{"id":1184,"date":"2017-07-03T11:59:05","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T15:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eastpointe.wpengine.com\/cardio-versus-strength-training\/"},"modified":"2023-10-12T16:59:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T20:59:47","slug":"cardio-versus-strength-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eastpointehealthandfitness.com\/gym\/cardio-versus-strength-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardio Versus Strength Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Around the Hook Today – November 2010<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

By Susan Patton, Personal Trainer, Eastpointe Health & Fitness<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

So you\u2019ve decided to get yourself into shape. Congratulations! You\u2019ve joined Eastpointe Health & Fitness.\u00a0 Even bigger kudos! You have visions of your future self with leaner legs, defined shoulders and tighter arms.\u00a0 You want to create a bit of a little \u201csituation\u201d out of your own abs.\u00a0 Most of all, you want to increase your metabolism and your overall health.<\/p>\n

Now what?<\/p>\n

You dig through some old boxes you haven\u2019t seen in a while to retrieve some old workout clothes.\u00a0 You check yourself out in the mirror and decide to take off the headbands, wristbands and leg warmers and put them back in the box (hey, they could come back in style someday). You think, \u201cHas it been that long since I worked out?\u201d and instead, opt for a pair of sweats and a \u201cPete and Eldas\u201d t-shirt.\u00a0 On your way to EPH&F, you think about what won you that free t-shirt (eating an entire double XL pie yourself) and how many of them you have (27). Then you think about pizza.<\/p>\n

Pulling into EPH&F, slightly hungry now, you boldly swipe your key tag as the front desk encourages you to \u201cenjoy your workout!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWait, I\u2019m really here to workout?\u201d you think as you stand before a conglomerate of people who seem to operate on auto-pilot.\u00a0 They buzz busily around the gym, as if following a map, and you think \u201chey, where\u2019s my map?\u201d<\/p>\n

Scanning the room in a panic, you search for the most familiar piece of equipment you can find and spot the cardio area.\u00a0 Ahh, sweet stationary bike.\u00a0 After a few weeks at the gym and careful observation of fellow gym members, you boldly venture on to a new piece, the elliptical. You bounce around from cardio piece to cardio piece, gradually adding onto your workout.\u00a0 20 minutes, 35 minutes, 55 minutes! Wow! You feel better.\u00a0 You actually like to sweat and you have more energy.\u00a0 One problem . . .the scale is moving at a snails pace, you\u2019ve only moved your belt buckle over one notch and your arms still jiggle when you celebrate an interception in the red zone on Sundays. \u201cI\u2019ve been working out for months and I don\u2019t look any different, what the heck is the problem,\u201d you ask?<\/p>\n

Too much cardio.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right!\u00a0 Doing too much cardio can actually have a slightly adverse affect on your goals for a more svelte you.\u00a0 Now, that\u2019s not to say you should toss your time on the treadmill or bike completely, but if that\u2019s all your workout routine consists of, you\u2019re missing a huge piece of the pie (no, no, not pizza pie. Focus!).<\/p>\n

The truth of the matter is that cardio workouts will burn calories and will help you lose weight, but it will NOT change the way your body functions.\u00a0 Ask yourself this: \u201cDo I want to just lose weight, or do I want to change the way my body functions?\u201d\u00a0 Now, I\u2019m no Mysterion the Mind Reader, but I\u2019m going to say you opt for the latter.\u00a0 In that case, I\u2019m going to introduce you to a part of the gym you may not have ventured into just yet, but holds the missing part of your workout regimen, the weight room.\u00a0 That\u2019s right, weight training will increase your metabolism, will change the way your body functions, and will help with that pesky belt buckle.<\/p>\n

Never fear, I\u2019m not talking about becoming the next Mr. or Miss Olympian, but adding just a few pounds of lean muscle to your frame will do your body wonders.\u00a0 Yes, I said ADD.\u00a0 Stay with me.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all heard that \u201cmuscle weighs more than fat\u201d right? Wrong! A pound is a pound! (Gotcha).\u00a0 It\u2019s what that pound is made up of that makes all the difference.\u00a0 In fact if you compare, side by side, a pound of muscle and a pound of fat, the muscle would take up two thirds of the space the fat takes up! They weigh the same but the muscle is smaller and denser.\u00a0 Therefore, you can weigh the same, but look and feel completely different, depending on what makes up more of your body\u2019s composition.\u00a0 I don\u2019t even own a scale.<\/p>\n

Adding lean muscle to your body increases your metabolism.\u00a0 For every one pound of lean muscle you have on your body, you burn approximately 50 calories, AT REST! That\u2019s like giving your body extra points on the final exam, or overtime on the job.\u00a0 It\u2019s something your body will do naturally while you sleep, eat, work and play. 50 calories? Big deal right? I can knock off 50 calories chewing sugar free gum in a day.\u00a0 That\u2019s just one pound in one day. We need to look at the big picture here.\u00a0 Say we replace 10 pounds of body fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle.\u00a0 Now the numbers are more impressive:\u00a0 500 extra calories at rest per day, at seven days a week adds up to 3500 calories! And guess how many calories just happen to be in a pound of body fat? Ding ding! That\u2019s right Johnny, the answer is 3500 calories in a pound of body fat! Now tell\u2019em what they\u2019ve won: a leaner physique, increased energy, lower risk for killer diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, and a new wardrobe! (Well, that unfortunately would come out of your wallet, unless you have some great clothes that are in the box next to the headbands, wristbands and leg warmers. You just may want to consult your favorite reality TV star for its decade appropriateness.).<\/p>\n

So get up off that cardio machine and start learning about the rest of the equipment at EPH&F.\u00a0 Hey, you pay for a gym membership, right? Might as well use the whole facility.\u00a0 Of course, it\u2019s best to consult with a professional, especially when embarking on new territory in your workouts. EPH&F personal trainers will offer the best guidance towards the most efficient and safest ways of getting to your own personal goals, keeping in mind injury and the proper way of easing into a new workout.<\/p>\n

And finally, be patient.\u00a0 It can take up to 6 weeks for some people to develop 1 pound of lean muscle.\u00a0 Think about how many years (and how many pizzas) it took you to get where you are now: five years, 10 years, 20 years or more? I can promise, if you workout the right way, stay consistent with it and follow up with some other adjustments in your lifestyle, the next 12 months could change your life.\u00a0 Yes, one year, not five.\u00a0 So good luck my friends and stay healthy!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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