There's a little science behind our Saturday schedule, and we're breaking down why it matters.
If you've taken a look at our Saturday schedule recently, you've probably noticed that we're giving you a few different ways to spend your morning with us. We've intentionally structured our lineup with PSC Drip & Flow, PSC Tempo, and PSC Drip & Flow Express, and there's a reason we love having these particular formats together.
One of the things we talk about often at PSC is the importance of having a well-rounded movement routine. We love strength training, but we also know cardiovascular conditioning, mobility, and recovery are equally important pieces of the puzzle. The challenge for most people isn't necessarily understanding that they should be doing a little bit of everything. It's figuring out how to fit it all into an already busy schedule.
That's part of what inspired our Saturday lineup. We wanted to create an opportunity for you to get both strength and cardio into your weekend, whether that means taking two classes back-to-back or choosing one based on what your body needs that day.
But here's where things get interesting. The order in which you perform strength training and cardio can actually influence how you perform during each workout. And depending on your goals, you might want to approach your Saturday a little differently.
First, Let's Talk About the Difference Between Strength and Cardio
Although both forms of exercise are important for your overall health, they're challenging your body in different ways.
In PSC Drip & Flow, our focus is resistance training. We're using dumbbells and intentional movement patterns to challenge your muscles, build strength, and develop muscular endurance. Over time, consistently challenging your muscles with appropriate resistance helps them adapt, allowing you to gradually lift heavier weights, improve your movement quality, and become stronger.
PSC Tempo, on the other hand, is designed around cardiovascular conditioning and core work. We're combining HIIT intervals, bodyweight exercises, sliders/socks, and core-focused movements to challenge your endurance and cardiovascular system. Your heart rate will naturally rise during more demanding intervals, and the structure of the class gives you opportunities to recover before moving into the next effort.
While strength training can certainly elevate your heart rate, that isn't its primary purpose. And although Tempo challenges your muscles, it isn't designed to replace traditional resistance training.
We love both formats because they offer different benefits, and incorporating both into your routine gives you the opportunity to develop multiple aspects of fitness.
Let's Get a Little Nerdy: Does Workout Order Actually Matter?
It does, particularly when you have a specific training goal.
When you combine resistance training and cardiovascular exercise within the same workout session, exercise scientists refer to it as concurrent training. Both forms of exercise create physical demands, and the fatigue you accumulate during the first portion of your workout can influence how well you perform during the second.
For example, if you've ever tried lifting your usual dumbbells after a challenging cardio session, you've probably noticed they feel a little heavier than normal. That's because your muscles have already been working, your energy stores have been taxed, and your body is carrying some fatigue into your strength session.
Research suggests that when developing maximal strength is your primary goal, performing resistance training before endurance exercise may provide an advantage, particularly for lower-body strength. That doesn't mean cardio before strength is bad, or that you'll lose your strength gains if you choose the opposite order. It simply means that the activity you prioritize first often benefits from having more of your energy and attention.
It's also worth understanding that the long-term effects of combining strength and cardio depend on several factors, including how frequently you train, the intensity of your workouts, your overall training volume, and how well you recover between sessions.
For most of us, the takeaway is pretty practical: if there's something you particularly want to improve, it makes sense to give that part of your workout priority.
And that's exactly why we've created two different ways to double up on Saturdays.
Option One: Strength First, Then Cardio & Core
PSC Drip & Flow (60 Minutes) + PSC Tempo
If building strength is one of your primary goals, this is probably the Saturday combination we'd encourage you to consider first.
You'll start your morning with our full 60-minute PSC Drip & Flow class, working through intentional resistance training while your muscles are relatively fresh. This gives you the opportunity to focus on your weights, technique, and the quality of your movement before adding the cardiovascular demands of Tempo.
Once you've finished your strength session, you'll transition into PSC Tempo for HIIT intervals, bodyweight conditioning, and core work.
There's a reason this order makes sense from a training perspective. Strength exercises require your muscles to produce force against resistance, and as fatigue increases, your ability to maintain that force can decline. By completing your strength training first, you're giving yourself a better opportunity to perform those exercises before the additional fatigue of cardio.
