Interval Training & Steady-State Cardio - Mixed Routines

While interval training is more effective at reducing body fat and improving fitness than steady-state cardio, the latter still has its place in the realm of cardio exercise. You don't have to totally stick to one or the other, they are both beneficial for fat loss and fitness, and they complement each other when used together. View this as a balanced approach, interval training fires up your heart rate and metabolism while steady-state cardio provides a smoother workout for your heart and a mild increase in metabolism.

Doing both interval training and steady-state cardio can help prevent training burnout and give your cardio exercise routine some variety. Since interval training is taxing on the body, I recommend exercising at light to moderate intensity for the steady-state cardio workouts. This will give your mind and body a break from the higher exercise intensity of interval training. There is no need to put the pedal to the metal all of the time, which just leads to burnout and overtraining. Provided below are some examples of cardio routines that incorporate both interval training and steady-state cardio.

Examples of Mixed Routines

Interval Training: Your choice, just pick an interval training workout that suits your fitness level.

Steady State Cardio: Light to moderate intensity (60% - 70% of Maximum Heart Rate) for 30 minutes.

Mixed Routine 1: Two interval training workouts and one steady-state cardio workout per week.

Mon                     Wed                          Fri
Interval Training     Steady-State Cardio     Interval Training
                           (30 minutes)

Mixed Routine 2: One interval training workout and 2 steady-state cardio workouts per week.

Mon                            Wed                    Fri
Steady-State Cardio     Interval Training     Steady-State Cardio   
(30 minutes)                                          (30 minutes)

Mixed Routine 3: One interval training workout and one steady-state cardio workout per week.

Mon                     Thur
Interval Training     Steady-State Cardio
                           (30 minutes)