Cardio vs. Strength Training....What do I do???

.. Breaking down the confusion of which is "better", what you should do more or less of and all that confusing stuff.

So let's start with this. One is not "better" than the other. They are completely different exercises, and what needs and goals you have will vary in what exercises you will choose to do.

What's the difference?

Cardio exercises are aerobic, meaning your body is using oxygen to complete the energy process and increases heart rate and breathing. They are great for your heart and overall cardiovascular health. Cardio burns more calories DURING your workout and burns fat faster, so ideal for weight loss. Cardio can include exercises like running, cycling, swimming and pretty much anything that gets your heart rate going and breathing harder.

Strength training is considered an anaerobic, meaning you are using glucose for energy without relying on oxygen to increase heart rate. More energy is used in a short period of time. Lifting free weights, kettlebells and weight machines are in this group of exercises.

Pros and Cons of JUST Cardio?

Improved heart health and increased endurance. Cardio helps increase the amount of oxygen taken into the body, how much is used, and allows your heart and lungs to be more efficient.

You burn more calories - DURING - your workout. How much you weigh will also affect how much you burn. A 250 pound individual will use up more energy than someone who is 150 pounds.

The emphasis here is DURING. Keep that in mind for later.

Compared to weight training, just cardio burns more fat and faster weight loss. Great right??

Excessive cardio has some downsides that many don't realize.

Excessive cardio can increase stress in the body and raise cortisol - your stress hormone. Although high cortisol initially is not a bad thing, chronically overtime it can cause burnout and starts to do funky things in our body - one of the most notable side effects - muscle breakdown. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone - which when sustained at high levels - makes muscle building and muscle retention unfavourable. High cortisol also can interfere with estrogen and testosterone - making it more challenging to actually lose fat in the long run.

Excessive cardio doesn't build muscle.

Back to the cortisol hormone we just discussed above. To add insult to injury - when you lose muscle mass, your resting metabolic rate also decreases. When you lose muscle, you burn fewer calories - meaning you either have to further reduce your caloric intake or increase your activity ( more stress ).

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is a great time efficient, power driven cardio that doesn't put your muscles at risk for breakdown like the chronic steady cardio.

Let's look at team resistance training.

You're still burning calories.... actually... you're burning calories for hours AFTER your workout as well. Depending on your resistance workout and intensity - up to 36 hours after you put your dumbbell down on your last rep. You'll even burn calories while binge watching Netflix. Why? Muscle tissue is metabolically more active than fat tissue, requires more calories to function - even during periods of inactivity. You will also raise your overall resting metabolic rate, further increasing your overall caloric burn.

You prevent injury. Resistance training helps increase bone density, which affects the strength of your bones - preventing breaks, fractures and osteoporosis.

Stronger muscles also help out your joints by supporting them, reducing risk of knee, shoulder injuries and arthritis.

So really... for effective exercise and optimal weight loss or weight management, you need BOTH.

Combining cardio and weights you get the best of both worlds - fat loss and muscle gain.

This is where you really cannot only rely on the scale for progress as combining strength training with your cardio, you will notice that muscle has GREATER DENSITY THAN FAT!

You'll have better heart health. Your heart health further increases by adding both into your fitness regimen.

The American College of Sports Medicine, recommends 150-250 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week to help maintain weight, and with caloric deficit help to lose weight. That works out to about five to eight cardio sessions a week. You'd need to do more than 250 minutes a week to see significant weight loss.

Generally, for resistance training, 2-3 days a week of full body exercises or 3-5 days of exercises separated by muscle group. Weight training sessions generally should last 20-30 minutes.

Just remember, exercise and what you choose to do to move is important for overall health. Your workouts will need to be matched to your fitness goals, but even more important - your nutrition will play a bigger factor in your success. You can't out train a bad diet (that's for another blog)

xoxo

Amanda