Ratio of Cardio to Resistance Training?

Here's a question that someone sent my way via Facebook - "What is the best ratio of cardio to resistance training in a week?"

My recommendation is 50/50. I believe we should be well balanced in everything we do. Mind, body, spirit, and interpersonally. Cardio is the Yin to Strengths Yang. When things are off balance in life, it inevitably leads to a breakdown and since our body is a kinetic chain where everything is linked, this means injury or at the least, lackluster results. I see it in runners all the time. Often times, runners will ONLY run and neglect strength training altogether (not to mention flexibility). When the muscles are not strong enough to support the joints, movement compensations develop and the joints break down. Likewise, if you only lift weights, you'll get stronger, but you may not get that lean and mean physique.

In my private sessions with clients, I like to mix in cardio with strength, instead of isolating them and doing one then the other. I will generally run my clients through a series of circuits with four exercises in each circuit - 1. Upper Body, 2. Lower Body, 3. Core and 4. Cardio - repeating each circuit 2x. Not only is it a total body workout in as little as 30 minutes, but metabolically its very efficient with a high caloric burn because we never stop moving. While one part of the body is working, the other is recovering. How long your workout takes depends on how many circuits you do. I usually get through 3 circuits in an hour session.

So if you want to be lean and mean, balance your workouts evenly between strength and cardio and remember that intensity is the key to results. Keep your questions coming!