We all know that multitasking is a bad thing. Or is it? I think most will agree that there are times when it works – you can wash the dishes and sing at the same time (very off-key in my case). But can you type an email and talk on the phone simultaneously? I would bet not. Similarly, there are times when multitasking in your workouts is a good thing. And times when it isn’t.

Four valid reasons to multitask in your workouts:

  • To save time
  • To alleviate boredom
  • To increase coordination and/or balance
  • To mimic functional movements

If you do a bicep curl and a squat at the same time, you’re accomplishing all of the above. Just make sure you’re doing it right. You may not consider a bicep curl or a squat very complex moves. But take into account that you’re trying to get stronger. You’re pushing yourself with the weight you choose to lift and the depth of your squats. Quality execution requires a focus on form and concentrated effort for both movements.

“But,” you say, “I could add a calf raise to that too and get a third muscle group worked at the same time.“

Maybe. First though, focus on your form and correctly execute your two moves. There’s research that indicates the brain is only capable of working through two complex related activities at once. As always, there’s an opposing view (also covered in the research review above) that says you can add a third task. But I think this idea of two is a good rule of thumb… at least to start.

Variety in Your Workouts

We all try to get a little creative in our workouts. And that’s good. When you look to multitask by combining movements, consider three things:

  • Safety: First off, does your combination make sense? If you’re doing something you’ve never seen before, you might want to check in with a physical therapist or personal trainer. And, even if you’ve seen it done before, that doesn’t mean it’s a great combination. Be safe.
  • Purpose: Are you saving time, staving off boredom, working on coordination, or all three? Any of these are good reasons. Just be aware of your ‘why’. That will give you more intention and success with the exercise.
  • Form: Are you able to maintain good form while executing the combined move? If not, but you want to master it, consider decreasing your range of movement and the weight you’re using. You can also work on the movements separately as a warmup before combining them.

Many of my dual move exercises do contain a third component – balance. A good example of that would be a split stance lunge with a dumbbell woodchop. By adding the lunge, I’ve signicantly increased the balance challenge and made it much harder to maintain good form.

I talk my students through this challenging move in a progression. I have them start with the split stance lunge. Then, we add the first part of the woodchop. We may stay here for several workouts until progressing to a full woodchop. Even then, most will need to drop to a lower weight to maintain good balance and form. The payoff is better core control which can translate into better overall performance.

When Multitasking Doesn’t Work

There are situations where multitasking in your workouts is inappropriate. In my opinion, adding weights to a walk or run is one of them.

Take a look at anyone who walks or runs. You can easily pick out the people who hook an arm in or swing their leg out as they run. Many issues aren’t quite so obvious, but any weight you add to the limb will simply exaggerate these assymetries and stress the muscles and joints.

Hand and ankle weights with walking and running also tend to overengage the biceps and quads, when most of us need to focus on posterior shoulder/postural and hip muscles while walking or running.

Regardless

Whether you choose multitasking in your workouts or not, you’ll want to change things up to stay motivated. That may involve altering a single exercise or perhaps combining a few. Regardless, be aware of your goals regarding strength, balance, endurance, etc. and then watch your form.

Stay fit!

Thank you to Suzanne in my Free Weight Class who asked a question about walking with weights and inspired this post.