Cardio VS Weight Training

For a long time there has been a great debate of what works better, with misconceptions and a lot of conflicting information, but what really is best?

Believe it or not, you burn calories throughout the day regardless of what you are doing, but exercise helps increase the rate at which you burn those calories.

If weight loss is your primary goal, you may think that focusing exclusively on fat-burning cardio exercise is the way to go, right? Whilst that may be true, an average cardiovascular session will burn more calories than a strength session. However, are you aware that strength training continually burns more calories throughout the day then a cardio exercise session? So if you add strength training to your regime, you will increase muscle mass and burn even more calories.

Strength training has an array of benefits such as the following:

Strength training helps with long term weight maintenance: Strength training not only aids in weight loss, it helps maintain it too. A recent study revealed that women who followed a weight-training routine 3 times a week increased the amount of calories burned in normal daily activity (in addition to those burned during exercise), helping them maintain their current weight. 

Strength training makes you stronger and fitter: Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves strengthening and toning your muscles.

Strength training is based on the principle that the muscles of your body will work to overcome force when they are required to do so.

There are two types of resistance training:

• Isotonic resistance, which involves contracting your muscles through a range of movements such as weightlifting.

• Isometric resistance, which involves contracting your muscles against a non-moving object, such as against
the floor in a push-up.

Both types of resistance training aid in making you stronger as well as fitter and more toned.

Strength training helps you improve your body’s mechanisms: Strength training aids in improving your balance, coordination and your posture.

Strength training boosts energy levels and improves your mood: Strength training will elevate your levels of “feel good” hormones, known as endorphins which will aid in improving your mood. That’s why we feel better when we exercise.

Cardio is an essential part of any workout routine, with weight loss being one of
the biggest incentives for people to do
cardio training.

Cardio training will not only benefit you by burning calories, but also by:

Improving cardiovascular fitness: Cardio exercise aids in improving the efficacy of blood to oxygen flow throughout the body, which aids in improving the physical conditioning of your heart and lungs.

Reducing stress: Like most exercises, cardio aids in relieving stress, which may help in improving your mood.

How to get started?

Lifting heavy weights is not the only form of strength training. Simple exercises such as push-ups, lunges, and mountain climbers, are all examples of exercises that provide strength training.

With cardio exercises, begin with a 30 minute slow walk and then begin increasing the intensity to a brisk walk and then to a jog, eventually building up to a run would be a great way to start.

If you have any health issues, ask your doctor or fitness expert what type of training is best to meet your needs and abilities.

Just remember a combination of both exercise types is the key. Not only will you gain all the benefits but you will also have a range of exercises to keep you motivated so you never get bored.