Posted on February 13, 2015 by Kate Halsall

Whether it’s weight loss, fat loss or body conditioning and tone, we know that exercise will play an important part in achieving our goals. We also know that there will need to be some sort of resistance training and an element of cardio. The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2015 Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends, still has Strength Training and High Intensity Interval Training in it’s top 5. As personal trainers we need to ensure that our clients understand the ‘whats, whys and hows’ about they way we train them. As such, we need to demonstrate the benefits of strength training vs cardio as there are pros and cons to both.

Strength Training – PROs:
– Strengthens bones and joints and helps to reduce the risk of Osteoporosis
– Increase in growth hormone during training = metabolic spike = more calories burnt post workout!
– The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn on a daily basis
– Improves body image – short (muscle pump) and long term!
– Lifting weights just twice a week can prevent you from gaining intra-abdominal fat

Cardio Training – PROs:
– Burn more calories during a cardio workout
– Higher EPOC  affect if you perform HIIT training- http://www.m8north.co.uk/blog/benefits-hiit/
– Studies show a reduction in anxiety, fatigue and depression through cardio exercise
– Provides a sense of accomplishment when you finish a run, cycle, swim etc
– It reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke
– A stronger heart pumps more blood with each beat, circulating oxygen more efficiently throughout your body
– Can be a quick exercise plan and still achieve results i.e. HIIT

Strength Training – CONs:

– Can be expensive – you need the gear and somewhere to train

Cardio Training – CONs:
– Excessive impact exercises can lead to joint or muscle injury

OK OK, so I don’t have many cons for either training regime – I’m biased – I love exercise! But seriously, however you chose to work out, and which ever programme you follow, it should be absolutely based on your personal fitness goals. If you’re in any doubt, ask one of our trainers for help!

Further Reading:
http://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/fulltext/2014/11000/worldwide_survey_of_fitness_trends_for_2015_.5.aspx