Strength vs Cardio - which one wins?(extracted from Womens Health magazine, April 08)
TO KNOCKOUT FAT & KEEP IT OFF
Cardio's Edge: Kilojoule for kilojoule, cardio has an advantage. You'll burn 42 to 50kj a minute running or cycling, compared with 33 to 42kj hoisting weights
Strength's Edge: Lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike for an hour after a workout as your body works to help your muscles recover. So you'll fry an extra 25% of the kilojoules you just scorched during your strength session. If you life heavier weights or rest less than 30seconds between sets, you can annihilate more. Plus: for every 1.4kj of muscle you build, you;ll burn an extra 500kj a day, just resting, as muscles takes more energy to sustain.
Winner = Strength
TO FEEL GOOD IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR
Cardio's Edge: Sports psychologists have studied the effects of aerobic activity on confidence for decades and they keep finding athletes have high levels of confidence because of the accomplishment they feel as they cross the finish line - even if they are last
Strength's Edge: It's OK to think you look hot immediately after a strength workout - you do. Blood has rushed to your muscles, making them swell and appear more toned.
Winner = Strength
TO ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE
Cardio's Edge: Nothing compares with aerobic activity for optimising a person's lifespan. Activities like running, cycling and swimming - to name just a few - reduce a person's risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke and even certain types of cancer. The ticker-strengthening benefits are especially sweet: a stronger heart pumps more blood with each beat, circulating oxygen more efficiently throughout your body; aerobic activity prevents inflammation around your thumper; and running can increase the 'good' cholesterol in your blood by up to 8% in just 8 weeks.
Strength's Edge: A study by US National Institute of Health found that lifting weights just twice a week can prevent you from gaining intra-abdominal fat - the kind of fat that wraps around organs and constricts blood vessels
Winner = Cardio
TO SQUASH STRESS
Cardio's Edge: The head-clearing effects of, say, swimming or playing tennis show up quicker than it takes to get a brow wax. Just 15 minutes of aerobic activity two to three times a week can reduce anxiety significantly. Go at it 3-5 days a week and you can cut fatigue by almost 50%. Cardio elevates serotonin levels in the brain, a key neurotransmitter involved in improving symptoms of depression
Strength's Edge: A big question mark. Scientists not promising results on the mood-altering effects of pumping iron. But more research is needed to nail the intensity and duration necessary to match cardio's benefits
Winner = Cardio
TO STAY OFF THE SIDELINE
Cardio's Edge: The repetitive nature of cardio puts serious pressure on your joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons - and the cartilage in between. If you've got a weak link, you're screaming to be benched. That is, unless you hit the weights room.
Strength's Edge: A 2006 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that balance-training program - think single leg squats and anything on a wobbleboard - reduced the risk of ankle sprains in athletes. Functional strength training teaches your brain to allow muscle contractions that are quick enough to prevent or at least minimise injuries. Your best bet: choose moves that work your core, improve balance and force you to bend at multiple joints - so lunges, rows, squats and presses are all fair game.
Winner = Strength
TO REACH THE FINISH FASTER
Cardio's Edge:Want to ace your next triathlon? Put in the kilometers. The best way to train for an endurance event is by practicing it.
Strength's Edge: For a speed boost, strength training is essential, especially for your core and legs. Plyometrics (training to produce fast, powerful movements using muscle strength and elasticity) will improve stride power, or the force you pedal with. For explosive power, the standing triple jump is recommended; swing arms back, then forward as you leap. Land on right foot. Quickly hop forward onto left foot. Hop back and land on both feet. Do 3 sets of 5 reps, resting for 60 second in between.
Winner = Draw
THE OVERALL WINNER = STRENGTH
