With the rise in concerns over the health in the United States, doctors are struggling to prescribe specific recommendations to improve health and reduce fat loss. Studies have focused on showing the benefits of both aerobic and strength specific training compared to sedentary lifestyles, but not often against each other. This article will explain what research has been published, and how to choose which can benefit you the most.
Cardiovascular training can be defined as any type of aerobic exercise that includes low to moderate intensity activity in which your body is utilizing oxygen. Depending on your fitness level, this typically includes efforts below 65% of your estimated maximum heart rate (220-your age). Example activities are walking, swimming, or cycling that can be performed for long periods of time.
Resistance training is comprised of exercises that progressively overload muscles and encourage hypertrophy, also known as muscle growth. Typically, strength training is anaerobic (without oxygen). This means that these exercises are performed for a shorter duration of time due to the onset of muscular fatigue. Example exercises include lifting weights, plyometrics, and calisthenics.
According to a study by Willis et al., aerobic exercise is the preferred method of fat loss compared to strength training. When performed together, weight loss was even more significant. As expected, lean mass improved significantly in all groups including strength training but decreased slightly in aerobic only training. Cardiovascular endurance improved in all training parameters. What do these results mean for you?
If weight loss is your ONLY goal, cardio training would be your key to burning fat. The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 to 7 days per week for optimizing the cardiovascular benefits. The pro’s to cardiovascular training is its simplicity, heart health improvements, blood sugar control, etc. The con’s are that it can be time consuming, can encourage muscle loss, and increases risks of overuse injuries. For these reasons, incorporating resistance training to a weight loss program is greatly valued. A few of these are: fat loss maintenance, increased metabolism, exercise adherence, injury prevention, and improved body composition. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise per week.
To put this information into action, plan your week out ahead of time to organize your exercise schedule. Cardio can be done on strength training days, or by themselves. According to the recommendations, you could structure your calendar as 3x/week cardio (45 minutes walking, swimming, or biking) and 2-3x/week resistance training (10 minutes cardio warm up, 50 minutes lifting weights). If you are new to exercise, make sure you talk with your physician before starting an exercise program. Start slow and work your way up to these recommendations. Hire a professional if you need assistance in adopting a strength training routine. And lastly, listen to your body when progressing exercises to higher intensities and lifting heavier weights.
Just remember: any exercise is better than none!
Kristen Szogas Personal Trainer