Cardio vs Strength Training: What's Best?
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People who love fitness often ask themselves about cardio or weight training and which approach suits their goals best. The difference between these two popular exercise methods matters.
Cardio exercise makes your heart work harder over time. Any activity that raises your heart rate and breathing while rhythmically using large muscle groups counts as cardio. Your body uses oxygen to create energy during longer cardio sessions. Running, swimming, cycling and brisk walking serve as perfect examples.
Strength training exercises (also known as weight or resistance training) challenges your muscles against some type of resistance. You can use resistance bands, weights, or your body weight. Strength training differs from cardio because it works "without oxygen" through short, intense bursts of effort.
These exercises affect your body differently. Cardio makes your heart and lungs stronger, which leads to better circulation & lower blood pressure. Strength training builds muscles, strengthens bones, and speeds up metabolism.
Most workouts blend both types of exercise. A “kettlebell session” combines aerobic and anaerobic elements. It is recommended to include both types of exercise in your routine to maximise health benefits.
What are the Benefits of Cardio and Strength-training Exercises?
Cardio and strength training offer amazing health benefits that go way beyond the reach and influence of just looking good.
Regular cardiovascular exercise makes your heart stronger and helps it pump blood better, which lowers your risk of heart disease.
Cardio helps burn calories to manage weight—just 30 minutes daily for 5 days can reduce your weight and waist size by a lot.
Cardio activity lifts your mood, strengthens your immune system, and protects your brain's health as you age.
Strength training builds muscle mass in you, which naturally decreases with age if you're not working to maintain it. Your metabolism gets a boost from the extra lean muscle on your body—muscle burns more calories than fat tissue does.
People who exercise with weights regularly also improve their bone density & lower their risk of osteoporosis.
The magic happens when you combine both types of exercise. This powerful duo cuts body fat better than using just one approach. Among other benefits, doing strength training with cardio can cut sports injuries by a third and reduce overuse injuries by almost 50%.
Why Compare Cardio vs Strength Training?
Cardio and strength training have distinct benefits. Here's a detailed comparison to help you choose what works best for your fitness journey.
Aspect | Cardio | Strength Training |
|---|---|---|
Calorie Burn During Exercise | Burns more calories per session | Burns fewer calories during workout |
Post-Workout Effects | Minimal EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) /afterburn effect | Creates EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) effect for up to several hours after exercise |
Muscle Development | Focused on building endurance. | Increases muscle mass and size |
Resting Metabolism | Small long-term effect | Increases resting metabolism (9% in men, 4% in women) |
Weight vs Fat Loss | Better for overall weight loss | Better for fat loss while preserving muscle |
Heart Health | Lowers resting heart rate and blood pressure | Reduces risk of heart disease even though it's not labelled "cardio" |
Bone Health | Some effect through weight-bearing activities | Improves bone density by a lot |
Equipment Needs | Needs minimal equipment | Requires equipment or well-laid-out plans |
Sleep Quality | Improves sleep | Works better for sleep quality and duration |
Stress Relief | Works slightly better at reducing stress | Gives a bigger boost to self-esteem |
Research shows that mixing both types of exercise leads to better health and fitness results. Each type has its strengths and they work perfectly together rather than one being better than the other.
Combined Approach for Cardio and Strength Training
It is recommend to add both cardio and weight training to your fitness routine to maximise health benefits. A minimum of 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio activity weekly is recommended by the American Heart Association. Strength training at least twice weekly is also recommended.
A balanced fitness schedule works just like a three-legged stool. Each leg represents strength, cardio, and flexibility. The stool becomes unstable when one leg is missing.
Your weekly plan could take several forms:
The first option alternates between different types of exercise days. You might do cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and strength training on Tuesday and Thursday.
Another approach combines both in one session. A 15-minute jog followed by dumbbell exercises works well.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) naturally blends both elements, making it an excellent third option.
Studies reveal that performing two muscle-strengthening sessions each week along with 75 minutes of intense cardio activity helps improve heart health and overall wellness.
FAQs
How long should each workout session last?
Your cardio workouts should total 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise weekly. You can split this into 30-minute sessions five days a week or three 25-minute runs.
Strength training sessions usually run 30-60 minutes. People who lift weights once a week should aim for 60-90 minutes. Those who train 2-3 days need 45-60 minute sessions. Beginners can see results with just 20-minute strength workouts.
What are the risks of overtraining in cardio or strength?
Your body suffers when you train too much without enough recovery time. This can trigger overtraining syndrome and disrupt normal body functions. The physical signs show up as constant fatigue, worse performance, and higher injury risks like stress fractures or tendonitis.
Overtraining weakens your immune system, which makes you more likely to get sick. The most severe cases can damage your heart and kidneys. Your mental health also gets affected - you might feel irritable, anxious, depressed, and sleep poorly.
How should I prepare for each type of training?
A good dynamic warm-up takes just 5-7 minutes but makes all the difference. Your heart rate goes up, joints move better, and muscles become more elastic, which helps prevent injuries.
Working out without warming up first cuts your workout's effectiveness and might cause muscle tears or tendon ruptures. The right preparation gets your core temperature up and blood flowing faster.
Can I combine cardio & strength training effectively?
You definitely can. Switch between cardio and strength days throughout the week. You might also do both in one session - start with strength training and finish with cardio.
