You go to the gym at least four days per week; you spend 45 minutes to an hour on the treadmill or elliptical; and once in a while, you follow it up with the same weight routine you’ve been doing for years. Routine is good, right? Well, not if you’re not seeing results.
According to a small study conducted by the American Council on Exercise, the solution for “non-responders” (people who see no clear results from exercise that produces significant results for others) is a combination of cardio, resistance training, and functional training.
Now you may be thinking, “I’ve heard this before,” but this study shows that individuals who mixed all three types of training into their fitness regimen saw improvements in their VO2 max, or maximum oxygen intake (the higher the number, the more oxygen you’re getting to the muscles, which can help you go faster and farther); high-density lipoprotein (or HDL) cholesterol levels; triglyceride and blood glucose levels; and a lower body-fat percentage. And when comparing the test group that did cardio, resistance, and functional training to the test groups that just did one type of training or none, the group that did all three saw the best results across the board.
That said, if you don’t follow this model to a T, it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t make any positive changes to your health or your body. Each type of training—cardio, resistance, and functional—all offer individual benefits.
Benefits of Cardio Training
Benefits of Resistance Training
Benefits of Functional Training
Your Weekly Plan to Combine All Three Exercise Types
We asked Lombardo for a weekly workout plan that incorporates the trio. If you hit a plateau, feel bored with your routine, have new goals, or just want to switch it up, stick to this plan for 4 to 6 weeks to see if your body responds positively.
How to use this plan: For each day of the week, aim for 30 to 45 minutes of exercise. For cardio, perform your favorite activity or try a combo of these bodyweight exercises. Include core exercises on functional training days. On resistance days, be sure to start with a dynamic warm-up and end with functional stretching. You'll rotate through an upper-body focus, lower-body focus, and total-body training.
Monday: Cardio + Functional Training including Core
Tuesday: Dynamic Warm-Up + Resistance Training (Upper-Body Focus) + Functional Training Stretches
Wednesday: Cardio + Functional Training including Core
Thursday: Dynamic Warm-Up + Resistance Training (Lower-Body Focus) + Functional Training Stretches
Friday: Cardio + Functional Training including Core
Saturday: Dynamic Warm-Up + Resistance Training (Total-Body Focus) + Functional Training Stretches
Sunday: Rest Day or go for a brisk walk
