Cardiovascular training Vs. Resistance Training: Which is Better?

Reid Moldenhauer
ENGL 1102-003/Assignment two 10/25/2013

Introduction: What is the best Workout Routine?

What is the best workout routine that will make me burn calories, lose weight, and build muscle at the same time? Well, fortunately there are many different ways someone can go about doing this, but really it takes a dedicated person to actually adhere to a perfect workout routine. As Americans, we tend to prefer taking the easy way out of something, and it shows up in the weight room. In an exercise program, many people dislike cardiovascular training and weight training in the same routine. People just burn themselves out with one type or another, and then they are left wondering why they arent seeing the results they want to see. I have personal experience with this situation. Through my high school years playing sports, I had a good balance of weight training to cardiovascular training by lifting during the day and then conditioning at practice that evening. But when it came to summer routines, I tended to forget about the cardiovascular training and I burnt myself out by weight training 4 times a week. Half way through the summer, I was over trained and I felt like I was losing strength and had no energy or drive to work out anymore. This situation is common in todays world, because we make excuses such as I have no time to do both types of training in a day. Well, if you want the best results and want to feel stronger and healthier, then you need to dedicate some time to perform a balanced workout routine. It is not necessary to have a hard core program, but it still should be difficult enough to make you feel completely exhausted. This will not only increase your health and stamina, but also increase self-esteem, confidence, and improve mental attitude.

Literacy Review: Cardiovascular Training vs. Resistance (Weight) Training Resistance (Weight) Training
Before going in depth with research, the two main categories of training are: cardiovascular training and resistance weight training. Cardiovascular training is simply running, walking, or any type of workout that doesnt include opposing force acting against the athlete. This is known sometimes as a

Moldenhauer 3 workout for the heart and lungs. Resistance training, is the opposite, it is a workout that utilizes extra weight and resistant bands to stretch and ultimately strengthen the targeted muscle. Usually the objective in this type of training is to build muscle and get stronger. Sofia Vanessa with GAIAM Life gives us the overall goal and benefit for weight training. There are many benefits of resistance training that people specifically use every day for different reasons. Weight training is awesome for people who want to work out a certain muscle group and also increase strength and reduce injury.1 With this fact, one can already see that weight training isnt just for the body builders who want to get huge and bulky, but it can be beneficial for everyone even if they have completely opposite goals like gaining weight or losing weight. But, lifting to increase muscle mass is primarily what this type of training is known for, but there are many other reasons to do it other than just building muscle. Weight training is found in almost every sport and even in hospitals and clinics around the world. Physical therapy utilizes weight training on almost every patient by having the patient lift lighter weight with the muscle that is injured so over time the injured muscle will increase strength and heal faster. With that being said, physical therapy isnt just used for muscle injuries. According to the American Tumor Association it can also be used for broken bone recovery or even after a chemotherapy session. Physical therapy is a branch of rehabilitation medicine offering examination and treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular challenges that impact your ability to move and function. Physical therapy is there for patients to improve their physical skills, learn how to exercise correctly, and most importantly to relieve pain, stress and prevent injury.2 Under the physical therapy umbrella, strength training plays a crucial role in healing the torn muscle or broken bones. By adding strength training into the therapy process, the patient is slowly strengthening that muscle and returning it to its original structure. When using strength training in

Vanessa, Sofia, "Should I be Doing Cardio or Weights" American Tumor Association, 2013, "Physical Therapy"

