< Back to Articles A-Z

What is cardiovascular training?

Cardiovascular training, (cardio or aerobic exercise) is determined by repetition & endurance using larger muscle groups such as your legs or upper body. Examples of cardiovascular training are speed walking, running, cycling, rowing, ice skating, boxing, kickboxing, aikido etc. Whether you’re going for a fast walk in the park for 40 minutes or sailing physically for hours long your body will require suitable amounts of oxygen in order for the muscles to keep active. This is why cardiovascular training is ideal for both your respiratory, circulatory and muscular systems, as they all have to work in sync together. Muscle cramping or muscle burn can be a direct result of a build up of lactic acid which is a bodily fluid preventing muscle to be over used.

What are the benefits of cardiovascular training?

Cardiovascular training helps the heart and lungs to grow stronger. Cardiovascular exercise has many health benefits such as lowering your blood pressure, and can help to burn calories. Cardiovascular training can aid fat/ weight loss; however you must keep cardiovascular exercise regular and consistent to get results!

What are the possible dangers of too much cardiovascular training?

• Too much cardio can result in muscle wastage, i.e. too much running can cause too much muscle wastage which can be a contradiction to weight loss, as muscle weight aids both weight loss & protection of joints, especially knee joints (during running).
• General wear and tear over pro-longed periods or constant exercise (especially impact exercise) without sufficient rest, i.e. marathon runners (runner’s knee), racquet sports (tennis elbow).
• Too much cardiovascular training can wear away cartilage within the joints or injure joints (tendinitis).

What is weight training?

Weight training is defined by how much weight you can load a muscle with over a period of time.  For more endurance (toning) purposes light load under longer endurance (repetitions) is ideal, however to increase both strength and & size fewer repetitions & a higher load is more ideal.
Weight training is mainly a male dominant type of training within most gymnasiums, however more and more women are realising that they too can share some fantastic benefits as a result of weight training! Unfortunately most people (women especially) think of Arnold Swarzneggar or huge ripped muscular men, as soon as you mention weight training to them.
You can weight train in various ways,  under concentric or eccentric load, matrix formation, supersets, drop-sets, use your own body weight with or without weight (i.e. pull ups with extra weighted load), isometric load, compound exercise (multiple muscles groups) or isolated exercise etc.   

What are the benefits of Weight training?

• Build up of muscular size (increasing metabolic rate (fat burning)).
• Increases muscular strength
• Aids muscular symmetry (resolves imbalances)
• Especially with in the knees, allows muscles to work as a shock absorber instead of the joint.
• Helps to off-set osteoporosis (bone density (especially in women)).
• Aids sports of all kinds (i.e. muscular endurance in football or tennis, golfers swing, rugby size and conditioning etc).
• Aids cardiovascular & circulatory system

Why women as well as men should do weight training?

• Aids build up of muscular size (increasing metabolic rate (fat burning)).
• Increases muscular strength in both upper and lower body
• Aids imbalances such as bowing knees and hip issues in women)
• Especially with in the knees, allows muscles to work as a shock absorber instead of the joint.
• Helps to off-set osteoporosis (bone density (especially in women)).
• Aids sports of all kinds (i.e. muscular endurance in netball, tennis, golf etc.
• Aids cardiovascular & circulatory system

Why people often do one or the other?

• Some people believe weight training should not be for them and solely concentrate on cardiovascular training.
• Some people may find Cardiovascular or weight training boring.
• Some weight trainers believe their muscles will waste (dystrophy) doing cardiovascular training.
•  Both cardiovascular & weight training needs consistency, resulting one or the other being neglected.

Why should people do both cardiovascular exercise and weight training?
It’s simple, please put all of the advantages of both weight training and cardiovascular training and you will have an ideal level of fitness, both strong, fitter & you’ll look better too.

• Build up of muscular size
• Increasing metabolic rate (fat burning).
• Aids muscular symmetry
• Muscles work as a shock absorber instead of the joint.
• Helps to off-set osteoporosis (bone density (especially in women)).
• Aids sports of all kinds
• Muscular endurance and conditioning in sports.
• Aids cardiovascular & circulatory system
• Increases muscular strength in both upper and lower body
• Aids imbalances such as bowing knees and hip issues in women)
• Helps the heart and lungs to grow stronger.
• lowering your blood pressure

 

Thank you for reading

Gavin Townsend

If you have any comments or queries do not hesitate to contact me via our online form

 

< Back to Articles A-Z