The science suggests that concurrent training—i.e., emphasizing multiple physiological stressors in exercise training may be less than optimal, but there is nothing to suggest that it is impossible or counterproductive (when managed properly). There are numerous reasons why one might need or want to train concurrent systems or fitness components. Overall, though, one must expect less than maximal gains and pursue the optimal benefits with consideration of the imposed constraints. In other words, opportunity costs, so choose wisely.
We are all limited by time. Some more so than others. So, we begin by defining the time we can reasonably contribute to our training goals. Note: “reasonably”. We might be overly optimistic, but we must be reasonable. I, personally, would love to train two hours a day. Life, however, often has different plans.
Once we have scheduled our workout time, then we can determine how we will most effectively use the time. There are a few things then to consider:
Goals. What do you want to accomplish? Priority of goals will determine to which factors one give the greatest emphasis. The more diverse the goals, the more challenging it will be to see significant gains.
Remember: opportunity costs. Whatever training is applied to one goal will detract from potential effort toward another goal. Prioritizing goals will help ensure that we do the things first that are of greatest importance. Before doing anything, the question, “Why?”, must be asked. If there is no good physiological justification, then one should reconsider the choice of activities.
Training order. It follows that training order should be driven by the priority goals. Always do the most important exercise component first. For example, if the greater importance is placed on muscle strength, that should come before cardiorespiratory exercise. Otherwise, the exerciser will be fatigued and not lift enough to adequately stimulate muscle growth. Conversely, intense resistance training will negatively impact the ability to perform an effective endurance workout.
Training frequency. There is no scientific basis to the idea of training “three times a week”. Training frequency is dependent entirely upon recoverability (and time constraints). I would argue that, for most, under-training is a great risk than over-training. The key consideration in training frequency is whether one can adequately recover before the next exercise session.
Personally, I find training more frequently easier than trying to managing more in less frequent workouts. It is, after all, easier to carve smaller, more frequent, blocks of time out of the week than it is to find large blocks of time. A benefit of more frequent sessions is that, should a session be missed, less is lost and/or it is easier to find time to make up the missed session. For example, my priority is strength. Ideally, I lift in the morning when I have fewer excuses. I schedule cardio for the afternoons. If I should be delayed and miss an afternoon session, it is less of a big deal. Following training order, if I split my sessions, e.g., two daily sessions, I schedule the priority exercise for the session that is least likely to be missed.
Sessions can be split in many ways. One can alternate days, e.g., weights v. cardio, or sessions can be split within the day. I prefer the within day split, often combined with an alternating day approach. Thus, I am able to maximize my adaptability. I might, for example, split morning weight training by body parts—spreading volume across the week—and afternoon cardio sessions by modality or training style (e.g., HIIT, bike/running, Bulgarian bag, HIIRT, etc.). This allows for greater variety without sacrificing specificity.
Recovery. The primary concerns with training frequency, then, are maximal recoverable volume and available time. I’d recommend a minimum of 6 hours between training sessions and emphasizing diet and sleep to optimize recovery. Remember, that the exercise is the stimulus. The adaptations occur while we rest. If the body is not getting enough rest—particularly a restful night’s sleep—and adequate fuel, it can’t adapt. Train, eat, sleep, repeat!
Make the most of your exercise time. Consider what is effective and dump the rest. Train harder and smarter.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!
