Fitness: More fodder for debate on cardio vs. strength training

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Exercisers generally divide among two distinct camps: cardio lovers and weight-room junkies. Discussions about which workout is best has long been the source of debate, with each side making a decent argument about their respective benefits.

Most of the debate centres around the belief aerobic exercise is superior at improving cardiovascular health and fitness, while strength training excels at improving body composition and muscular strength, and endurance. Admittedly, both types of exercise boost overall cardiovascular fitness, contribute to weight loss and build muscle, but for anyone wanting to reduce cardiovascular risk factors and the loss of muscle associated with aging, the real question is which workout offers the best bang for the buck.

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Aerobic exercise (running, walking, cycling, swimming) has been the primary focus for anyone prioritizing heart health, with plenty of research proving its effectiveness at reducing the risk of cardiovascular events. But an emerging body of evidence suggests strength training (use of free weights, machines, body weight, band, tubing, kettlebells etc) also contributes to heart health. So even if you only spend time in the weight room or working up a sweat doing some form of aerobic workout, cardiovascular disease mortality still decreases by 20 to 35 per cent.

That’s not a bad return for meeting the minimum training recommendations for strength training (twice a week on non-consecutive days) or aerobic exercise (150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity exercise per week). But when you combine both workouts, the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality decreases to an impressive 50 per cent.

Admittedly, some of that extra benefit to heart health could be attributed to an increase in overall exercise volume, meaning the results are not specific to the type of exercise, but rather in the time spent working out. But it could also be heart health is best improved by increasing both muscular strength and aerobic fitness.

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A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine offers further insight into the debate about which workouts offer the most heart healthy benefits, especially for anyone with cardiovascular risk factors (high blood pressure, overweight, high cholesterol and previous cardiovascular event). Stating its primary focus is to “compare the effects of combined training (aerobic exercise and strength training) and aerobic training alone on cardiovascular risk factors,” the researchers reviewed 23 studies featuring 916 patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, including 264 women. All of the studies included randomly assigned groups of exercisers combining strength and aerobic conditioning workouts or performing aerobic training only.

Not surprisingly, study subjects combining strength and cardio workouts experienced greater gains in muscle mass and a higher reduction in body fat than exercisers who were limited to aerobic workouts only, which is a positive when it comes to heart health.

“Combined training may confer additional cardioprotective benefits compared with aerobic training alone by further improving the body composition of patients with cardiovascular disease,” the researchers said.

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Another finding worth noting is cardiovascular fitness also improved when exercisers added strength training to their regular cardio routine.

“The change in cardiorespiratory fitness following combined training was significantly greater than aerobic training alone when muscle training was added to aerobic training,” the study revealed.

A word of caution, however, cutting back on cardio workouts to make time for weight training didn’t yield the same results. To reap more heart healthy benefits, strength workouts need to complement, not replace cardio workouts.

“When muscle strength training was added, not substituted, to aerobic training, combined training improved cardiorespiratory fitness, an important predictor of mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease, to a greater extent than aerobic training alone,” the researchers said.

If you wonder how you’re going to find the time to add more exercise to your already busy schedule, you’re not alone. Lack of time is one the biggest hurdles to maintaining a regular exercise routine. So, the news you need to do even more than you’re already doing may not be what you want to hear. But there are options worth exploring.

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One possibility is combining strength and cardio into one workout. Break your regular cardio workout into two or more segments, picking up a set of weights in-between each segment. Don’t be shy to mix it up even more by spending each cardio segment on a different cardio machine. Spend 10, 15 or 20 minutes each on the treadmill, rower and stationary bike, punctuated with a 5- or 10-minute strength workout in-between each bout of cardio.

On those days when time is really tight, opt for a shorter interval workout that substitutes short bursts of high intensity cardio for longer more moderately paced aerobic workouts.  Bike, run or row for 60-90 seconds then perform two sets of 6-10 reps of any core strength training exercise. Repeat to the end of the workout.

Don’t have a gym membership? No problem. Instead of spending 30-60 minutes in a continuous steady state aerobic workout, break it into shorter higher intensity bouts of cardio with body weight exercises in-between. Squats, lunges, push-ups, dips, planks etc can be done anywhere.

Just remember, the goal isn’t to double the length of your current exercise routine. Instead, create a workout that combines the best of cardio with the best of strength training.

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