4 therapy, the patient usually starts out with light weight or resistance bands in order to build a strength base and then gradually gets heavier and heavier with the weight until he or she is back to full strength. Another health factor that resistance training is found to help is Arthritis. The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) is a government organization that researches new cures for diseases and almost anything health related. The CDC says strength training deals with weights and resistance bands in the hope of increasing muscle mass or simply increasing ones strength. Weight training is also found to increase health as people age. Since arthritis is big in elders, arthritis relief is a big benefit for them because weight training provides people relief with severe cases of arthritis. Arthritis is a disease that develops in the joints and tends to get worse over time. The CDC also lists more benefits about resistance training and that would be restoration of balance and reduction of falls, strengthening of bone, proper weight maintenance, and improved glucose control. By listening to what the CDC has said it makes one wonder what else is this type of training good for?3 With knowledge about the correct performance of weight training, one must know how to properly warm up and recover from weight training. Warming up for weight training exercise is fairly simple. Before weight training one must stretch thoroughly to make sure their body is ready for the stress load it is about to receive, and also doing a quick light aerobic exercise to get the blood flowing would be very beneficial. Most workout routines incorporate cardiovascular training into the actual workout itself either as a warm up or simply a major part of the workout. It is essential that one does the cardio section in the routine, because it was put there for a reason and if it doesnt get done, the ultimate benefits from that routine may not be reached. Now for the most important part of the workout routine which is the recovery stage. In this stage, one has completed their weight training routine and their body is spent. This is what it is supposed to feel like, because that means you have pushed your body past its comfort point and you are making it work

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011, "Physical Activity"

Moldenhauer 5 and get healthier. But if a proper recovery plan isnt followed, everything that someone made their body go through can be lost. A recovery plan is the most crucial part of a weight training workout because it is the stage were the muscle rebuilds itself and it rebuilds itself by becoming stronger than it was before. The best way to allow muscle to recover is to not workout that specific muscle group for up to 48 to 72 hrs. This will allow maximum time for that muscle group to rest and rebuild itself.4 Also in the recovery process we see supplements coming into play. Supplements are formulas that can be mixed with water or milk and are drank after a workout to help muscles recover faster and grow stronger.

With any physical activity comes a risk of getting injured, and weight training can be responsible for many injuries if it is not performed correctly. Many times injuries in the weight room are from people who dont have a clue what they are doing, thus resulting in improper form and either pulling or tearing a muscle. There are two major ways that result in injury in the weight room: training errors and technique errors. Training errors are very common in people who arent very knowledgeable with weight training. Training errors may be simple things, like not properly warming up before a workout or starting off with too much weight. Other examples of training errors would be lifting too fast, or vice versa and lifting too long. These types of errors tend to either strain or tear the muscle and result in a serious injury requires a long time to heal.5 Training errors are extremely common in youths and people just starting to work out with weights. An article made by Muscle and Strength Magazines states that overtraining, cheating, lifting heavy early, using low rep ranges to get big, using a professional bodybuilder or power lifters routine, starving yourself in order to lose weight, relying on supplements too much to
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Better Health Channel, 2013, ""Health Benefits of Resistance Training Mayo Clinic, 2013, "Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injury

grow, and neglecting carbohydrates and fats in your diet, are all mistakes that are seen in the weight room and, in particular, the unknowledgeable lifters.6 There are many different areas that someone can get injured through weight lifting. The main area and probably the one that is seen frequently in people, including me, is overtraining. Overtraining is when a person lifts for too long in a day, and also when a person does the same exercises multiple times a week. By doing this, the body isnt getting sufficient time to recover and rebuild the muscle that is being worked. This will cause injury because the person is asking too much from that muscle, and eventually, it will either get strained or torn. Another main reason why weight training can cause injury is due to lifting heavy right away in your workout routine. When starting a workout routine, generally the first couple weeks are set at a lower weight with higher repetitions to allow the muscle to get stronger over time. Injury occurs when heavy weights are used right away and the muscle hasnt been built up enough to properly lift that weight. But there have also been studies, which have proven that lifting heavy isnt always the only option to increase strength. In Richard Knoxs article for NPR, National Public Radio, Stuart Phillips experiment was utilized as a base for his article. Stuart Phillips is a professor of Kinesthesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, and he conducted an exercise that used a group of consistent weight lifters that were twenty one years old, Professor Phillips had them perform knee extensions three times a week on a weight machine. The volunteers had to use one leg at the normal eighty percent of the maximum total that one can lift, and asked them to lift that until failure. Now they had the volunteers use the other leg and they only used thirty percent of the maximum weight until failure. The volunteers did this for ten weeks. At week ten, Phillips had them go through a MRI scanner to measure their
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MetaShake15, 2013, Common Weight Lifting Mistakes Made by Beginners"

