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Exercises

What mixed cardio on Apple Watch is, and what goes in it

Published November 3, 2026

Mixed Cardio is the Apple Watch workout type for a cardio session that moves between different kinds of work, like a rower, a bike and a stair climber in one go. Apple Health stores one type per workout, so when no single one fits, this is the label. In RIRLift you never pick it: a session with two or more kinds of cardio and no lifting is saved as Mixed Cardio, with every exercise as its own segment. One machine on its own keeps its own type, and one lift makes it a strength session.

  1. Rowing Machine Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats
  2. Air Bike Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Stair Climber Quads, Glutes, Calves
  4. Ski Erg Shoulders, Upper Back
  5. Jump Rope Calves, Quads
  6. Running Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

Cardio machines

Each machine is its own kind of cardio: the rower is rowing, the bikes are cycling, the stair climber is stair climbing. Two or more different kinds in one session make it Mixed Cardio, saved as indoor. Log each bout on the Watch as time with an effort level.

Legs and back, cardio machine

Rowing Machine

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Lats

Legs, back and arms in every stroke. Type the distance from the screen on your iPhone afterwards if you want it kept.

How to do it

  1. Strap in with your shins vertical and arms reaching forward.
  2. Drive with your legs, lean back slightly, then pull the handle to your lower ribs.
  3. Return arms, then torso, then knees.
  4. Keep the recovery about twice as long as the drive.

Cues

  • Legs, body, arms
  • Patient recovery
  • Handle stays level

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms too early: legs finish first.
  • Short, choppy strokes when tired: lengthen them and slow down.

Swap for: Ski Erg, Air Bike, Running

Build a session with Rowing Machine
Log it in RIRLift

Shoulders and back, cardio machine

Ski Erg

Shoulders, Upper Back

An upper-body pull that still gets your heart rate high. Good next to a leg-heavy machine.

How to do it

  1. Stand facing the machine with the handles above your head and arms straight.
  2. Pull the handles down toward your thighs, hinging your hips back and bending your knees slightly.
  3. Finish with the hands beside your thighs and your torso leaning forward.
  4. Rise back up and reach high for the next stroke, keeping a steady rhythm.

Cues

  • Reach tall at the top
  • Pull with lats, not just arms
  • Hinge into each stroke

Common mistakes

  • Pulling only with the arms: drive the handles down with your lats and a hip hinge.
  • Going too hard on the first interval: pace so the last one is as strong.

Swap for: Rowing Machine, Battle Rope Wave, Air Bike

Build a session with Ski Erg
Log it in RIRLift

Legs and arms, cardio machine

Air Bike

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

Hardest when you push hardest: the fan resists more the faster you go. Short bouts, high effort.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so your knee is slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke.
  2. Grab the handles and start pedaling at an easy pace to warm up.
  3. For each interval, work the handles and drive the pedals as hard as you can.
  4. Ease off for the rest period, then go again.

Cues

  • Arms and legs together
  • Hard means hard
  • Recover with easy pedaling

Common mistakes

  • Starting too hard and fading by half time: hold a pace you can keep for the whole interval.
  • Skipping the easy pedaling: keep moving during rest.

Swap for: Rowing Machine, Kettlebell Swing

Build a session with Air Bike
Log it in RIRLift

Legs, cardio machine

Stationary Bike

Quads, Hamstrings

Steady, low-impact riding that barely tires the legs you lift with.

How to do it

  1. Adjust the seat to hip height when you stand beside the bike.
  2. Pedal at a light resistance with a steady, smooth cadence.
  3. Add a little resistance in the last minute so you finish slightly out of breath.

Cues

  • Smooth circles
  • Slightly warm, not tired

Common mistakes

  • Cranking heavy resistance: this is to get warm, not to train your legs before chest day.

Swap for: Air Bike, Rowing Machine, Elliptical

Build a session with Stationary Bike
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Legs and glutes, cardio machine

Stair Climber

Quads, Glutes, Calves

Climbing stairs. It counts floors, not distance, so you log time and effort.

How to do it

  1. Step on the machine, hold the rails lightly for balance only, and start at an easy speed.
  2. Stand tall and place your whole foot on each step.
  3. Raise the speed until you breathe hard but can still say a short sentence.
  4. Keep that pace for the planned time, then slow down for a couple of minutes before stepping off.

