When starting any training for the first time, everyone is faced with the question: What is the best thing to do cardio or weights? Each one has its benefits and are used for different purposes. There is no correct answer to this question.
There are those who defend cardio and those who advocate weight training. Just as there are those who fear one or the other. To decide what suits the body of each person, you must evaluate the objectives you want to achieve. Doing cardio or weights, will focus then, if you want to gain muscle mass or lose weight.
And is that not everything in life fitness is about losing weight. If only this sole purpose is kept in mind, there will be some problems. So, a reasonable answer would be that it’s best to use a combination of both. Of course, taking away the fear that making weights deforms the body.
Cardio or weights: Why do cardio?
An easy way to put it, is that doing cardio is the best option to burn calories. This is basically what will help you lose weight. Aerobic training intervenes in the circulatory system, being the basis for improving physical condition, strength and speed.
Cardio exercises are based on training with activities of different intensities. At the time of doing it, the body uses oxygen to obtain energy, making use of fat and carbohydrates
When cardio is done regularly, it increases the level of oxygen that the body is able to consume. By increasing oxygen, the performance increases for greater efforts. On the other hand, a high intensity exercise helps to prevent obesity and some types of cancer.
On the other hand, performing these types of activities helps reduce bad cholesterol levels considerably by increasing good cholesterol. It is also beneficial to mitigate the risk of suffering from diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels.
In addition, cardio can be done through various activities. Simply go for a run a few minutes, sign up for a dance class or do some military jumps. At the beginning you can do a few minutes and then increase the time and intensity. Also, if combined with proper nutrition can multiply the benefits. Cereals and nuts are a good choice. As well as green tea or ginger.
What is the summary of all this? Basically, thanks to cardio you can lose weight faster. But this brings with it some drawbacks. If you lose a lot of weight, you will lose muscle instead of fat, so in the end, you will end up with less energy and less desire to exercise.
Is weight training a better option?
Between doing cardio or weights, many opted for this last option. Weights are an anaerobic activity, so the body uses glycogen as the main source of energy. With constant effort, the muscle gets to work at its maximum potential, burning more and more glycogen and amino acids, without the need for oxygen to intervene.
This implies that the number of calories burned at the beginning will be less compared to the amount burned during cardio. This also implies that you should invest more time in the weights, that is, longer sessions, to obtain better results.
But one of the advantages that can be found with respect to cardio, is that when the training is completed, the muscle has a longer recovery process, this means that it will continue to burn calories after a few hours of the end of the routine.
With the implementation of the weights, you can get more muscles, which helps activate the metabolism to better assimilate the nutrients that are consumed. This is a relationship that is often forgotten and that is achieved by doing this type of training.
In this way, basically doing cardio or weights, focuses on the basic process of losing weight and gaining muscle mass. Thing that must be done in a balanced way. Since any expert would say that there is no correct answer to the question posed at the beginning. It will come back then, in a process that must be carried out correctly in order to have the best results.
A person of average weight who wants to start a healthy life, must first begin gaining muscle mass during the first months of training. Muscle building with weight training will help protect you from atrophy and injury.
Also, gaining muscle mass is easier than losing body fat. Since the muscle trying to grow, take the fat around to have energy and so can work. This will help you adapt more easily to the changes the body undergoes when you exercise.
Any tips for a better workout?
When combining cardio and weights, it is necessary to plan correctly the routines that will be done. If a controlled regimen is maintained, which implies carrying out some activity at least three days a week, the physiological capacity necessary to burn fat becomes an efficient process. After 4 weeks, you will have lost a few inches of waist.
A recommended routine after the first four weeks, exercise is performed five days a week. Two of these days will be devoted to strength exercises and a moderate to light cardio. The remaining three days will be only cardio, working different areas of the body.
The weight must be calculated according to the effort involved. That is, if in the last two repetitions involve extra effort, you must continue working with that weight until it becomes very easy to perform the exercise.
Training sessions that combine cardio and weights, should last between 60 and 80 minutes. Performing first a warm-up for 10 minutes and then addressing the session as such. In addition, work must be done by referring to the series and repetitions. For example, 4 series, will have between 8 and 10 repetitions. After the session, a cooling will be done for 10 minutes.
The cardio and the weights are basic exercises that should be focused on the needs of the person. Both are related to gain muscle mass, to define the body, and lose weight to be healthier.
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