While it’s important to incorporate both cardio and strength training into your exercise routine, we typically tend to focus on one or the other. Depending on your unique fitness goals, narrowing your focus may help you succeed quicker.
A recent LiveStrong article took into account insight from fitness experts to help you decide which movement is optimal to support your health and fitness goals.
Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is any movement or activity that increases your heart and breathing rate. This includes running, cycling, kickboxing, and dance classes like Zumba. Known for its ability to aid in weight loss, due to the high number of calories burned, cardio also helps improve brain health, supports healthy blood sugar levels and overall mobility, and promotes longevity — among countless other benefits.
While resistance training, also known as strength training, was once thought to be reserved for those seeking to build muscle mass, more and more people are learning how vital it is for overall health.
“As we age, growth hormones in the body decrease, which contributes to muscle loss,” says Amanda Murdock, CPT, director of fitness for Daily Burn. “Strength training helps us maintain and build muscle tissue.”
Some overlooked benefits of strength training include better overall cardiovascular health, weight management, improved bone health and better quality of life as you age.
To reiterate, both cardio and strength training are important for optimal health, yet individuals with specific fitness goals and limited time may want to focus on one or the other.
For example, if you are training for a race, go with cardio, focusing on whatever form of cardio you’ll be doing come race day so that you can train the right muscles and avoid injury.
If you want to burn more body fat, pick up the weights. According to Bret Contreras, Ph.D., CSCS, author of Glute Lab: The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training, strength training is the best workout for fat-loss in the long-term. Strength training builds muscle and increases your metabolism to help you stay leaner in the long-term, while cardio burns calories and helps with short-term weight loss.
A more obvious choice for building muscle and getting stronger would be strength training, as it builds muscle mass the fastest.
“If you want to get stronger, there’s only so much stress you can put on your body just using your body weight.” When you strength train, you can progressively overload your body to continue making gains,” says Contreras.
If your goal is simply to become more active, try a combination of the two. Balance is key, especially for beginners, who would benefit from full-body strength training sessions a couple of times a week, and a few cardiovascular sessions per week.
For strong bones, go strength-training, while for stress management, most find light cardio optimal. However, it’s important that each individual listens to their body and their emotional needs, and chooses based on that intake.
In order to reduce the risk of chronic disease, both cardio and strength training have been proven to offer notable benefits that protect long-term health.