active Rest Days: On your rest days from strength training, engage in light cardio like walking, swimming, or cycling. This helps increase blood flow and speed up recovery without overworking your muscles.

• Cardio as a Finisher: Many people find that adding a short, intense burst of cardio at the end of their strength session is an effective way to combine the two. A quick HIIT workout or 10-15 minutes on the bike can serve as a “finisher” to your workout, getting your heart rate up without exhausting your muscles beforehand.

Now that you know how to successfully integrate cardio into your strength routine, you need the right program to follow. Enter the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program, a well-rounded plan that seamlessly combines both elements.

The Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program: A Perfect Blend of Strength and Cardio

If you’re looking for a structured approach to combining cardio with strength training, the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program is an ideal choice. Designed for new lifters with less than one year of consistent training experience, this 12-week program offers a well-rounded balance of strength training with an added cardio component to boost your overall fitness.

Program Overview:

• Duration: 12 Weeks

• Training Frequency: 4 Days per Week

• Target Audience: Beginner Male and Female Lifters

• Objective: Build foundational strength in major lifts (Squat, Bench, Deadlift), add muscle mass, and improve cardiovascular fitness.

Program Philosophy:

At its core, the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program focuses on full-body engagement in every session. Each workout begins with compound lifts such as squats, bench presses, and deadlifts—the foundation of powerlifting. These compound movements are known for recruiting multiple muscle groups, making them incredibly effective for building strength and muscle. After these core exercises, you move into accessory lifts and bodybuilding-style movements to target specific muscles.

But the real standout feature of this program is its seamless incorporation of cardio. Some days end with cardio workouts, ensuring that you not only improve your strength but also your heart health and work capacity. The cardio component helps you stay conditioned and improves your ability to handle longer, more intense workouts over time.

Program Structure:

1. Weeks 1-5: You’ll focus on gradually increasing the intensity of compound movements, complemented by accessory exercises and cardio sessions. This phase allows beginners to get familiar with the basics of strength training while also improving work capacity.

2. Week 6: This is a deload week—a lighter week to aid in recovery and reduce the risk of burnout or injury. Recovery is essential for continued progress, and this phase ensures your muscles are refreshed before the next stage of intensity.

3. Weeks 7-11: Training intensity ramps up again, pushing your limits in strength while maintaining cardio sessions. You’ll feel stronger, leaner, and more confident as the program progresses, laying the foundation for long-term gains.

4. Week 12: Another deload week to help you recover and consolidate the gains you've made. It also prepares you for your next challenge, whether it’s advancing to an intermediate program or continuing to refine your current routine.

By alternating between strength and cardio, the program allows you to make steady progress in both areas without sacrificing one for the other. It’s a holistic way to get stronger, leaner, and fitter.

Why Choose the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program?

• Tailored for Beginners: If you’re just starting out and want a program that balances strength and cardio, this one is for you. The structured progression is perfect for those still learning how their bodies respond to training.

• Comprehensive Approach: This isn’t just a strength program—it covers all the bases, from building muscle to enhancing your heart health. It’s the perfect blend of bodybuilding movements, powerlifting fundamentals, and cardiovascular conditioning.

• Proven Results: Created by Kristen Dunsmore, founder of Empowerlift Training, the program leverages her experience as a top powerlifting coach. With her guidance, you’ll learn how to train effectively and avoid common pitfalls like overtraining. Kristen’s extensive coaching background ensures that each phase of the program is optimized for beginner lifters.

For lifters with a bit more experience, the Kristen Dunsmore Intermediate Program may be a better fit, but for beginners looking to build strength while improving cardiovascular fitness, this program is unbeatable.

Where to Find More Workout Programs

If the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program isn’t forn you, Boostcamp is the place to find a program for just about any style of training you can imagine. When you are looking for a program that will really push you to the limit and help you continue progressing in a linear fashion, look no further than the Boostcamp App.

There are plenty of free programs to choose from on Boostcamp. When it comes to following a new workout program and seeing how you are progressing with it, you would want to find a platform that caters to your needs and guides you in the right direction. Boostcamp can help with that, and it can even help you to measure your progress, track your workouts, and continue with linear progression. You also do not have to choose from prewritten programs, you can create and customize your own program!

Final Thoughts

Combining cardio with strength training is one of the best ways to achieve a balanced fitness routine, and the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program offers a perfect blueprint for doing just that. Over 12 weeks, you’ll develop foundational strength, improve your cardiovascular ability, and set yourself up for long-term success in your fitness journey.

By choosing a program like Kristen Dunsmore’s, you’ll ensure that your workouts are structured, effective, and adaptable to your needs. Ready to get started? Check out the Kristen Dunsmore Beginner Program and experience a smarter way to combine strength and cardio. Visit Empowerlift Training for more information and to sign up today!

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