Of course, that doesn't mean Tempo will feel easy afterward. You'll already have an hour of movement behind you, so it's important to recognize that your usual intensity might feel different. You may need to modify an interval, slow down, or take additional recovery.
And that's completely fine. You're still getting the benefit of cardiovascular work without needing to push every interval to your absolute limit.
We especially like this combination for clients who want to prioritize resistance training while also making room for conditioning in their weekly routine.
Option Two: Cardio & Core First, Then Strength
PSC Tempo + PSC Drip & Flow Express (45 Minutes)
Maybe your focus right now is improving your cardiovascular endurance, or perhaps you simply prefer starting your morning with something a little more fast-paced.
In that case, you might love beginning with PSC Tempo and following it with our 45-minute PSC Drip & Flow Express class.
By starting with Tempo, you're approaching the HIIT intervals before accumulating fatigue from a full strength session. This can allow you to put more energy into your conditioning work, particularly during the higher-intensity portions of class.
During demanding cardio intervals, your body has to increase its energy production to meet the demands of exercise. Your heart rate and breathing increase, and your muscles rely on a combination of aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways to keep you moving.
Over time, appropriately programmed interval training can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, including VO₂ max, which is one measure of how effectively your body takes in, transports, and uses oxygen during exercise.
Following Tempo with Drip & Flow Express allows you to incorporate resistance training into the same morning, but it's important to understand that you may not lift quite as heavily as you would if you'd started with strength.
That doesn't mean the workout is ineffective. It just means you're approaching it with a different priority.
We'd encourage you to choose weights that allow you to maintain good technique, recognize when fatigue is affecting your movement, and remember that you don't need to match your usual strength performance after completing a cardio workout.
For clients who enjoy conditioning and want to maintain a consistent strength routine, this can be a great combination.
And Sometimes, One Class Is Exactly What You Need
As much as we love the idea of a Saturday double, we also want to be clear that you don't need to take two classes to have a productive workout.
PSC Tempo is designed to be a complete cardio and core session on its own. If you're already incorporating strength training throughout the week, taking Tempo by itself can be a great way to round out your routine.
The same goes for either Drip & Flow option. If you've had a demanding week, you're newer to exercise, or you simply don't have the time or energy for two classes, one intentional workout is plenty.
More exercise doesn't automatically mean better results. Your body needs an appropriate balance of training stress and recovery to adapt, and constantly adding more intensity or volume without considering recovery can eventually work against you.
We'd much rather see you build a consistent routine that feels manageable than push yourself through an occasional marathon workout that leaves you exhausted for days.
So, Which Saturday Combination Should You Choose?
We'd start by looking at your overall week rather than just Saturday morning.
If you're taking several strength classes throughout the week but aren't doing much dedicated cardiovascular exercise, adding PSC Tempo might be a smart way to bring more balance into your routine.
If you're focused on getting stronger and Saturday is one of your primary resistance training days, starting with Drip & Flow probably makes the most sense.
And if you're someone who enjoys both formats, has built up the endurance for longer training sessions, and feels comfortable recovering from the additional volume, taking a double can be a fun way to challenge yourself.
There's also nothing wrong with changing your approach from week to week. Your schedule, energy, recovery, and goals aren't always going to look exactly the same, and your fitness routine doesn't need to either.
That's one of the things we love about offering different formats at PSC. You're not limited to one style of movement or one way of building a routine.
You can focus on strength, make room for cardio, incorporate mobility and recovery, and adjust along the way.
A Little More Intention Behind Your Saturday Sweat
Ultimately, our goal with the Saturday schedule wasn't simply to offer more classes. It was to give you more flexibility in how you approach your fitness.
We want you to understand why you're doing what you're doing, how different types of exercise support one another, and how to make choices that align with your goals.
Whether you're joining us for a full Drip & Flow and Tempo double, starting with Tempo before heading into Drip & Flow Express, or coming in for one class and heading straight to your Saturday plans, there's a place for you on the mat.
And if you're not sure which combination makes the most sense for you, ask us! Our instructors are always happy to talk through your goals and help you figure out how to build a routine that works.
Your Saturday just became a sweaty double PSC date.