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CARDIO OR WEIGHTS... Which is more important.

Elliot Hutchinson

We'd all love to be sure that our gym routine gives us the most bang for buck, whether that's burning the most calories, gaining the most muscle, or feeling the healthiest we can. We encorporate cardio & weight elements with all our clients to ensure all round fitness. We recommend you do too, but if you're short on time or need some help tailoring your training to your goals, which should you prioritise?


What is cardio & what is strength training?

Cardio is any form of aerobic activity, so long as it gets your heart pumping faster for a sustained period of time. It encourages your body to boost oxygen flow to all areas & improves the function/endurance of your muscles (including your heart). It's well known for lower risk of heart disease, immune problems & cancer, however we'd also like to highlight the unmatched improvements to mental wellbeing.

Strength training on the other hand is more beneficial to bones/joints, body function & counter acting the ageing process (as well as looking swole of course). Strength training (aka resistance training or weightlifting) is defined as any exercise done for the purpose of gaining muscle strength/size. It is typically anaerobic, meaning it follows more of a stop-start pattern as far as effort/heart rate is concerned.

Often the lines can be blurred between strength & cardio, with plenty of training methods ticking both boxes. They also tend to compliment each other, cardiovascular fitness helps strength training & vice versa.


When is cardio a better option?

Cardio is great for a pick-me-up, with the post-cardio endorphines boosting mood & energy levels. It's also a key factor in healthy skin & avoiding disease, which shouldn't be underestimated in terms of how much better you'll feel in everyday life. If you have a sedentary job, cardio may be more of a focus for you to ensure your body gets enough activity. Cardio is also helpful for weight loss due to the calories burned, however it doesn't have as much of an edge on weight training as you might think (especially because cardio makes us hungry & we sometimes end up replacing the calories we've burnt pretty quickly). Cardio is a great way to train simply due to it's massive variation in training options. Don't like running? Try rowing. Don't like rowing? Join the local football team. You get the idea...


When is strength training a better option?

Strength training is generally neglected by most despite it being an empowering way to train with just as many benefits as cardio. Chances are you won't reach the body you're striving for without including some resistance training in your weekly routine. Building muscle is an incredibly calorie-costly process, especially when post-workout calories burnt are considered. Lots of people are put off by the sometimes technical nature of weight training or an "I don't know where to start" mentality. Youtube will be your best friend here (as well as us) in gaining enough knowledge to start your journey. Aside from aesthetics, strength training can massively reduce the ageing of your bones, joints, muscles & balance. The great thing with weight training is that the benefits are almost immediate, come do a free taster session with us & try telling us we're wrong...


Which is best for me?

So this is where we once again become subjective & tell you to make your own informed decision. It's important to remember the importance of both cardio & strength training, all we're saying is how much of each depends on your lifestyle, preference & needs. Do them in whatever way suits you, any order, any time & any method will have benefits. If you need help on a later stage of your journey to start perfecting these element, a coach is your best bet. Here's a general Cardio vs Strength Guide for you:

AGE

CARD / STREN

JOB / LIFESTYLE

CARD / STREN

GOALS

CARD / STREN

UNDER 30

50% / 50%

VERY ACTIVE

40% / 60%

WEIGHT LOSS

50% / 50%

30 - 40

40% / 60%

ACTIVE

50% / 50%

MUSCLE GAIN

20% / 80%

40 - 50

30% / 70%

RARELY ACTIVE

60% / 40%

MENTAL HEALTH

60% / 40 %

50+

20% / 80%

SEDENTARY

70% / 30%

ANTI-AGEING

40% / 60%

Hopefully this helps you determine find a nice middle ground to geuid your training balance, however don't be hard on yourself as something is always better than nothing & you'll never be able to perfectly stick to your training. A coach will always be the easiest way to keep on top of it all for you, so get in touch if you'd like help getting the most out of your training, or starting something new! See you here next week.


Elliot Hutchinson // 25.08.2024

© 2024 The Coaching Collective


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