Any all around fitness program should include two different aspects. In the first place, you should be strengthening your overall frame and musculature through strength training or weight training. And the second factor should include some cardiovascular activity to strengthen your heart muscle and improve your endurance.
Your cardiovascular activity will improve not only your heart but also the capacity your lungs have to take in enough oxygen to supply your cells while the heart muscle actively pumps blood around the body delivering that oxygen. Too often people who enjoy body building or weight lifting don’t see the benefits to integrating cardiovascular activities into their fitness program because there doesn’t appear to be visible benefits, i.e. larger muscles.
Instead, the benefits of integrating some cardiovascular work comes from the ability to keep up with your daily living activities like climbing the stairs without getting out of breath. It would seem very strange for an individual who has ripped muscles to get out of breath carrying a bag of groceries up to a second floor walk up.
Each type of workout provides different benefits to the body and no athlete should perform only one or the other. Weight training improves your bone density and cardiovascular work improves your heart and lung capacity.
But, there appear to be arguments on either side of the aisle about whether you should include cardiovascular work in your weight training programs. Including cardiovascular work will help maintain weight or help you lose weight more quickly than straight strength training. The benefits of cardio exercise doesn’t stop there. Activity that increases your heart rate for 20 – 30 minutes will also help to raise your good cholesterol, needed for fuel for the brain, the cells and to control high blood pressure.
Regular physical activity that raises the heart rate will also improve your mood and give you an extra boost of energy for the day. You will sleep better and cardio has the added benefit of improving your sex life.
While it may take a few extra minutes each week to include another 120 minutes of exercise into the week (20 minutes a day) that extra time will reap great rewards for your weight training and strength programs – well beyond ripped abs and strong biceps.
Resources:
Mayoclinic: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Exercise
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389?pg=1
Vanderbilt: Cardio Exercise vs Weight Training
http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/Web2007/ExerciseComp.htm
Bodybuilding: 5 Great Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark85.htm
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