Cardio Workout » Cardio Workout Routines
The Optimal Workout Routines - Cardio or Lifting?
Newsflash: Recent expert releases book talking about how cardio is the least effective, least efficient way of losing weight...
Are you serious? Can this really be true? I mean, can this guy be serious when he says: "Stop Doing Cardio!" Its true, you don't actually need any exercise at all to lose weight. In fact, a calorie deficit is more than enough for your body to lose the excess weight...
But, how long can you keep it off? This is the million dollar question.
Keeping the weight off long-term, while improving your health, while increasing your energy levels...collectively these should be the real goals of any individual looking to lose fat.
Recently, an "expert" was interviewed on national television about his recent book, in which he talks about the superiority of high intensity weight lifting over cardiovascular exercise.
He argues that the best type of workout routines are primarily weight training routines, and that cardio is an inferior form of training.
He quoted studies and other things to substantiate his point, but the bottom-line is this...
Weight training is a very effective way to lose fat, but, when combined with cardio, it becomes a LOT more effective.
Why is this the case? Well, not only does cardio enhance the heart's health better than weight training, but it also helps you burn more fat by "filling in" the gaps that weight training can't.
For example, its not wise to weight train everyday, unless you're trying to build muscle and following split bodypart workout routines...
The most you should weight train as part of a fat-loss strategy is 3 times a week. So, in your off days, you can go the gym and do some cardio, therefore burning more calories on days that you otherwise wouldn't.
Moreover, cardio helps to improve lung function and capacity, which helps you breathe better and increase oxygen in the blood. This translates to more energy, better concentration, and overall better health.
During a fat-loss plan, each weight training workout routine should be limited to 20-30 minutes, in order to maximize the calorie burning effect. Basically, you wouldn't rest between sets in order to keep the heart rate up and burn more calories, so your workout routines will obviously be shorter...
So, after the 20-30 minutes of weight lifting, you can easily jump on the treadmill or elliptical trainer for 20 additional minutes and burn even more calories. After all, a workout doesn't truly feel like a workout unless its 45 minutes to an hour long.
So, the bottomline is that cardio offers better health benefits in certain areas, such as improved lung function and heart health. Cardio also helps you burn calories on off-days and after weight training sessions. The optimal workout routines include a combination of weight training and cardio.
Read more about optimal workout routines here...
Hanif Furqan is a world renowned fitness expert and personal trainer, sharing with people the best ways to build muscle and burn fat on his popular site: http://www.weight-lifting-workout-routines.com
He's also the publisher of the Dream Body E-Newsletter, which can be accessed on his site for free.
Source: www.articledashboard.com