Weight Training Versus Cardio

For those of us who spend time at the gym in an effort to improve our health and beautify our bodies, the debate between weight training and a good cardio workout will undoubtedly continue. Some believe that targeting your muscles for strength and size is the best way to earn your rewards from gym time. Others defend cardio for the workout that will burn the most calories and have the greatest effect on your body. Whichever side of the fence you tend to fall on, most trainers agree that the most effective workout actually incorporates both weight training and cardio, not just one or the other.

The benefits of weight training are generally accepted for those who are looking for size and strength. The detail that often gets overlooked, however, is that weight training increases your heart rate and burns more calories than most cardio exercises. With the continual exertion weight training requires, your body works twice as hard to meet the demands and consequently burns twice the calories.

Meanwhile, the benefits of a good cardio workout are also easy to see for those looking to lose weight and firm up. Time on the treadmill, bike, or cross trainer is certainly time not spent in vain. Exercises that target your cardiovascular health will of course condition your body for hard work and increase your heart rate, both sound goals for anyone at the gym. It’s hard to vote against cardio when your health is on the line.

So what’s the answer? Combine the two. I don’t mean to say that you should do some curls while you ride the bike, that would be absurd. I’m saying that modifying your routine so it’s faster, your rests are shorter, and you are constantly in motion will give you the benefits of both. For example, you could choose three or four of your favorite weight training exercises to perform one day then set them up in a circuit where you complete one set of an exercise then rest for 30-60 seconds before moving on to a set of the next exercise in your circuit. This will keep your heart rate racing and you will become a calorie burning machine.

Your goals will of course be served also by using the right supplements. There are a number of fat burner and muscle builder supplements you can use to enhance your workout, supplements like whey protein or creatine. Whey protein decreases the time your muscles need to repair themselves while strengthening the fiber inside the muscle. Creatine, whey protein’s cousin, also targets the muscle fiber and specifically improves the size and strength of your body.

Burning calories is always a goal that can be enhanced by a multivitamin. Global health is important no matter your goal, so take a multivitamin for more energy and greater immunity to illness. A good multivitamin will provide the recommended daily allowance of up to a couple dozen important vitamins and minerals, so popping one during the day is an important addition to anyone’s diet.

Your use of cardio in combination with weight training will burn more calories than just one or the other. Adding a supplement like whey protein, creatine, or a multivitamin will also support your goals. Whatever your preference, it’s clear that a combination of both nutrition and exercise is imperative to greater health.

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