Cardio vs. Weight Training

Cardio training vs. weight training? This is a question asked many ladies looking to stay healthy. A lot of women shy away from weight training completely, because of the fear of getting too bulky and looking like a man. Whoever told you that weightlifting is only for extreme bodybuilders wanting to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, simply knows nothing about weightlifting. The myth that weightlifting makes girls bulky just simply isn’t true. There are so many beautiful women that weight train daily.

Too many ladies, when they the think of weight training, their minds picture a bodybuilder or power-lifter. These athletes train to move high volumes of weight for a very specific goal. The type of training athletes like that do, will naturally bulk you up and get you much stronger. Not all weight training is this way. You need to understand that moderate weight at moderate volume is such great exercise for the body to not only tone muscle but also burn fat.

We all agree that cardio exercises such as running burn fat. But did you know that weightlifting does the same thing? Another very important fact you should realize is cardio training will burn fat along with muscle.

Weight training, however is a fat burning tool while also building muscle.

Now don’t get carried away and think that I’m saying cardio focused workouts are bad for you. Some of the fittest looking women on earth do workouts that are full of cardio-based exercises. Take a look at the ladies at the CrossFit Games. What I am saying is there are benefits to both styles of training. Cardio training is great for the heart, lungs, and weight-loss when used in moderation. Notice the word, moderation. Look at many professional long distance runners. None of them have wiggly arms or floppy bellies. They look as if they have no fat at all! But notice how much muscle they have, or should I say how little. If you’re only doing cardio routines you will not be using a lot of your muscles’ potential. This tells your body that those muscles aren’t needed. Then the body will take the unneeded muscle and turn it into fat. This is very common in marathon runners because so many of them only do cardio.

You need a balanced amount of both styles of training in your workouts. Like anything else in life, balance is important. If all you are doing is weight training everyday then yes you are going to build muscle and get bulkier. This leads to more of the bodybuilding tract. With cardio training, if this is all you do then yes, you are going to burn fat, but at the same time taking away from your muscle. Having a proper balance of both of these in your fitness journey will ensure you are both burning fat and staying strong. CrossFit does this really well as this program has workouts designed that are cardio intensive while also using weights. You’re getting the best of both worlds in one workout!

If the goal is to be a fit lady living a healthy lifestyle, then adding some weight training into your routines is a must! Stay STRONG, stay HEALTHY, and stay BEAUTIFUL.