Effectiveness of a 16-Week High-Intensity Cardioresistance Training Program in Adults

Abstract

Greenlee, TA, Greene, DR, Ward, NJ, Reeser, GE, Allen, CM, Baumgartner, NW, Cohen, NJ, Kramer, AF, Hillman, CH, and Barbey, AK. Effectiveness of a 16-week high-intensity cardioresistance training program in adults. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2528-2541, 2017-The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of a novel, 16-week high-intensity cardioresistance training (HICRT) program on measures of aerobic fitness, agility, aerobic power, muscular endurance, lower-body explosive power, and self-reported activity level. The intervention group (N = 129; 63 f, 24.65 ± 5.55 years) had a baseline V[Combining Dot Above]O2max of 39.83 ± 9.13. These individuals participated in 26, 70-minute exercise sessions, and 4 fitness testing sessions. Participants were matched with a nonexercise control group, paired by sex, age, and baseline V[Combining Dot Above]O2max. Matched controls (N = 129, 63 f, 24.26 ± 5.59 years) had a baseline V[Combining Dot Above]O2max of 39.86 ± 8.59 and completed preintervention and postintervention V[Combining Dot Above]O2max testing only. The results demonstrate that participants in the fitness intervention group significantly increased their V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (2.72 ± 0.31, Mdiff ± SE; p < 0.001) and reported being more physically active (0.42 ± 0.11, Mdiff ± SE; p < 0.001) after the intervention. The matched control group showed no significant pre-post intervention changes. Participants in the fitness intervention showed a significant improvement in 3 of 5 components of the fitness field tests. Specifically, significant improvements were observed for the 1-minute rower (5.32 ± 0.505, Mdiff ± SE; p < 0.001), 1-minute push-up (8.168 ± 0.709, Mdiff ± SE; p < 0.001), and 1.5-mile run tests (1.79 ± 0.169, Mdiff ± SE; p < 0.001). No significant improvements were observed for the shuttle run (p = 0.173) or standing long jump (p = 0.137). These findings demonstrate the efficacy of a novel, HICRT intervention across multiple dimensions of fitness for young- and middle-aged adults. High-intensity cardioresistance training affords flexibility for tailoring to meet desired health and fitness outcomes and makes perceivably daunting high-intensity functional training and multimodal sports training more accessible to general, traditionally nonathletic, populations.

Figure 1.

Block design of workouts in the 16-week fitness intervention. Weeks 1 and 18 were reserved for pre- and post-V̇o₂max testing for both no-exercise control and fitness training groups. APRT = Army Physical Readiness Test; Ext. = extension; KB = kettlebell; B/T = bottom and top hands; L = clockwise run pattern; RB = resistance band; RDL = Romanian deadlift; p = partner exercise; TRX® = TRX® Suspension Trainer.

Figure 2.

Flow chart of study participation.

Figure 3.

Changes in aerobic fitness over time and pre–post differences between groups. At baseline (i.e., pre), there were no differences in V̇o₂max between fitness and control groups (0.03 ± 1.10 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; M_diff ± SE; 95% confidence interval: −2.15, 2.20, p = 0.980). In addition, control group participants showed no change in V̇o₂max from preintervention to postintervention (p = 0.252). *p < 0.001; **p < 0.008.