Cardio vs. Strength (a vent)

I think what you're trying to say is that if people stopped thinking about the "tricks" to getting healthy then they'd have more time to get healthy.

I prefer strength because it's not monotonous.. I'm not just on a treadmill pounding away for a half an hour or w/e. I also prefer strength because it makes me look better than cardio alone would(IMO, others feel that cardio only makes them look just fine).
At the end of the day though, I do a nice balance of both... or at least I try to

I like the idea of Good, Better, Best.

Good = getting up and doing any exercise.
Better = doing exercise to improve specific areas of fitness.
Best = doing exercise that improves total fitness.

Cardio by itself is good, lifting by itself is better.
Both combined is best.

Why choose? I do strength, a little cardio, yoga, and whatever else strikes my fancy. So long as you enjoy and get results, who cares?

I read in a magazine that if you do cardio on an incline, it become strength training too. So walking/running/biking up hills can also strengthen muscles as well as burn fat. Just FYI. It definitely will make your legs leaner and your butt! We got a dog a year ago and I wish I had measured my legs before hand. It's been slow but all our walks have paid off.

Now my husband and I are starting to ride bikes after 30+ years.... whole new set of muscles I need to work on! My legs are rubber when we are done riding.

I have been here for a while. Read a lot of posts arguing this point. Not as many as whether I should eat my exercise cals back but a few. Everyone wants to know which is best to lose pounds quicker and will you gain when you start lifting. Ultimately who cares so long as you are getting off your a** and doing something in the exercise realm. So to the argument at hand, cardio vs. strength I have a tale that proves when you are just trying to be healthy, it doesn't matter.

So today I ran a 5 mile race in 40 minutes and am very proud of myself since this is the fastest I have ran. I have been running 3 times a week for close to 20 total miles each week. A friend of mine doesn't run he just does Crossfit. Whether you like Crossfit or not I don't really care but it is very effective for those willing to take on the financial burden. At the end of the race he crossed it 30 seconds before I did. Two people, two different training/exercise styles, two different stories of success, and one similar result. Yes I will admit that I didn't beat him and I don't care about that either just overjoyed with my result.

My point is that instead of cardio vs. strength how about both or how about just commiting to one. It baffles me when I read the posts about how if you are only going to eat back your exercise calories why bother exercising. Exercising is highly beneficial. Start out slow and get better but get off your butts. It will help you reach your goal no matter what path you choose, just be patient.

This being my first post I hope it makes sense.

I get your point (and it's a good one...move around, eat at a deficit, etc)...but your example leaves a little to be desired. The benifits of weight training are far different than the benifits of running. Strength training does not condition you to run marathons. Comparing the two is apples and oranges. Basically the only conclusion that could be drawn from your story is that someone who doesn't train to run, was 30 seconds faster than someone who does.

Trust me, I'm not taking anything away from your accomplishment, I don't know how long it would take me to run 5 miles, and the only way I'll ever find out is if someone sets a man eating tiger on my *kitten* and says 'Go!'. I also agree with you 100% that any exercise is better than none...but again, the point I made about strength training and cardio having different benifits stands.

You can't force a square peg into a round hole...just because it makes a nice story :l.

I like the idea of Good, Better, Best.

Good = getting up and doing any exercise.
Better = doing exercise to improve specific areas of fitness.
Best = doing exercise that improves total fitness.
...
Both combined is best.

I like this lol.

Second that. I think a combination of cardio & strength is always good. But anything you do -- is great. Just do it!

My point is that instead of cardio vs. strength how about both or how about just commiting to one.

CARDIO VS STRENGTH

Working out is probably better than not working out at all. Working out with a purpose is just that. I favor combining CARDIO and STRENGTH TRAINING as part of your work-out routine for the simple reason that both promote health and lessen the likelihood of Metabolic Syndrome (Diabetes, Hypertention, Stroke, Heart Disease etc) in different ways.

Being in shape means a lower likelihood of disease than being out of shape and that doesn't matter whether your obese, a normal BMI, or skinny. In fact obese fit people have a lower risk than skinny sedintary folks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYCPQz9nhQs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If you're interested in a medical discussion about the benefits of both (it's pretty deep, but you can get the main points if you listen through it) you'll see that both types of exercise appear to be good for you in different ways...especially if you are dieting!

Dieters who just dieted gained much of the weight back...those that exercised were more likely to keep it off.

Lastly, people who just dieted lost fat initially, but fat and muscle eventually. The trick is combining strength training with dieting. On the flip side, and a bit off target, a Sports Nutritionist friend of mine who is a registered dietition said in a lecture to Ultimate Marathoners (100 mile a week club) their biggest concern was "Keeping weight off". I initially thought how can someone running 100 miles a week have difficultly keeping weight off...but it was this combined with eating the approprate nutrition not to lose muscle that created the problem. So you see....we all have issues....just approach it smartly...

In the debate CARDIO vs STRENGTH.....they both win...especially together....


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I prefer strength because it's not monotonous.. I'm not just on a treadmill pounding away for a half an hour or w/e. I also prefer strength because it makes me look better than cardio alone would(IMO, others feel that cardio only makes them look just fine).
At the end of the day though, I do a nice balance of both... or at least I try to

Picking things up just to put them back down is not monotonous? Personally I find both monotonous.

I think that the implication is that picking things up and putting them down for a few minutes, then moving on to a different way of picking things up and putting them down for a few mintues, and then moving on to...(well, you get the idea here), is a lot less monotonous than standing still and moving your legs on the same treadmill/elliptical/whatever for 45 minutes straight..