Compatibility of concurrent resistance and endurance training: A comparison of two lower -body modes of endurance training and their effect on lower-body strength development

The American College of Sports Medicine's (1998) recommendations for quantity and quality of exercise includes both resistance and endurance exercise components. Skeletal muscle adaptations to either resistance and endurance programs may be different and possibly antagonistic when both types of training are imposed concurrently. The present study examined the effect of two different modes of lower-body endurance exercise (i.e. cycle ergometry/incline treadmill walking) on lower-body strength development with concurrent resistance training designed to improve lower-body strength (i.e. bilateral leg press 1RM).;Thirty untrained participants (ages 18--23) were randomly assigned to one of three training groups (R = Resistance only, n = 10; RC = Resistance + Cycle Ergometry, n = 10; Resistance + Incline Treadmill, n = 10). The three training groups exercised twice per week for nine weeks. Body mass and body composition measurements were taken pre- and post-training. Pre-training, three weeks, six weeks, and post-training, participants also performed a 1RM test for lower-body strength.;Analysis of variance (ANOVA) comparisons with repeated measures revealed the following statistically significant changes in the three training groups over time: (1) body mass of R was .9070 and 1.22 kg more than RC and RT, respectively post-training; (2) R improved strength 7.52 percent more than RT after six weeks of training; (3) R improved strength 11.04 and 14.98 percent more than RC and RT, respectively post-training. Finally, RC improved strength 3.94 percent more than RT post-training.;The findings confirm previous studies that reported attenuated strength development with concurrent resistance and endurance training compared with resistance only training. More importantly, this study indicates that the biomechanical movement patterns of select modes of endurance exercise in concurrent training regimens may play a role in the development of strength.