I was asked to post a blog on weights vs cardio so here it is...
Firstly, I would like to say that this very much depends on what YOUR goals are. Health? Building muscle? Gaining/Losing fat? Competing? There are so many ways to live a healthy lifestyle and everyone does it differently.
Both Weights and Cardio have there benefits; I personally believe that a combination of both is very beneficial to a well rounded healthy lifestyle (my goal + building muscle). However, not everyone is interested in living as healthy a life as possible, some just want to build muscle, some just want to lose fat and both are fine.
- Building Muscle
If your main goal is to build vast amounts of muscle and your not too worried about how lean you are (i.e bulking) then cardio should be kept to a minimum as it is going to stunt your muscle growth. Weight lifting will allow you to completely sculpt your body, however if you have excess amounts of body fat this may not be apparent.
- Losing Fat
Many people are interested in losing fat and many believe this equals long hours of cardio; It doesn't have to be this way. Yes, cardio is most likely going to make you loose body fat due to the excess calories burned but completely neglecting weights will result in a deterioration of your metabolic system.
Studies have shown that after a weight lifting workout your metabolism is boosted for up to 36 hours after, therefore burning a lot of extra calories whilst doing nothing at all; and possibly putting your body into a calorie deficit (i.e fat loss occurs).
As well as this, in the long term, weight lifting will significantly increase your metabolism. This is due to the fact that muscle burns calories when at rest, if you have built up a larger % of muscle then your body is going to burn more calories.
I will now list some benefits of both weights and cardio:
Weights
- Builds muscle, which burns fat = leaner body
- Boosts BMR (basic metabolic rate)
- Prevents metabolic decline with age
- Increases bone strength and density
- Improves posture
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves balance and co-ordination
- Strengthens joints, ligaments and tendons
- Reduces stress and improves mental awareness
Cardio
- High calorie burn
- Improved mental health, due to the release of endorphins
- Increase immune system, allowing your body to fight off infection
- Increased stamina, and reducing fatigue
- Disease reduction, due to the lower body fat % you are less at risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, the list goes on...
- Lower blood pressure
- Lower resting heart rate
Summary
As I said at the beginning, both have their benefits. Combined, they make the perfect pair between muscle development and all the benefits that come with that and good heart health. If you are looking for a well rounded healthy lifestyle then BOTH are equally important.
If you would like some help constructing a workout plan please email me at [email protected] and I would be happy to help you find a program to suit your goals.