Does Lifting Weights Faster Count As Cardio?
For over a decade, I used to think lifting weights faster counted as cardio.
"My average heart rate is 110-120 for 60-90 min when lifting, and I'm lifting 4-5x/week. Surely that must be plenty for my heart. Right??"
WRONG.
Sure, lifting is way better than no exercise for heart health. But here’s the lightbulb:
Lifting does not train your heart the same way that steady state cardio does.
The average heart rate is the same, the stimulus and adaptation are totally different.
When I lift, my heart rate jumps to 150 or higher on a hard set, then falls into the 70s-90s while I rest. The average for the session is between 110-130. When I do steady state cardio, my average heart rate is also around 110-130.
But that spike and fall you get with lifting trains your heart in a totally different way than the consistency of steady state.
The Difference
💪 When you lift heavy, especially when you brace and hold your breath under a hard set, your blood pressure spikes and your heart has to pump against that resistance. Bracing also raises the pressure inside your chest, which reduces the blood flowing back to the heart, so your pulse climbs while each beat moves less blood.
💪 That's a PRESSURE load.
💪 Over years, your heart adapts by thickening its walls so it can handle those short, intense bursts. Useful, but it doesn't really help endurance or efficiency.
🆚
🏃During steady state for 30-60+ minutes, your heart has to move a large volume of blood, beat after beat, for a long stretch. Your vessels open up, blood returns easily, and the chamber fills and empties fully.
🏃That's a VOLUME load.
🏃Your heart adapts by building a bigger, more elastic left ventricle that fills and empties more fully. Each beat moves more blood, and your heart does more work with less strain.
This is money for cardiovascular health and longevity.
It results in a bigger stroke volume, a lower resting heart rate, more mitochondria and capillaries feeding your muscles, and a higher VO2 max. All are linked to living longer and staying healthy:
A bigger stroke volume and a lower resting heart rate mean your heart moves the same blood with fewer beats.
More mitochondria and capillaries let your muscles pull oxygen out of your blood and turn it into energy more efficiently.
And a higher VO2 max, how much oxygen your body can use, is one of the strongest predictors we have of longevity.
Why Not Both?
Don't get me wrong, lifting weights is not bad for your heart, and you should absolutely do both.
The wall thickening from lifting is a healthy response. When you lift, your blood pressure jumps for a few seconds, then your heart gets to rest between sets. That on and off stress makes your heart a little thicker and stronger, kind of like any muscle you train, and it fades once you stop lifting.
Compare that to chronically high blood pressure: The pressure never comes down, so your heart has to push hard all day for years with no break. That constant strain thickens the heart in a way that makes it stiff and worn out instead of strong.
On top of that, lifting:
Keeps you strong and mobile as you age
Also reduces risk of early death
What Should You Do?
The amount of cardio vs. strength training I program for someone depends on their goal.
It will be different if their goal is fat loss, muscle gain, aesthetics, performance, or longevity. It also depends on their current deficits.
For instance, my Uncle John just turned 65, he's dense as a rock from 50 years of lifting, and has high blood pressure. I just wrote him a protocol with 4-5 days of steady state, zone 2 cardio, and he can lift with whatever time he has left.
On the other hand, I've got a med student in his mid 20s who is about 10-15 pounds underweight with a longevity goal. Our plan is to prioritize 2-3 lifting sessions/week, and the rest of the time going to cardio.
If you want a little of both (you want to look good, feel good, and live long) here's what I'd recommend:
3-4 sessions/week of 20-45 min steady state, zone 2-3 cardio
1-2 sessions/week of 15-30 min high intensity, zone 4-5 cardio
2-3 sessions/week of 60-75 min full body strength training
Mobility as needed to stay feeling good
Simple, but not easy.
Get your lifts in, get your cardio in. Look good, feel good, live long!
Best,
John
P.S. Your toes are not safe around my killer dog.
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