The Dr. Shannon Show

#178: Find Your Ideal Fitness Routine: Balancing Strength, Cardio, and Recovery for Optimal Results

Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT

In this episode, Shannon dives into the science of crafting a sustainable, effective fitness routine that delivers results without burning you out. 

You'll learn:
🔹 The four essential "buckets" of exercise for total body transformation 
🔹 How to customize your workout plan based on your unique needs and goals 
🔹 The truth about hypertrophy, HIIT, and zone 2 cardio - and how to balance them all 
🔹 Why recovery matters for results and how to improve recovery 
🔹 Simple tests to measure your progress in strength, cardiovascular fitness, and recovery

Shannon gives you actionable strategies to:

✅ Build muscle and strength without living in the gym 
✅ Boost your VO2 max and power for longevity 
✅ Improve cardiovascular health without endless cardio 
✅ Optimize recovery for faster gains and injury prevention

0:00: Introduction to the 4 essential “buckets” of exercise 
4:11: Hypertrophy training 
7:32: High intensity training 
11:02: Zone 2 cardio 
12:33: Recovery
19:20: Summary of the 4 buckets 
21:00: How to customize your fitness routine 
24:15: How to test if your fitness routine is working for you
32:45: Final thoughts 


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