Both cardio and strength training are important aspects of workouts. However, it can be difficult to decide which area of exercise to focus on and which one is more beneficial for your physical and mental health.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Having a strong metabolism is a key effect of working out. Metabolism is defined as the amount of energy we burn each day. We are burning it constantly throughout the day, even when we are just sitting around, so working out is not about getting your metabolism going, it is about boosting your resting metabolic rate. Resting metabolic rate is the rate at which we are burning calories. Working on physical strength increases muscle mass, which is an effective way of boosting your resting rate. A faster metabolism leads to more calories burned, which helps you lose more weight.
Strength Training and the Heart
Strength training not only has positive effects on weight loss and metabolism, but also has a direct effect on your cardiovascular health. When you are lifting weights, your muscles contract. This also means that your blood vessels will contract. Contracting blood vessels mean that your heart must work harder to pump the blood through your body. To adapt to this challenge, the heart will thicken the wall of the left ventricle. This thickening benefits your cardiovascular health.
Strength training also affects the development of your blood vessels. Exercise in general has an impact on blood vessel production, but strength training specifically increases the size of blood vessels, which makes it easier for blood to flow throughout your body.
CARDIO TRAINING
Cardio training is more focused on increasing the heart rate than speeding up the metabolism. An increased heart rate means that there is more blood flow going on through your body. The blood is pumped to parts of your body that are active, like your arms or legs, and away from areas and muscles that you are not using in that moment. Because of the increased blood flow, your heart’s left ventricle adapts and grows to be able to accommodate the increase flow and eject more blood.
Cardio training can have clear long-term effects on your health. It makes your resting heart rate drop over time, because your heart will be able to deliver more blood in one beat and will not need to be pumping quickly to send out the necessary amount of blood to your body. Fewer beats means that your heart doesn’t need to work as hard.
STRENGTH AND CARDIO TRAINING WORKOUT CLASSES
In order to perform correct and effective workouts to improve your health, it is helpful to have a small group to do it with. F3 Fitness has trained professionals that know the best workouts for different types of people. Classes are small, so you can still have an individualized experience even though you are with a group. They focus on both strength training and cardio training. Contact the professionals at F3 Fitness to make an appointment and try your first class for free.