Cardio VS Strength Training

There are many different ways to get your body into shape. Most of these methods of exercise are classified into two broad groups, Cardiovascular (cardio) Training and Strength Training. Which one would you choose to get the results YOU want?

Cardio and strength training are very different yet closely related activities. Cardio or endurance based (aerobic) training in such forms as walking, running, bike riding or swimming, to name the more popular varieties, can assist you by; burning extra calories for weight loss, improving heart function, reducing cholesterol, improving recovery after exercise, reducing your risk of diabetes and other diseases as well as enhancing your ability to deal with stress, which we all of course suffer from time to time.

Strength training also comes in a variety of forms. Free weights and body weight training such as push ups and lunges are two of the more popular styles of resistance training, while boxing and wrestling styled sports, although less popular, will have similar resistance based activities.

Strength training is used of course to assist the body in building lean muscle. This building of muscle can have many different benefits to your health and sporting performance such as; developing strength, enhancing immune function, maintaining or improving muscle mass, increasing bone density, improving movement function and joint stability as well as increasing your metabolic rate or energy burned which correlates to improved body composition. I.e. looking better naked in a mirror, very important ;o)

What a lot of people don't realise however is that sometimes these two different aspects of conditioning and exercise can have opposing and sometimes adverse effects on the body. Prolonged endurance training for example can actually depress the immune system, reduce muscle mass, thereby decreasing metabolism, as well as possibly causing a range of skeletal and joint imbalances through the high repetition of movement that accompanies such sports as running or cycling. (I have yet to meet a runner without at least a few niggling injuries)

So when clients ask me which is the better method of exercise for their particular circumstance, be it weight loss or sports performance, I'll always answer, "Both of course".

Any great fitness program will have a good blend of cardio and resistance training.

Where cardio may reduce muscle mass, a strong resistance style program will increase it and while resistance training is great for building your biceps, a cardioprogram will do the same thing for your heart.

A question that I often hear asked is "Cardiovascular exercise on machines, such as treadmills and exercise bikes, burns more calories than resistance training, so is it just a waste of gym time to add strength training to your workout if you want to lose weight?" The simple answer is "No."

Working your muscles as well as your heart and lungs can improve your health and help you drop clothes size or improve your fitness much faster than cardio on its own.

Research has shown time and again that regular resistance training can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (energy burned at rest) by up to 15%. That means you're training a lot smarter!

As with anything in our lives, it is important to find the balance that works for you. Find time for both resistance and cardio training and you'll discover that your results will come far more quickly and you'll be much more likely to maintain those hard earned gains.

duncan