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quadriceps and found that there was no difference between each leg. The conclusion was that it doesnt necessarily all depend on the weight being used, but how far one can push themselves.7

Cardiovascular Training
Cardiovascular Training is typically not the most fun type of training. Many people skip this type of training because they would rather weight train instead of putting forth the effort to go running. Lauren Anderson, in her paper, Cardio Exercise Vs. Weight Training, does a tremendous job explaining to the reader what the public thinks about each type of training and which type the majority prefers. She describes two different viewpoints of each type of training. The first view point is about weight training, she explains how weight training is the superior form of training above any other type of training. She explains that this is true because one can burn just as much calories in the gym in half the time it would take to burn those calories while running. But her other viewpoint that she discusses with help from other studies, is that weight training does not hit the heart like running would, hence the name cardiovascular training. Cardiovascular training is a type of training where one raises and maintains your heart rate over a predetermined amount of time through exercises like running, hiking, biking, elliptical machines, and jumping rope.8 According to Sofia Vanessa, in her article for Gaiam Life, states that cardio exercise does not just help with stamina and burning calories, but also can help with mental health. She says that cardio exercise releases endorphins that are located in the brain. Endorphins act as a natural

Knox Richard, 2012, Lighter Weights can Still Make a Big Difference EAS Sports Nutrition, 2013, Official Body-For-LIFE Cardio-Training Plan

pain killer for the body when released. With cardio helping in performing this task, cardio will also get credit for reducing stress, depression, and even anxiety.9 But not everything about cardio is good or beneficial for the body. Again Lauren Anderson states in her paper, Cardio Exercise Vs. Weight Training, that cardiovascular training can be bad for the body in multiple ways instead of all being beneficial. She uses research from an article published in U.S. News & World Report, which states that these exercises tend to put more stress on the body through the joints and tendons in the legs. She also found that it is said that cardio training burns fewer calories than is people generally thought10 The world of exercise is so vast and a lot of the theories are mostly opinions of what that person thinks is the best. But it all comes down to the type of body one has and their specific goals. So for each individual, a lot of the theories and research does not apply to them because everyone has unique needs for their specific body.

Enter the Conversation: My personal opinions and Experiences.

My first experience in the weight room was in 7th grade, and I had no idea how to do anything, let alone what to do. I would usually watch older people who were lifting and follow what they were doing. But, over time, I never saw any results. I found myself making many of the beginners mistakes, especially overtraining. I was not very fond of running or any cardiovascular training, and ultimately, I had no desire or need for it because I thought I was getting my cardio exercise every day in practice. But the problem was, during the summer, school sports practices were over and all that was required was to lift 4 times a week. So, I made
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Vanessa, Sofia, "Should I be Doing Cardio or Weights" Anderson , Lauren, 2007, "Cardio Exercise Vs. Weight Training"

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certain I lifted four times a week, each week throughout the summer. Here is where my biggest mistake came into play: overtraining. Usually I would start out the summer feeling great and my workouts would go smoothly and just as I would want them to. I would lift four times a week in the morning and then go to work all day, and then usually go play a baseball game after work. I did this for probably a month into each summer and then, all of a sudden, I just lost all motivation and drive to get up in the morning and go workout. I was getting tired, I felt very weak, and my skills in baseball were starting to be tested. But, I kept listening to my football and wrestling coaches and I kept going to the gym every day and I never changed what I was doing. Finally, the summer after I graduated high school, I wanted to try something different in hopes of making me stronger and healthier. I went to Bodybuilding.com and I searched for the best workout plan for a teenager. The first workout plan that caught my attention was Steve Cooks, Big Man on Campus Plan that was solely designed for students who are in college and time management and money are big issues. I started to use this workout routine and I felt like I had more energy and also felt that I was getting stronger. I personally think this plan is the best plan for anyone, not just teenagers or college students. It has a great balance of weight and cardio training and it also implements rest days within the routine to allow adequate time for the muscle to recover. In this workout, every day starts out with 5 minutes of cardio and then goes into a fast pace weight exercises. Day three is the first rest/recovery day. This day is put in the routine to give the body a day with no strenuous activity to allow well needed rest and recovery. For days four and five, the workout plan goes back to the format like days one and two. Start with cardio and then a fast pace weight lifting

