It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or a long term exerciser, at some point you will probably ask whether you should switch to an all-cardio or all-weight training regimen. This is a common question that is asked of trainers in gyms throughout America. Many people really need to know: “Does it really matter if you participate in all-cardio or all-weights?” The answer to this question is “Yes, it does matter.”
Aerobic training is beneficial for developing and strengthening the cardiovascular system. Your heart, lungs and blood vessels will not only be strengthened with aerobic training, but they will work more efficiently, both together and individually. The effectiveness of your system can be intensified through aerobic training because your body will continually be able to reach higher endurance levels. Your life will become more enjoyable and you will also be preparing your body for increased agility and endurance later in life. Research has shown that adults who have a high level of fitness during their early and middle years will be much more productive as senior adults. Of course, it stands to reason that these same adults will not only lead healthier lives, but longer lives as well. Just a few of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise include lower blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol and higher good cholesterol, decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and even cancer, plus an increased life span.
Do all of the above benefits mean that cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is the most intelligent choice for an exercise regimen? Well let’s see about that!
The main goal of weight training is to strengthen the muscles by lifting weights. Your muscles will be strengthened overall and the support of the body is increased, which allows for better living. Many of the same characteristics are revealed by people who lift weights and people who participate in cardiovascular exercise. Since weights assist with strengthening bones through resistance, weight lifters have less risk of bone fractures. With these characteristics, it may mean that lifting weights is the best method of fitness. Well, is it?
In all actuality, the best manner in which to accomplish the ultimate fitness in your life is to use both aerobic exercise and strength training. By using both methods you will boost your health to the highest possible level. Even though aerobics and weight training target two different systems, they work together to develop and augment all aspects of the body, and thereby provide the strongest and healthiest body possible. The lung capacity is increased with cardiovascular exercise and your body can then build up stamina. Then weight training utilizes that stamina to build muscles for increased periods of time. The muscles work to support the skeleton and vital organs to increase efficiency of the entire system. Greater aerobic capacity is achieved through exercise and the cycle continues over and over. Cardio and strength training need to be able to feed off of each other to further develop your body.
The best aerobic and strength training workout is swimming. Swimming is actually the ultimate workout for a combination of aerobic conditioner and muscle builder. Your muscles are able to concentrate on working out instead of supporting your body when exercising underwater. You, of course, need stamina to accomplish all of those swim laps, therefore, your body gets a thorough workout. A method you may use to augment this workout is to swim a different style on each lap. You can swim freestyle on your first lap to get warmed up, then swim the breaststroke, then backstroke, etc. Rotate the styles so that your muscles are constantly challenged. If you do this workout four or five times a week, the changes in your shape and endurance will be very noticeable.
You may now draw the conclusion that there is no choosing between cardiovascular exercise and weight training because the best programs will integrate both. Your program should also deviate between the types of cardiovascular and weight training exercises so that you will continue to reap the benefits. As you begin adding different combinations of workouts to your fitness schedule, you will be pleased with your progress as your body truly starts to reinvent itself.