Cues

  • Whole foot on each step
  • Hands just for balance
  • Steady breathing

Common mistakes

  • Leaning on the rails with locked arms: that takes the work away from your legs.
  • Climbing on your toes only: let the heel land on each step.

Swap for: Step-Up, Treadmill Walk, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Stair Climber
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Legs, running indoors

Treadmill Run

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

Running on a belt. Counts as running, saved as indoor.

How to do it

  1. Move from your walking start to an easy jog.
  2. Stay in the middle of the belt with a short, quick stride.
  3. Raise the speed by small steps once the jog settles.
  4. For pick-ups, step the speed up for the stated time, then return to the jog.

Cues

  • Middle of the belt
  • Light landings

Common mistakes

  • Drifting to the back of the belt
  • Overstriding to keep up with the belt

Swap for: Running, Elliptical

Build a session with Treadmill Run
Log it in RIRLift

Rope, drills and running

Cardio with no machine. A jump rope and drills work anywhere; a run outside makes the session outdoor.

Calves and legs, rope

Jump Rope

Calves, Quads

A rope fits in any bag. Rounds of up to a minute, rated by effort.

How to do it

  1. Hold the handles at hip height with the rope behind you.
  2. Turn the rope with your wrists and hop just high enough to clear it.
  3. Keep a steady, easy rhythm.

Cues

  • Small hops on the balls of your feet.
  • Elbows close to your sides.

Common mistakes

  • Jumping high and swinging from the shoulders.

Swap for: Skipping in Place, Jumping Jack

Build a session with Jump Rope
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Calves, rope rhythm without a rope

Skipping in Place

Calves, Quads, Hamstrings

The rope rhythm when you have no rope or no ceiling height.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your fists beside your hips as if holding rope handles.
  2. Circle your hands and bounce lightly from one foot to the other, as if skipping over a turning rope.
  3. Keep the bounces low and springy for the whole interval.

Cues

  • Bounce off the balls of your feet
  • Hands circle, elbows close
  • Relaxed shoulders

Common mistakes

  • Stomping on the heels: stay on the front of your feet.
  • Hopping high: a small bounce clears an imaginary rope.

Swap for: High Knees, Jump Rope

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Legs, running in place

High Knees

Quads

Fast knee drives on the spot, between rounds of rope or a run.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall and start jogging in place.
  2. Drive each knee up toward hip height while your opposite arm swings forward.
  3. Stay on the balls of your feet and build the pace over the interval.

Cues

  • Knee to hip height
  • Tall chest
  • Arms pump with the legs

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to get the knees higher: keep your torso upright and lower the knee height.

Swap for: Butt Kicks, Skipping in Place, Mountain Climber

Build a session with High Knees
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Legs, running outdoors

Running

Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

An outdoor run. It makes the session outdoor in Apple Health.

How to do it

  1. Start at an easy jog you could hold a conversation at.
  2. Run tall with relaxed shoulders and a slight lean from the ankles.
  3. Land with your foot close under your hips and keep your cadence quick.
  4. Over the last minute, lift the pace a notch.

Cues

  • Conversation pace
  • Relaxed shoulders
  • Feet under you

Common mistakes

  • Starting too fast: the first minutes should feel almost too easy.
  • Overstriding and landing on the heel far ahead of you: shorten the step.

Swap for: High Knees, Jump Rope, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Running
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Sleds and ropes in a cardio circuit

On their own these are Functional Strength Training. Put one in a circuit with a machine and the session becomes Mixed Cardio.

Legs, loaded push

Sled Push

Quads, Glutes

Hard legs with no lowering phase. In a machine circuit it turns the session into Mixed Cardio.

How to do it

  1. Load the sled and grip the high or low handles with your arms extended.
  2. Lean in until your body forms a straight line from head to back foot.
  3. Drive the sled forward with short, powerful steps, pushing through the balls of your feet.
  4. Keep pushing for the target time, then rest fully.

Cues

  • Low body angle
  • Short, hard steps
  • Keep the arms locked

Common mistakes

  • Standing too upright so the sled stalls: lower the hips and lean in.
  • Long, loping strides: keep steps short and fast.

Swap for: Sled Pull, Air Bike, Barbell Back Squat

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Shoulders and trunk, rope conditioning

Battle Rope Wave

Shoulders, Abs

Arms working while the legs recover from the bike or rower.

