DO WE NEED BOTH?
Sweeping generalizations are usually not helpful. But I have noticed in my lengthy workout experience that:
- Some women often will concentrate on cardio and yoga, while ignoring muscle building.
- Some men will emphasize weight training and leave out the cardio.
The vast majority will do both, since they recognize the values of both. But a woman this morning tried to convince me that strength is not essential to health. Other women still believe that resistance training will build unwanted bulky muscles on their feminine bodies,
Over the years, I have known men who generally ignored cardiovascular exercise since they only were interested in growing their muscles.
To each his/her own, but there are compelling reasons to do both:
Comprehensive fitness. Cardiovascular exercise focuses primarily on improving our heart and lung health. Strength training is centered on building muscle, increasing strength and enhancing overall body composition. By combining both, we can address many aspects of fitness – cardiovascular health, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility, ensuring a balanced fitness profile.
Weight management. Cardio exercises, such as running, cycling or swimming, help burn calories and assist in weight loss or weight management. Strength training boosts our metabolism and increases lean muscle mass, which also aid in calorie control and weight control. Together, they create a better strategy for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
Muscle and bone health. Strength training is essential for manufacturing and building muscle mass, which becomes increasingly important as we age. This can prevent muscle loss and help us to maintain functional strength. Strength is also beneficial for bone health. It stimulates bone growth and density. Cardio exercise, though not as effective for bone health, can work together with strength training by improving our circulation and overall health.
Enhanced functional fitness. A combination of cardio and strength training will improve our overall functional fitness, making daily activities and movements easier. With strength training, we can improve our ability to lift, carry and perform other tasks requiring strength. Cardio exercises boost our stamina and endurance. We can stay active longer and avoid getting fat.
Body composition. Strength training will help improve our body composition by increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat. While cardio workouts primarily burn calories, strength training can sculpt our bodies by adding muscle definition.
Injury prevention. Strength training can improve our stability and flexibility, which reduces the risk of injury during any of our physical activities. It helps to correct muscle imbalances and enhances overall body mechanics.
Variety and motivation. Including both types of workout routines prevents boredom and burnout. We can focus on different fitness goals at different times and stay engaged and motivated.
Increased energy. Regular cardio exercise will boost our energy levels and reduce fatigue, while strength training will produce muscle endurance and stamina, enhancing our overall energy and vitality.
Mental well being. Both forms of exercise have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. They release endorphins, which will improve our moods and mental well being. See my prior post on the impact of physical fitness on our mental health.
AN INTERESTING STUDY
Wake Forest University did a lengthy study on the “Effect of exercise type during intentional weight loss on body composition in older adults with obesity”.
This was an 18 month study of 249 adults who were overweight or obese. All participants reduced their calorie intake. Some did walking for exercise, others did weight training , still others did no physical activity.
The goal was to see what group would lose the most fat, while retaining the most muscle mass.
Here are the findings:
The diet plus weight training group lost 17 pounds of fat, the diet plus walking group lost 16 pounds of fat and the diet alone group lost 10 pounds of fat.
Muscle mass loss was greatest with the diet plus walking group – 4 pounds. The other two groups lost 2 pounds of muscle mass.
The unexpected result was that those who only dieted lost less muscle mass (maintained more muscle mass) than those who dieted and walked.
EQUIPMENT THAT I USE
I do strength training, planks and cardio (on my treadmill) one day and planks and cardio the next day. The workouts are completed before breakfast every morning. The cardio is longer on the days that I don’t do strength training.
I use several pieces of equipment from Amazon. As an Amazon associate, I may use their links in conjunction with my posts and earn from activity on the links. This has no effect on the pricing. With each link, you will find full details, images and access to similar or complementary product links.
Nordic Track treadmill. This model has served me well with daily use and it is not one of the more expensive treadmills.
Teeter inversion table. I have used this for spine health. It felt great to suspend myself upside down.
Adjustable dumbbells. These take up very little space.
Resistance bands with handles. A full workout at a very low price.
Loop resistance bands. I use these for physical therapy. Less than $13
Crunch device. I use this to protect my back when I do floor abdominal exercises.
Push-up board. This allows me to do deeper push-ups and to isolate a muscle group when doing push-ups.
Lighter weight dumbbells. This set is for beginners or for those who prefer lighter weights.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Please take a look at my two permanent links at the side of my website:
Dick’s Sporting Goods – my source for athletic goods for six decades. They now have significant discounts on Alpine design apparel, hiking footwear, golf apparel and baseball/softball gloves,
Bullworker fitness – I use Bullworker tools in my workouts to get both an isotonic and isometric effect in every set I do.
A combination of cardio and strength training will vary, based on individual training goals and preferences. I like to separate them into different days, while others may combine them in the same workout. Or we could do one routine in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
The important thing is to find a convenient balanced approach that supports our fitness objectives.
There is no “contest” going on between muscle building and cardio. Both are essential to our overall physical fitness.
Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below. Or email me, richard@myworkoutathome.com.
Let’s stay active!
