You Need Both Aerobic AND Resistance Training

In the past we’ve encouraged boomers and seniors to undertake both aerobic (endurance) and resistance (weights) training. Now it’s been shown that this approach is important for patients with coronary heart disease. A study reported in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise describes findings in a study of this issue.

Seventy-two patients were randomly allocated to aerobic training (AT), aerobic plus one set of resistance training (AT/RT1), or aerobic with three sets of resistance training (AT/RT3). The AT group trained 5 days-a-week, the AT/RT1 and AT/RT3 groups did aerobics 3 days-a-week and weights 2 days-a-week.

During the 29-week training period, the VO2max increased by 11% for the AT group, 14% for AT/RT1, and 18% for AT/RT3. Although they are all significant increases from baseline, the differences between the three groups were not statistically significant, i.e. they could have occurred by chance alone. The AT/RT3 group gained more lean mass (i.e. muscle) than the AT group, but the AT/RT1 group had a similar result to the AT group. However, both AT/RT1 and AT/RT# groups had a significant reduction in body fat, and increased their strength and endurance test results over the AT group.

The researchers concluded that combined aerobic and resistance training yielded better overall results than aerobic training alone in these patients, in particular improved VO2max, muscle strength and endurance, and body composition. And doing 3 sets of resistance exercises seems to produce better VO2max, endurance, and muscle mass, although this approach is not generally recognized by other experts . . .