Quick Fatloss Burning: Cardio and Weightlifting Comparison
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What would you say to a person who says, “If you want to get bulky, consider weightlifting. If you want to simply lose weight and lean-up, consider cardio.”?
If you have been to the gym recently, it not hard to see
that the majority of women are exercising with cardio, and the majority of men
are exercising with weights. In fact, I have heard women are now being called
“Cardio Bunnies.” Is this because they appear to be hopping while on a
treadmill or elliptical machine? I highly doubt it. Do men and women have
extremely different objectives when at the gym? Most I have talked with express
their desire to “fire” excess body-fat and “hire” lean muscle-definition. However,
the question has always been, “how?” I am confident men and women will lose
body-fat more quickly using weights and machines then relying primarily upon
cardio machines.
If you want to get “bulky, consider weightlifting?” It is
true that many men are using significant supplemental assistance (a.k.a steroids/testosterone boosters) to gain
size and strength. However, for people who have chosen modest supplemental
assistance (a.k.a Effective Foods/Protein from Proteincow.com), gaining large
bulky muscles, like mine, do not happen overnight! My mother used to worry that
if she lifted heavy weights with her arms, that her arms would out-grow many of
her cute dress shirts. To my mother, I say, “Mother, as a female, your body
does not carry the testosterone and growth hormones mine does, being male.”
People who lift weights to exercise do not “magically” gain enormous bulk
overnight!
The term “weightlifting” needs to be removed from the dictionary,
if in fact it is found in the dictionary. Weightlifting is often associated
with one who is a “weight-lifter.” A weight-lifter is often associated with
loud grunting, large sweat-puddles on gym equipment, and harry chests. Women do
not want to be associated with loud noises, sweat, nor having a harry anything!
Suppose, rather than using a word that has negative imagery, people simply say
he or she is using resistance training—in order to lose a few unwanted pounds
and tone up their muscles with more definition.
Admittedly, many people primarily use cardio for
cardiovascular improvement. I find no shame in this desire. Cardio exercise
will improve cardiovascular health. Additionally, some may argue that they do
not include resistance training with weights because of a lack of know-how or
because they are nursing an injury. I support the use of cardio equipment for
both of these purposes, and recognize that hiring a personal trainer or a
physical therapist is not the most affordable, convenient, or comfortable
option. If a person is a position to supplement their physical training with
the use of weights and/or various exercise machines, I am confident this person
will receive the results they desire, cardiovascular included.
While it is true that cardio will build lean muscle tissue,
time duration must also be considered. For example, if a person is isolating
specific cardio machines to build their leg muscles, this individual may
contrast the amount of steps or rotations taken when performing the movement,
to an exercise that could be executed with weights. The area being trained with
cardio might receive up to 1,000 revolutions during an hour of exhaustive
training; when this same muscle group could be exhausted in twenty minutes with
roughly five sets of about 15-25 repetitions. The person using weighted
resistance would also find that, even though he or she is not burning the same
amount of calories during the exercise routine as an individual doing cardio, they
will find their muscles requiring more calories, from that point on, to sustain
the recovery and lean-muscle growth from the exercise routine. In short, if a
person will direct their goals to “lose body-fat and lean up” quickly, toward weights
and machines, they will be amazed at how effectively they gain the physique,
energy, and health they desire!