How to do it

  1. Hold one rope end in each hand, feet about shoulder width, knees bent.
  2. Whip one arm up while the other goes down to send alternating waves down the ropes.
  3. Keep the waves even from start to finish of the set.

Cues

  • Athletic stance
  • Small, even waves

Common mistakes

  • Standing up straight: stay in a quarter squat.

Swap for: Battle Rope Slam, Jumping Jack

Build a session with Battle Rope Wave
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Lifts that make it a strength session

Add either of these and the whole session is saved as Traditional Strength Training. The cardio stays in it as its own segment.

Legs, squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

The lift in the third session below. One set of it makes the session strength training.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom.
  • Chest stays up behind the weight.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat
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Back, row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

The second lift in that session. A dumbbell and a bench is all it needs.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.

Swap for: Band Bent-Over Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, Seated Cable Row

Build a session with One-Arm Dumbbell Row
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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Gym cardio day, three machines

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets56 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentRowing Machine, Air Bike, Stair Climber

You take a day off lifting, or it is a deload week, and want cardio that does not feel like one long slog.

Ten minutes each on the rower and the stair climber with eight hard minutes on the air bike between them. Three kinds of cardio, about 28 minutes of work.

Three machines
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Rowing MachineTen minutes, Steady. 10 × 1 min 3 0 s
Air BikeEight minutes, Tempo. 8 × 1 min 2 0 s
Stair ClimberTen minutes, Steady. 10 × 1 min 3 0 s
How to run it
Start the routine on the Watch. Each set is one minute; rate it with the crown as Steady, Tempo or Hard. Type the rower's distance on your iPhone after the session if you want it kept.
How to progress
Keep the time and raise the effort: when every rower minute felt Steady, push half of them to Tempo next week. Add a minute to the air bike every two weeks until it matches the other two at 10. Saved to Apple Health as Mixed Cardio, indoor.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

No gym: rope, drills and a run outside

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets38 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentJump Rope

You are travelling or training from home, with a jump rope in your bag and a road or a park nearby.

Rope rounds and high knees to warm up and spike the heart rate, then an easy 10-minute run. Three kinds of cardio and no machines.

Rope and run
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Jump RopeHard. 6 × 45–60 s 2 30 s
High KneesHard. 3 × 30–40 s 2 30 s
RunningTen minutes, Steady. 10 × 1 min 3 0 s
How to run it
Do the rope and the drills outside the door, then run. Rate every round and every minute of the run on the Watch.
How to progress
Add 15 seconds to each rope round once you finish them all without tripping, up to 60. Then run a little further in the same ten minutes. The run makes this Mixed Cardio, outdoor, unlike the gym session.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Lifting day with a rower finisher

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets28 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Rowing Machine

You lift with dumbbells and like to finish with a hard row, and you are wondering why the session is not saved as cardio.

Two dumbbell lifts, then eight hard minutes on the rower. Strength first, conditioning after.

Lifts and row
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
One-Arm Dumbbell RowReps per arm. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Rowing MachineEight minutes, Hard. 8 × 1 min 2 0 s
How to run it
Log the lifts with reps left, then rate each rower minute as Hard.
How to progress
Row with 45 lb dumbbells for 12 / 12 / 12 at 2 left tops the 8 to 12 range: next time 50 lb for 8. Goblet squat 40 lb for 10 / 10 / 9 holds. The session is saved as Traditional Strength Training, with the row as its own segment. If you want the row saved as its own cardio workout, finish the lifting session and start the row as a second session.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Is Mixed Cardio the same as Cross Training?

No. Cross Training is for jumps, burpees, jacks and floor drills. Mixed Cardio is a session that mixes two or more kinds of cardio, like a rower and a bike.

Can I combine two workouts in one day?

Yes. Each session you finish is saved as its own workout with its own type. A lifting session in the morning and a rower and bike session later are two workouts.

Why is my session not saved as HIIT?

RIRLift files a workout by what you did, not how you paced it, so it never saves one as HIIT. A rower and a bike in one session are Mixed Cardio whether you rode them as intervals or at a steady pace.

What turns a session into Mixed Cardio?

Two or more kinds of cardio and no lifts: a rower and a bike, a jump rope and a run, or a sled push next to a machine. Both bikes count as one kind, cycling, so the air bike and the upright bike alone are saved as Cycling.