In our previous articles, Yoga for Beginners and Beyond and The Surprising Secret to Building Muscle, you learn the importance of basic strength training. Now I’d like to take a deeper dive into the power of cardio exercise and the incredible way they complement your muscle-building journey. By combining the power of strength training and cardio, you’ll unlock the full potential of your fitness routine and achieve the results you’ve always dreamed of.
Cardio exercises are activities that get your heart pumping and increase your breathing rate. While strength training focuses on building muscle mass and strength, cardio exercises offer a unique set of benefits that go beyond simply burning calories. Engaging in cardio workouts not only helps you burn fat but also improves your heart health, making it an essential component of any well-rounded fitness regimen.
WHY IS CARDIO SO IMPORTANT?
When you engage in cardio exercises, such as running, cycling, or swimming, your body taps into its fat stores for energy. As a result, you burn calories and shed excess fat, revealing the muscles you’ve been working hard to build through strength training. By incorporating cardio into your routine, you enhance your body’s ability to efficiently burn fat while building muscle simultaneously.
Regular cardio workouts also boost your heart health by improving cardiovascular endurance. As you engage in activities that increase your heart rate, your heart becomes stronger and more efficient at pumping blood throughout your body. This enhanced cardiovascular fitness not only supports your overall health but also allows you to push harder during strength training sessions, ultimately leading to greater gains in strength and muscle development.
In addition, cardio exercises offer a whole host of other advantages. They can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, lower blood pressure, and improve lung function. Cardio workouts also help improve mood and reduce stress levels, promoting mental well-being alongside physical fitness.
THE OPTIMAL WORKOUT ROUTINE: BALANCING STRENGTH AND CARDIO
By now, it’s clear that both strength training and cardio exercises have their own unique benefits. While strength training helps build muscle and boost metabolism, cardio exercises offer a whole host of other advantages. They can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, lower blood pressure, and improve lung function. Cardio workouts also help improve mood and reduce stress levels, promoting mental well-being alongside physical fitness.
But why settle for one or the other when you can have the best of both worlds? By incorporating cardio exercises into your workout routine, you’ll create a balanced approach that maximizes the benefits of both strength training and cardiovascular fitness. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where you can work on building muscle while also enhancing your cardiovascular endurance.
To achieve this balance, start by allocating specific days or sessions for strength training and cardio exercises. The key here is to find a routine that you enjoy and can stick to consistently. Experiment with different types of cardio exercises to find what suits you best. Perhaps you enjoy the invigorating feeling of running outdoors or the low-impact nature of swimming. By finding activities that you genuinely enjoy, you’ll be more motivated to stick to your routine and see the results you desire.
WORKING ALL MUSCLE GROUPS: MAXIMIZE YOUR RESULTS
In order to fully maximize your results and take your workout routine to the next level, it’s crucial to focus on working all muscle groups. While cardiovascular exercise is essential for burning fat and improving overall fitness, incorporating strength training that targets different muscles in your body can have a transformative effect on your physique and athletic performance.
MY WORKOUT ROUTINE
Now that we’ve come to the end of our fitness series, I thought I might share my workout schedule. A little background first, I’m definitely not a fitness guru and ready to do boot camp workouts. I’m a wife and mom, active in my family’s lives. I work a fulltime desk job where I sit in front of a computer all day. My job is the biggest reason I TRY to workout when I’m able. But I’m also very busy, just like you.
My Strength Training and Yoga Program
When I do yoga or strength training I like to have workouts ready to go for wherever I am. I have printed workouts and have books with yoga exercises for when I’m watching TV with my husband. We have a civic center in our community where I’m an on again, off again member. Whether I’m a member or not they have yoga and fitness classes I can attend. I also have Fitbit and the company I work for pays for Fitbit Premium. With that I have various workouts in my favorites section so wherever I am and whatever tools, if any, I have with me I’m ready to go! I have short workouts and longer ones. My goal each week is to do a total of 3 yoga and strength training sessions.
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My Cardio Program
When I do my cardio I really try to take a more fun approach. Due to that desk job I was talking about, I really like to get outside if I can! Our family loves to go hiking, especially on vacation and weekends. The kids make fun of me because I get so excited by “all the fresh oxygen!” we’re getting by being surrounded by trees and vegetation. I used to be an on again, off again runner but have developed planters facsiitis so I can’t really do that anymore. As a back up I have a nearby park that has a one mile track around it. Like strength training/yoga I also try to get my cardio in 3 times a week. If you’ve used some of the tricks taught over in The Surprising Secret to Building Muscle you might be able to kill two birds with one stone!
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Incorporating yoga, strength training and cardio into your fitness routine is the surprising secret to building muscle and burning fat simultaneously. By following the strategies outlined in this and the previous articles, you can maximize your results. From yoga, basic strength training to the power of cardio, we’ve explored how balancing these fitness avenues can help beginners achieve their fitness goals faster than ever before.
Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Let’s Do This!
Stacia