Cardio and Strength Training

Cardio and Strength Training

Cardio and weight training are two different types of exercise, but when you put them together, you have a powerful combination for fat loss success.

What Is Strength Training?

Strength training-also called resistance training-helps you build muscle and make muscle stronger. Strength training means moving your body against resistance. Resistance may include tools such as dumbbells, barbells and weight plate, resistance bands, or kettlebells.

You might also simply move your body against gravity. Bodyweight exercises such as lunges and push ups are highly effective for building strength.

What Is Cardio?

Cardio, or or cardiovascular activity, is movement that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated continuously for the duration of the workout.

Cardio is also referred to as aerobic activity because during this type of activity, your body uses oxygen to turn glucose into fuel. Aerobic means "with oxygen." You'll notice that your breathing becomes deeper during cardio or aerobic activity because your oxygen needs increase.

Both resistance training and cardio workouts can help you to burn more calories each day and reach a caloric deficit to lose body fat. So is it necessary to choose cardio or weight training when your goal is weight loss? Your best bet may be to do both.For some people, combining weight training with cardio into a comprehensive program means doing cardio some days of the week and doing weight training on others. Others prefer to combine both activities into one workout.