Head to Head - Cardio vs Weights
Nov, 2011
To thrash the treadmill or thrash the dumbbells, that has been a long term debate.
Many a gym veteran will argue both sides of the story for maximum return on time spent in the gym, but you really have to figure out a few things for yourself and where your training is at right now to get a better idea.
In all my time in the gym and the many conversations I have, many people plan to train really hard when they come to the gym. If you ask a lot of people how hard they always work, it's apparently as hard as they can possibly work. But there are many ways to gauge intensity in your workouts, and these are not based on sweat either!!
With cardio training, effort levels can generally be easily perceived. Are my legs burning? Am I huffing and puffing? Does it seem easier than last time? Do I feel like stopping?
All are precursors to training effort levels and hence, why people deem cardio based fitness as better for you. The only downfall to cardio (if you can call it a downfall) is that once you finish, your heart rate decreases, and you begin the recovery process, which can be over and done with in an hour or 2. Cardio training is good for keeping your heart, lungs and circulatory system healthy and in top nick, but unless you are an athlete, some of your advantages will stop there.
Weight training on the other side of the fence as a general statement, can have longer lasting effects. There are a couple of stipulations to that statement though.
- Resistance training should always have a form of progression. Your body is a master of adaptation. What was hard to do yesterday will not always be hard tomorrow, so to make your resistance training program more effective and better for you, you should always be looking to make it that little harder and challenging, but don't blow a hammy.
- Time under tension (TUT). This is principle is as old as Arny's biceps and can easily be applied today. How long are you working when doing weights vs how long are you resting? The average person will do 12-15 reps of an exercise taking a total of 25-30secs at the most, but will rest 1-2mins? The time you are under tension is less than the time you are working. If you at least even those factors to be equal with each other (e.g. work for a minute/rest for a minute) you will vastly change your workouts and the intensity. Remember if it feels easy, TUT tut tut tut.
- Don't lie to yourself. Like I said earlier, many people believe that they work very hard and couldn't possibly do anymore when it comes to a workout. If you are happy with your training i guess the next few statements may not apply, but if not, then listen up. Intensity is the key. To have an effective workout you need a mixture of the factors of the previous points, but put a little heart into it and it will pay dividends. Just when you think you can't do anymore, try to do an extra 3. This will increase your heart rate dramatically, and effectively make your weight training workout harder, giving it a very effective cardio element.
This piece of information is not designed to give you an ultimatum, just purely some factors to consider for your personal training goals. In a recent study, researchers found that regular weight training boosts basal metabolic rate by about 20%. This is because muscle is 'metabolically active' and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you're not moving. Any form of cardio is great for the body and better than nothing, but resistance and toning exercises can have longer lasting effects, so it is vital to have a mixture of both. Look at ways to improve your gym training so you can use the principles stated here, and guaranteed you'll start making progress. Cardio is great for improving your ability to work hard and burn calories in the gym. Resistance training on the other hand, forces your body to recover muscles affected during the workout continuously. And that process with cost you a couple hundred calories a day, even when you sit on your butt.
That sounds good huh?
The jury's out
+ view the entire newsletter
Summer changes
Oct, 2011
October has crept up and personally, I'm loving the better weather!
Rugby world cup is in full swing, and other than hearing the mighty Dan Carter is out of action, it's been a great time to be living in Auckland and enjoying the festivities. I think all the games have been great to watch. If it's at home or at the pub, fan zones or in the stadiums, good times have been going down that's for sure. I have managed to get to a few All Blacks fixtures, and some USA games, and managing to dodge all the traffic (train) problems along the way. All whilst banging into a few tourists and trading stories. Irish and Poms, and a few French, have been camping out at the club for some of the weekends during the world cup. They always love trading a yarn over a pint or two, and really love the College Rifles facility and gym attached.
The gym overall has picked up pace with the onset of summer weather and daylight savings, with some members who are dormant over the winter, making a nice comeback tour and hooking into it before the summer months really hit. Everyone is getting a programme tweak, or ass whooping depending on how you look at it, and the group fitness classes have a few more bodies in them. Members are keen to hear the latest and greatest kicks and programs to get maximum results in minimal time, while still allowing for a few pints or vinos come happy hour on Friday. Not that I'm sure we have needed much encouragement with all the action going on in Auckland at the moment, but in next month's article, we'll give you a few general guidelines to maximise your overall effort with nutrition/and 'leisure' habits.
On the training front, we have a new training program we are investigating to implement into the gym group fitness program. It's something we think will gain really good results in 60 days, and it's not boot camp. We will be looking to recruit 15-20 members to try it on, and in return get some feedback, and it will be free of charge. It will run 3 evenings a week for a 45min intensive blast, and if all goes to plan, be a success.
We like to look at new types of training systems that we think that will benefit members. It will be hard I'm not going to lie, but if looking svelte and enjoying some extra pavalova on Xmas day is up your alley, put your name down and don't be shy. Let Anna or I know if you are keen, as there will be limited spaces. We will be instructing and running this program personally ourselves. You mums who have been looking at the billboard, this is just for you.
Remember, success comes before (hard) work, only in the dictionary.
Till next time.
Justin aka 'Juddy'
General Manager
+ view the entire newsletter