In order to have a rounded fitness program and maximize your health and performance gains it's important to find a balance, between cardio and strength training in your workout routine.

How you approach this balance will depend on factors such as your goals, preferences, current fitness level and schedule. Here's a step by step guide to help you effectively incorporate both cardio and strength training;

• Determine Your Goals; First consider what you're aiming for. Whether its preparing for a marathon building muscle or simply improving health. Your specific objective will influence how you strike the balance between cardio and strength training.
• Understand the Benefits of Each; Cardiovascular exercise focuses on enhancing heart health, endurance and burning calories. On the hand strength training is geared towards building muscle boosting metabolic rate and improving bone density.
• Create a Weekly Schedule; It is generally recommended to engage in strength training 2 3 times per week. Include cardio workouts 3 5 times, per week based on intensity and duration levels. Remember to allocate one full day of rest for adequate recovery.
• Mix up the intensity and duration; Switch between high intensity cardio, like HIIT and steady state cardio. Also alternate between lifting and lighter strength workouts with repetitions.
• Combine workouts when you need to; If you're short on time try doing sessions that include both cardio and strength exercises in a circuit format. Just make sure you don't compromise your form or safety.
• Give recovery the importance it deserves; Make sure to give your muscles time to recover by allowing at 48 hours of rest, between strength training sessions for the same muscle groups. On rest days you can do light cardio exercises to promote recovery.
• Adjust your nutrition accordingly; Your eating habits should support your level of activity. On days when you have workouts focus on consuming carbohydrates and calories. Aim for meals that provide protein for muscle recovery.
• Keep an eye on your progress and adapt as needed; It's important to track your workouts and observe how your body responds to them. Based on this feedback make adjustments to find the balance for yourself. If you feel exhausted or aren't seeing progress take some time to reassess your plan.

Here's an example of a rounded schedule;

• Monday; Focus on strength training, for your lower body.
• Tuesday; Engage in exercises whether its high intensity interval training (HIIT) or steady state cardio.
• Wednesday; Take a day of rest. Opt for recovery activities like yoga or a light walk.
• Thursday; Shift your attention to strength training exercises for your body.
• Friday; Incorporate cardio workouts into your routine again choosing between HIIT or steady state options.
• Saturday; Combine full body strength training with a cardio warm up to get the most out of your workout session.
• Sunday; Make it another rest day. Engage in recovery activities.

Remember that the specific balance may vary depending on your goals and requirements. It's important to listen to your body and seek guidance, from fitness professionals to optimize your routine.

If you're looking for ways to combine cardio and strength training there are programs, like Bodybuilding.coms Free Workout Plans that provide routines. If you want to understand the basics of creating your workout plan books such as "The Womens Health Big Book of Exercises" by Adam Campbell or "Bigger Leaner Stronger" by Michael Matthews can be a starting point. You can find these books on platforms like Amazon. Additionally for tracking your progress or planning your workouts tools, like the Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log App can come in handy.