Why your strictly cardio routine isn't helping you look or feel better.
What does the typical person do when they want to improve their health and fitness after neglecting it for so long? Maybe go out for a jog, or even hit the treadmill, bike, or elliptical at the gym. After doing this for a short amount of time this person sees little to no results and gives up. Sound familiar?
Let me state that any type of exercise over inactivity will always be recommended, however it’s time to add Resistance training (Strength training) to your life. Resistance training will strengthen your muscles and promote longevity and will most likely make you feel better about what you see in the mirror! Here’s a quick rundown on what makes resistance training so beneficial, and debunk some negative things you’ve might have heard about it.
You’re still burning an adequate amount of calories: Yes it is true, cardio exercise will burn more calories and improve heart health but that doesn’t mean resistance training won’t do the trick. A 2011 analysis by Strasser and Schobersberger stated that, “resistance training is at least as effective as aerobic endurance training in reducing some major cardiovascular disease risk factors.” Your muscles are put through stress in resistance training; and that tissue will burn more than fat tissue, even when you’re no longer working out. This means you’ll possibly burn more calories over time with resistance training than the set amount of calories you burned in a cardio workout.
Your resting metabolism tends to account for more than half of your daily calorie use; when muscle building and recovery isn’t happening your resting metabolism suffers and weight gain can ensue. This means you can still gain weight/body fat by just sticking to cardio while ignoring your muscle build, this will most likely apply to the people who are less active.
Cardio only burns calories, Resistance training contributes more with burning fat. You see some unflattering belly fat? Let’s go for a jog. Wrong. The misconception is that cardio exercises are helping burn fat off but it isn’t necessarily. Cardio only burns calories, so even though losing calories is a key to losing fat it’s not really “burning” it off. With resistance training, it builds muscle so the lean muscle that you are building is replacing the excess fat that you have.
Losing muscle is not a good thing: Inactive adults experience a 3% to 8% loss of muscle mass per decade, along with resting metabolic rate reduction and fat accumulation. In a 2012 article Wayne Westcott in Current Sports Medicine Reports, he states, “Ten weeks of resistance training may increase lean weight by 1.4 kg, increase resting metabolic rate by 7%, and reduce fat weight by 1.8 kg. Benefits of resistance training include improved physical performance, movement control, walking speed, functional independence, cognitive abilities, and self-esteem.” Muscles are there to support your skeletal system and your bones, the same article states that studies show 1% to 3% increase in bone mineral density after resistance training. So even if you don’t care about the aesthetics of nice muscles they are important for your long term health. It can essentially reverse natural aging!
Resistance Training can lead to a full body transformation: To start with, your body can transform with strictly cardio because of the possibility of losing weight, of course you won’t look the same. When I’m talking about a full body transformation, I’m including your posture and muscle definition throughout your body and with resistance training you can cover this more effectively.
You’ll feel less achy, and less injury prone: A 2001 review by Winett and Carpinelli concludes that “resistance exercise training has profound effects on the musculoskeletal system, contributes to the maintenance of functional abilities, and prevents osteoporosis, sarcopenia, lower-back pain, and other disabilities.”
Not feeling achy and confident about how your body moves will put you in a better mood and you’ll be able to progressively improve in your workouts.
If you’re an avid runner, consider adding strength training to your routine. Outdoor running can cause harmful wear and tear on your body which will put you out of commission. Strength training will help build muscle to support your joints and keep you outdoors.
You’ll love the result in the mirror: As my time as a trainer I’ve heard so many tell me they want a certain body part to look better and yes it’s possible but you have to actually put in the work. How is one hour on the elliptical going to make your thighs more muscular or grow definition in your arms? Once you start adding resistance training on a consistent basis you’ll start to see changes in your physical appearance! Additionally, if you’re a beginner you’ll start to see faster results than the rest of us!
Start evaluating why you exercise. I’m sure it’s more than you just wanting to burn some calories. Cardio is great for general fitness health and for a strong heart and lungs but start adding resistance training into your weekly routine due to numerous added benefits. With the combination of both you’ll start seeing the results you’ve been waiting for!
Please note that the information provided in the posts cannot replace care and advice from a medical professional. Please consult your physician before starting a new fitness program.
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References & Resources:
Winett, R. & Carpinelli, R. Potential Health-Related Benefits of Resistance Training. Preventive Medicine 33, 503–513 (2001).
Westcott, W. L. Resistance Training is Medicine. Current Sports Medicine Reports 11, 209–216 (2012).
Strasser, B. & Schobersberger, W. S. Evidence of resistance training as a treatment therapy in obesity. Journal of Obesity (2011). doi:DOI: 10.1155/2011/482564
Short, K., Vittone, J., Bigelow, M., Proctor, D. & Nair, K. S. Age and aerobic exercise training effects on whole body and muscle protein metabolism. American Journal of Physiology (2004). doi:https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00366.2003