When most people say they need to "get in shape" and "start working out", they think they need to slap on their running shoes and hit the treadmill. People associate cardio training with what is needed to get in shape and transform their bodies. There is also the age-old theory if you want to lose weight, do cardio, and if you want to bulk up with muscle, then you strength train! These theories are not always the case.
To determine what is the better choice, we must first analyze what they do for you!
Weight or strength training has several benefits to the body and fitness goals.
First of all, weight training obviously builds and strengthens muscles. The more muscle a person has, the more benefits come with it!
When people strength train, they actually cause microscopic tears in their muscles. When the recovery happens, the muscles heal and grow. As the muscles recover and grow, they require calories during the process.
In short, the more muscle a person has, the better their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is. BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories while performing basic living functions, i.e breathing, heart beating, etc. As a person does more weightlifting and training, their BMR increases. This causes a better calorie burn than cardio alone. Essentially, you'll burn calories during and AFTER you're done your workout. Up top 36 hours post-workout, you will still be burning calories because your muscles are healing and growing.
How does this help with weight loss? As mentioned already, when a person does strength training, they burn more calories at rest. Basically, the more weight training you do it helps to get into a calorie deficit that is required for weight loss (see here for more info on calorie deficits).
Lifting weights change the shape of the muscles, which also changes the shape of the body. Everyone knows the saying "muscle weighs more than fat". This isn't true. One pound is one pound, doesn't matter if its muscle, fat or chicken feathers and bricks. The truth is muscle takes up less room in the body than fat. Muscle not only takes up less room but shapes the body and creates curves. Contrary to popular belief ladies, you will not lose your shape. Instead, this is how you gain a serious booty and shapely legs!
Lastly, I've talked before about how weight training supports and stabilizes joints. As we age, our joints start to wear and tear. But weight training helps maintain the strength of your bones and joints. Therefore, helps to keep them happy and healthy. As someone who has bad knees, I can attest that weight training is the one thing that has saved my knees to be as good as they are.
So what about cardio?
It does burn calories, which will help for weight loss and training is emphasized on your cardiovascular system. Unlike weight training, the calorie burn is different because when cardio is done, so is the calorie burn.
Yes, cardio does help you lose weight because you're burning calories, but the weight loss can be a combination of fat and muscle; which is not ideal when the goal is fat loss. When we want to lose weight, our goal is to lose excess fat, not muscle.
Contrary to popular belief, cardio does not lead to muscle gains the same way as weight training. Yes, it does train muscles that you're using but does not necessarily make them bigger.
With cardio, your muscles do not need as much recovery time, therefore they do not burn as many calories in recovery.
Your body adjusts to cardio training quickly and will adapt to compensate. This means that it will adjust to burn less energy, so you'll have to go farther and faster. If the muscle is not being challenged enough to change, then the body shape itself does not change.
What good does cardio do? Well, it does have great benefits for the heart and lungs as well as endurance training. How much cardio training should be done depends on a specific person's goals. If the goal is fat loss or to have better endurance, then more cardio should be added in for heart and lung training. When it comes to weight loss, strength training is just as, if not more, important for muscle gain and better calorie burn!
If a person does cardio-based sports like basketball, soccer, kickboxing or Ju-Jitsu (wink!) then cardio should be emphasized in their training programs!
The type of cardio matters as well. Steady-state cardio does not burn as many calories as intervals or sprints where your heart rate is constantly going up and down. Interval cardio training like HIIT works with power and can have after workout calorie burn.
In the end, strength training is optimal for long-lasting changes and weight loss. Cardio should be added as well for cardiovascular health and training, but it should not be the sole focus. However, we all know that NO changes will really occur unless the diet is changed along with a workout routine. In the case of fat loss or weight loss, a calorie deficit is required to burn the excess energy storage (extra body fat).
Do you want to learn more about weight training? Contact me today and let's talk!
To determine what is the better choice, we must first analyze what they do for you!
Weight or strength training has several benefits to the body and fitness goals.
First of all, weight training obviously builds and strengthens muscles. The more muscle a person has, the more benefits come with it!
When people strength train, they actually cause microscopic tears in their muscles. When the recovery happens, the muscles heal and grow. As the muscles recover and grow, they require calories during the process.
In short, the more muscle a person has, the better their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is. BMR is the rate at which your body burns calories while performing basic living functions, i.e breathing, heart beating, etc. As a person does more weightlifting and training, their BMR increases. This causes a better calorie burn than cardio alone. Essentially, you'll burn calories during and AFTER you're done your workout. Up top 36 hours post-workout, you will still be burning calories because your muscles are healing and growing.
How does this help with weight loss? As mentioned already, when a person does strength training, they burn more calories at rest. Basically, the more weight training you do it helps to get into a calorie deficit that is required for weight loss (see here for more info on calorie deficits).
Lifting weights change the shape of the muscles, which also changes the shape of the body. Everyone knows the saying "muscle weighs more than fat". This isn't true. One pound is one pound, doesn't matter if its muscle, fat or chicken feathers and bricks. The truth is muscle takes up less room in the body than fat. Muscle not only takes up less room but shapes the body and creates curves. Contrary to popular belief ladies, you will not lose your shape. Instead, this is how you gain a serious booty and shapely legs!
Lastly, I've talked before about how weight training supports and stabilizes joints. As we age, our joints start to wear and tear. But weight training helps maintain the strength of your bones and joints. Therefore, helps to keep them happy and healthy. As someone who has bad knees, I can attest that weight training is the one thing that has saved my knees to be as good as they are.
So what about cardio?
It does burn calories, which will help for weight loss and training is emphasized on your cardiovascular system. Unlike weight training, the calorie burn is different because when cardio is done, so is the calorie burn.
Yes, cardio does help you lose weight because you're burning calories, but the weight loss can be a combination of fat and muscle; which is not ideal when the goal is fat loss. When we want to lose weight, our goal is to lose excess fat, not muscle.
Contrary to popular belief, cardio does not lead to muscle gains the same way as weight training. Yes, it does train muscles that you're using but does not necessarily make them bigger.
With cardio, your muscles do not need as much recovery time, therefore they do not burn as many calories in recovery.
Your body adjusts to cardio training quickly and will adapt to compensate. This means that it will adjust to burn less energy, so you'll have to go farther and faster. If the muscle is not being challenged enough to change, then the body shape itself does not change.
What good does cardio do? Well, it does have great benefits for the heart and lungs as well as endurance training. How much cardio training should be done depends on a specific person's goals. If the goal is fat loss or to have better endurance, then more cardio should be added in for heart and lung training. When it comes to weight loss, strength training is just as, if not more, important for muscle gain and better calorie burn!
If a person does cardio-based sports like basketball, soccer, kickboxing or Ju-Jitsu (wink!) then cardio should be emphasized in their training programs!
The type of cardio matters as well. Steady-state cardio does not burn as many calories as intervals or sprints where your heart rate is constantly going up and down. Interval cardio training like HIIT works with power and can have after workout calorie burn.
In the end, strength training is optimal for long-lasting changes and weight loss. Cardio should be added as well for cardiovascular health and training, but it should not be the sole focus. However, we all know that NO changes will really occur unless the diet is changed along with a workout routine. In the case of fat loss or weight loss, a calorie deficit is required to burn the excess energy storage (extra body fat).
Do you want to learn more about weight training? Contact me today and let's talk!
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