The 50:50 Workout Formula That Could Transform Your Heart Health

A groundbreaking 12-month study involving 406 participants has revealed that dividing your workout time equally between cardiovascular exercise and strength training can provide the same heart health benefits as doing cardio alone. This finding challenges the long-held belief that aerobic exercise is the only path to optimal cardiovascular health.

What Makes the 50:50 Formula So Effective?

Researchers at Iowa State University conducted one of the longest and largest supervised exercise trials to date, randomly assigning participants to four groups: no exercise, cardio only, resistance training only, or a combination of both. Each exercise group worked out for one hour, three times per week, for an entire year under professional supervision.

The results were striking. All exercisers experienced significant decreases in body fat compared to the control group, which is crucial since every 1% reduction in body fat is associated with a 3% lower risk of hypertension, a 4% lower risk of high cholesterol, and an 8% lower risk of metabolic syndrome - all major cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Why Both Types of Exercise Matter for Your Heart?

"People are increasingly understanding the importance of strength training. But keeping up cardio is important too," says Bryce Hastings, Les Mills Head of Research. This insight comes after years of debate about whether strength training could replace cardio for heart health.

Previous research had suggested that resistance training alone might be superior, with one 11-year study showing that people who lifted weights twice a week had roughly 50% lower risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those who didn't lift weights at all. However, the new findings demonstrate that strength training alone for the same duration is unlikely to provide the same comprehensive heart health benefits as the combined approach.

The key cardiovascular disease risk factors that improved with the 50:50 approach include:

• Systolic Blood Pressure: The top number in blood pressure readings that measures pressure when your heart beats
• Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol: Often called "bad" cholesterol that can build up in arteries
• Fasting Glucose: Blood sugar levels that indicate diabetes risk
• Body Fat Percentage: Excess body fat that contributes to multiple heart disease risk factors

How to Implement the 50:50 Strategy?

The beauty of this approach lies in its flexibility and efficiency. Even short durations of less than an hour per week can provide substantial cardiovascular benefits, making it accessible for people with busy schedules. The research showed that splitting the recommended amount of physical activity between aerobic and resistance exercise reduces cardiovascular disease risks to the same degree as cardio-only training.

For optimal results, experts recommend doing the strength component of your workout first so that your stabilizing muscles aren't fatigued when you move to cardiovascular exercises. This timing ensures you can maintain proper form and maximize the benefits of both exercise types.

Heart disease remains the number one killer in America and has been for a century, with almost 50% of Americans having at least one of three key risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or smoking. The 50:50 formula offers a practical, time-efficient approach to addressing these risks through exercise that combines the circulation benefits of cardio with the muscle-strengthening advantages of resistance training.