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CARDIO OR RESISTANCE: WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU?
by Charlotte Forde, Personal Trainer
Many people like the idea of getting fitter, healthier, slimmer
and stronger but how do you achieve this... Cardio or Resistance
training? With our long work hours and busy lifestyles, when you
actually prioritise fitting a workout into your schedule you want
to ensure that you are optimising your time and getting the most
from your training. So does that mean sweating it out on cardio
equipment or getting your pump on and lifting weights?
Well, the answer all depends on what your ultimate goal is.
Cardiovascular (cardio) exercise and resistance training are two
types of exercises that can differ in duration, type, intensity and
will work different muscle groups depending on your range of
movement, positioning and speed. Both types of training burn
calories but in different ways. Cardio is a form of aerobic activity
which increases your breathing rate, burns a high amount of
calories and improves your overall endurance. Examples of aerobic
cardio exercises are jogging, running, skipping, swimming, dancing;
these examples are dependent on the distance or duration of the
exercise. Resistance training improves your strength and power
and increases bone density and muscle mass which speeds up your
metabolism and in turn burns more calories over a longer duration.
This type of training includes lifting weights, kettlebells and
calisthenics (bodyweight exercises).
Cardio exercises do generally burn more calories than resistance
training however, by looking at the total amount of calories used in
a certain type of workout ignores how the body consumes energy
and regulates it’s metabolism.
You may assume that because you burn more calories during cardio
exercise that this is how you are going to achieve results quicker
however, the amount of calories used in a workout is not always a
good measure of exercise efficiency. For instance, you will only burn
calories during a cardio workout whereas when resistance training,
despite burning less calories you will continue to metabolize for
hours after finishing the exercise, this is called the ‘afterburn effect’.
What this essentially means is that your metabolism will become
faster and you will burn a higher amount of calories throughout the
day whilst your body is at complete rest.
If you are looking for physical health then cardio activity is very
beneficial. It helps strengthen the heart and lungs, reduce stress
levels and improves overall health. You will naturally lose weight
performing cardio exercise but this may result in a loss of lean
muscle mass and may affect your metabolism. Resistance training
is proven to burn more fat and has greater long term results. It
will give you a greater definition, strengthen your muscles and can
improve bone density; but if you perform these exercises using the
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incorrect technique or posture this may cause you injuries and that
is why you should always seek advice from an exercise professional
when wanting to explore or introduce different types of training
methods. A question I get asked frequently by women in particular
is ‘Will I bulk up if I lift weights?’. The answer is no; even though
you are building muscle, due to our genetic make-up and our lack
of testosterone, women will not get ‘bulky’ unless they are taking
additional supplements to support muscle growth.
As you can see both cardio and resistance training have advantages
and disadvantages and their benefits and effects will vary for each
person. The type of exercise that is better for you ultimately depends
on your goal, physical fitness and capability. When considering
weight loss and changing your body shape, the first thing to get
right is your diet. Once your diet and eating habits are in line then
you will start to see changes (refer back to our May edition ‘Why
you should stop looking at the number on the scales’).
The most important factor when considering your training is that
you enjoy what you are doing and are happy to commit to spending
time doing it. If you find cardio boring then rather than using this
type of training to increase your calorie intake throughout the day
just reconsider your calorie consumption. If you find lifting weights
too difficult or time consuming then maybe consider a group
exercise class using barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells where you are
working on muscular endurance rather than strength.
Regardless of which training method you choose, to ensure you
maximise the effectiveness of your workout you should take the
following steps:
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Take 5 - 10 minutes to warm up at the start of your workout
and 5 - 10 minutes to cool down at the end, also include
stretches to improve your flexibility and reduce the risk of
injury.
Make gradually progressions to your workout. This may be
adding 1 minute on to your cardio workout or increasing your
weight by 1kg as soon as the exercises start to feel easier.
Ensure that you have plenty of rest in between strenuous
workouts and don’t exercise if you are feeling unwell.
Don’t rush into lifting heavy weights, master the technique of
lifting first and gradually increase the weight as you start to
improve and feel comfortable with how to lift correctly.
Remember it’s all about sustainability and enjoying what you do is
the key to success on your journey to becoming a fitter, healthier
and stronger you!