Why I love this format
By focusing on one strength movement at the beginning of your workout, you’re training your body when it’s fresh. This allows you to lift heavier, build muscle, and develop strength without fatigue affecting your form or power output. Whether it’s squats, deadlifts, or presses, this focused strength work is key to building a solid foundation.
Conditioning for Fat Loss and Endurance
Once you’ve locked in your strength work, we shift gears to conditioning. These high-intensity circuits elevate your heart rate, improve endurance, and torch calories. Since your muscles have already been taxed during the strength portion, the conditioning at the end taps into fat stores and keeps your metabolism humming long after the workout is done.
The Big Takeaway: This combination gives you the best of both worlds—strength and cardio—without compromising either. You get stronger and fitter, all in a single, efficient workout.
Kettlebells ONLY version
While the kettlebell version of these workouts is highly effective for building functional strength and improving overall conditioning, the barbell version remains superior for the strength portion.
Barbells allow you to lift significantly heavier loads, providing greater stimulus for muscle growth and maximal strength development.
The ability to load barbells with incremental weight increases also makes it easier to progressively overload your muscles, which is a key factor in long-term strength gains. Therefore, while kettlebells offer versatility and convenience, barbells are the best tool for maximizing raw strength.
I look forward to pulling these in on strength training days.
What substitutions do you recommend if my gym doesn’t have a ski machine or an air bike?
Hi Jen, I would use a jump rope for sure. If not then bear crawls or box jumps.