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Summer is quickly approaching, and most of us are searching the internet for ways to get toned and achieve our dream physiques. You may have struggled with sticking to a plan in the past and feel hopeless when trying to lose weight or tone your body, but don’t worry — we’re here to help. Many factors come into play when embarking on a fitness journey, and today we’ll be going over a few of them while discussing Why strength training and cardio may be the perfect solutions for you.
A common misconception is that cardio is the ultimate way to lose weight. This myth has led to people spending hours a day on the treadmill, only to be disappointed by their results or the time it took to see change. There’s no question that cardio burns fat and can cause weight loss, but science has proven that it works best when paired with strength training.
You burn calories every day through essential functions like breathing and sleeping. We refer to this as your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is how many calories you burn by simply existing, and incorporating cardio into your routine allows you to burn additional calories throughout the day by increasing your heart rate.
To lose weight, you must remain in a calorie deficit. This occurs when you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming every day. Different forms of cardio can help you create a more significant gap between the number of calories you would need to consume to maintain your weight and the amount you’re eating.
There are different kinds of cardio, and a specific one is known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can do HIIT with any exercise, but let’s use jumping rope as an example.
First, you would set a timer for one minute, and for the entirety of that minute, you would jump rope at the highest intensity to reach your maximum heart rate. After the minute was over, you could switch to a light skip for forty-five seconds. This allows your heart rate to slow down briefly until your timer beeps. Then, you begin jumping at a high intensity for another minute. You repeat this multiple times until the workout is over, and you can even alternate between different exercises during the workout.
HIIT is effective for weight loss because your body continues burning calories for up to two hours after the workout. You don’t have to limit HIIT to your cardio, though. You can also use it for strength training.
Strength training — also known as resistance training — helps you build muscle and tone specific body areas. Many people believe weight lifting is only for bodybuilders, but that’s not true.
Strength training is effective for weight loss because studies have proven that muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue — the more muscle you have, the greater your resting energy expenditure will be. This means you’ll burn more calories while resting.
Weight lifting also includes the afterburn effect, which means your body will continue to burn calories for up to 72 hours after the workout is over.
Now that you understand how these methods work, let’s analyze how they complement each other.
When you start your workout with cardio and then progress to weights, you initially spike your heart rate, leading to a more significant caloric burn during the weight lifting portion.
Cardio can help you burn fat, and strength training can help you maintain muscle mass.
While both these forms of exercise will aid you on your weight loss journey, what you eat will also affect your results. It’s a good idea to purchase a fitness tracker to calculate the approximate number of calories you burn a day. Then, you can guarantee you’re eating in a calorie deficit.
Another thing to remember is that macros also contribute to your body composition. To maintain muscle mass while losing weight, eat a good amount of protein and balance it with your carb and fat intake.
Some personal trainers even suggest eating .8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. It would also be logical to cut back on processed sugar and focus on the 80/20 rule. This rule involves eating nutritious food 80% of the time and saving the 20% for sweets or treats you crave.
It’s crucial to give yourself enough time to see results. That dream body won’t come overnight, but with the help of cardio, strength training, and the proper diet, you’ll have your ideal physique in no time.
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