Confusion about cardio and strength training

weightlossmayhem

This will probably sounds stupid tho some but i have looked this up and found no clear answer. My current workouts are cardio about 5 days a week. I also do water aerobics 3 days and bodypump 2 days. And aquatic bootcamp twice aweek. My question is when doing the resistance and water weights in class still considered cardio or is it strength training. My body feels more muscular and my body composition test is showing more muscle but is this an okay way to train until my back and knees can handle more weight and gravity. My diet is pretty on point and i am consently losing just don't want to end up all mushy lol.

nikki_m87

At my gym bodypump is.classed as strength training. I've never been the class mind. But j think it's both really.
Even the bootcamps I would think would use elements of strength training.

Sounds like a lot of workouts, make sure you don't over do it will burn yourself out.

weightlossmayhem

It is a lot of working out. Been doing about 12 hours a week except 9 days when i had bronchitis. It has became my little escape from stress and I like getting out of the house. Being a stay at home mom for 14 years has gotten to me.

Azdak

Actually a very good question, albeit one without a simple clear answer. Cardio/strength training are not either/or, on/off movements. Any exercise movement will have what I call an "aerobic" component and a "resistive" component. If the resistance part of the movement is high enough that it constitutes an overload for the current condition of your muscles, then you will experience some "strength training benefits" from that movement. If it isn't, then you may not lose any strength conditioning, but you won't gain any more either.

As a rule, the strength gains you achieve from doing more dynamic movements like aqua aerobics tend to be more transient--meaning you experience a small/modest increase when you start to do the classes, then plateau fairly quickly. Body pump is a different animal in that it uses some heavier weights, but because of the pace and high volume of reps, it is harder to incorporate progressive resistance.

Bottom line: what you are doing will shade more to the "cardio" end of the continuum, especially the longer you do it. What you are doing is not the same as a more focused lifting program and will not achieve the same results.

That being said, what you are doing IS helpful and giving you some strength benefits and so if you are happy with it, or if you have some physical issues that prevent you from lifting regular weights, then there is no compelling reason for you to stop what you are doing.

Hopefully this doesn't sound like I am trying to talk you out of what you are doing or minimizing your efforts. Just wanted to lay out where your routine "fits" in the general scheme of things w/out judging so you can understand if your routine is aligned with your goals.

giusa

Azdak wrote: »

Actually a very good question, albeit one without a simple clear answer. Cardio/strength training are not either/or, on/off movements. Any exercise movement will have what I call an "aerobic" component and a "resistive" component. If the resistance part of the movement is high enough that it constitutes an overload for the current condition of your muscles, then you will experience some "strength training benefits" from that movement. If it isn't, then you may not lose any strength conditioning, but you won't gain any more either.

As a rule, the strength gains you achieve from doing more dynamic movements like aqua aerobics tend to be more transient--meaning you experience a small/modest increase when you start to do the classes, then plateau fairly quickly. Body pump is a different animal in that it uses some heavier weights, but because of the pace and high volume of reps, it is harder to incorporate progressive resistance.

Bottom line: what you are doing will shade more to the "cardio" end of the continuum, especially the longer you do it. What you are doing is not the same as a more focused lifting program and will not achieve the same results.

That being said, what you are doing IS helpful and giving you some strength benefits and so if you are happy with it, or if you have some physical issues that prevent you from lifting regular weights, then there is no compelling reason for you to stop what you are doing.

Hopefully this doesn't sound like I am trying to talk you out of what you are doing or minimizing your efforts. Just wanted to lay out where your routine "fits" in the general scheme of things w/out judging so you can understand if your routine is aligned with your goals.

This is the most helpful, insightful answer I've read, thank you.