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session. Again on Day 6 is a rest day. With two rest days in the routine, your body is getting plenty of time to recover and regain well needed energy. Then Day seven is an option day, one can either have a light weight training session or strictly have a cardio day. I chose to do cardio on this day, as a change and having more cardio in a workout can never hurt.11 Even though this workout plan is designed to get stronger and not necessarily to burn a lot of calories and lose weight, it can still be used to help burn calories and weight. It just depends on the speed and pace of the workout one chooses and how far they want to push themselves, weight wise. I personally think this is the best workout for anyone who wants to get stronger and still maintain the stamina and cardiovascular training. Since I have followed this plan I have gained about 10 lbs. and I feel like I have more energy and motivation to stay active and moving. In other words, I believe that this work out solves my problem with overtraining. Since it allows two full days of recovery time, I have plenty of time to regain energy and Im not getting burned out like I was throughout high school.

Conclusion
This paper is designed to inform the reader about the benefits and downfalls of resistance (weight) training and cardiovascular training. Since there are so many different studies and many different body types, this paper provides an overview regarding each type of training. With all the research and studies that have been conducted over this issue the vast majority of them all come to one agreement. In order for someone to have a perfectly balanced workout regimen,

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Cook, Steve, 2012,Big Man on Campus"

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they must have a perfect balance of resistance as well as cardiovascular training. They must also have proper warm up techniques, eat proper healthy food, and also have a recovery schedule in place as well. Since there are so many different aspects that go into a perfectly balanced workout regimen, there are countless opportunities and research available to help fulfill that perfect balance. By reading this paper, many more questions surface, such as a proper meal plan to have while using a certain workout regimen, or what are the proper supplements one must use to fully utilize that particular workout plan or specifically their personal body type. Since exercise greatly depends on the individual body type or the individual goal one may have, there are numerous opportunities to conduct more research in this area to help one better understand the Perfectly Balanced Workout Routine.

12 Works Cited American Brain Tumor Association. 2013. Physical Therapy. Care and Treatment. Accessed on October 13, 2013. http://www.abta.org/care-treatment/spectrum-of-care/rehabilitationoptions/physical-therapy.html Anderson, Lauren. 2007. Cardio Exercise Vs. Weight Training. Vanderbilt University Psychology Department. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/Web2007/Exercis- e Comp.htm Better Health Channel. 2013. Resistance Training- Health Benefits. Health Benefits of Resistance Training. Last updated on September 26, 2013. http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhc v2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Resistance_training_the_health_benefits# CDC(Center for Disease Control and Prevention). 2011. Physical Activity. Why Strength Training?. Accessed February 24, 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/growingstronger/why/ Cook, Steve. 2012. Big Man on Campus. Bodybuilding.com. Published August 21. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/steve-cook-big-man-on-campus-12-week-college-trainer.html EAS Sports Nutrition. 2013. Official Body-for-LIFE Cardio-Training Plan. Body for Life Powered by EAS. Accessed on October 25, 2013. http://bodyforlife.com/library/exercise/cardio Knox, Richard. 2012. Lighter Weights Can Still Make a Big Difference. Shots Health News from NPR (National Public Radio). Accessed October 4, 2013. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/04/30151710725/lighter-weights-can-still-make-a-big-fitness-difference MastaShake15. 2013. Common Weight Lifting Mistakes made by Beginners. Muscle and Strength. Accessed on October 14. http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/common-weight-liftingmistakes-made-by-beginners.html Mayo Clinic. 2013. Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries. Mayo Clinic. Accessed October 3, 2013. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/overuse-injury/MY01092 Sofia, Vanessa. (2013). Should I be Doing Cardio or Weights. GAIAM Life. Accessed October 3. http://life.gaiam.com/article/should-i-be-doing-cardio-or-lifting-weights`

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