Knowing exactly how to balance cardio and weight training can be quite a challenge when putting together a healthy training program. This can be tricky as it depends on individual factors such as what you want to get out of your training, and what kind of strength and cardio vascular training you want to do.
In training your body balance is the key and a suitable training regime should not only address cardiovascular fitness alone but should also incorporate some aspects of weight training as well. The success of the fitness program on which you are embarking will be dependent on how well you are able to balance the two.
Therefore, the balance which you seek will be dependent upon your abilities, limitations and objectives. Here are some general guidelines which will help you to make the best decision based on your own situation.
When performed in the same session, do strength training first. Your body will utilize energy in a particular order, and you will find that if you do cardio first, then you may not have enough energy to perform the strength training techniques. Also, doing lots of cardio activities particularly those which are endurance based will significantly hinder your ability to develop muscle mass.
So, if your overall objective is to develop muscle, keep the cardio activities to a minimum and focus on bench presses and squats. In this case, you can simply use cardio activities as a warm up procedure before you begin to strength train.
If your goal is weight loss, then your primary objective will certainly be to burn as many calories as you possibly can. Therefore, you will want to focus on performing cardio vascular activities first and lift weights afterwards. Some persons will experience significant weight loss through making dietary adjustments alone. However, there are others which will need some form of weight training to speed up the process.
Ultimately the most effective way of losing body fat is to combine endurance based exercises with resistance training exercises while incorporating dietary changes.
If however, you are predominantly interested in general fitness, then a great way to balance the two is to alternate cardio and weight training days. This also has the added benefit of adding a little variation in the mix of things.
The issue which is crucial to your decision will be basically the underlying reason for your training. If your goal is to somehow lose fat, then the balance you will seek will be different than if you are endeavoring to build muscle.
These are just basic guidelines which should govern your fitness operations for optimum results. However, bear in mind that for you to be able to participate in any fitness related activity it first as to be enjoyable and fit seamlessly into your lifestyle and daily routine.
If your goal is to strike a balance between building muscle and burning fat, then you should aim at spending equal time with both cardio exercises and weight training techniques.
‹ Exercising while Working. Why Not?