In the Era of Strength Training, Here’s Why Cardio Still Matters

We’re seeing an upsurge in the rhetoric surrounding strength-training. Fitness experts and everyday people are coming out to declare the importance of strength exercise over cardio, but are they right? Well, let’s put it this way – they’re not entirely wrong.

While it’s true that strength-training is essential to health and longevity, it’s not necessarily true that it’s more important than cardio. Both cardio and strength training target critical muscle groups, and both contribute to heart health and weight loss.

Perhaps this narrative arose out of a cardio craze that ruled the fitness world for decades. Cardio seemed accessible, strength training seemed like… well… something for bodybuilders. As a result, health and fitness gurus were praising the many advantages to jogging daily. However, this skewed the definition of cardio.

So what is cardio?

Cardio (short for “cardiovascular”) refers to any exercise that pumps blood to the heart and lungs. This can be jogging, jumping jacks, jump rope, the Stairmaster, riding a bike. Over the last few years though, the definition and practice of cardio has been overpowered by the concept of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which promotes quick, intense bursts of cardio interspersed with brief rest periods. Hand-in-hand with this hardcore workout method came studies showing that too much cardio can lead to cardiac plaque, irregular heartbeat, and even heart disease.

Cue the misconceptions.

The fact of the matter is that cardio’s true nature and benefits were clouded by extremists, who failed to clarify that high-intensity cardio training was really intended for those who were already in tip-top shape – and not for everybody.

So, what’s the truth about cardio exercise? We’ll start off by telling you this much: It’s just as important as strength-training. Yes, it carries equal weight when it comes to being a well-rounded, healthy individual. The key is knowing how to do cardio right, and understanding why it still matters.

Benefits of Moderate Cardio

It’s not that cardio in and of itself is overrated, it’s that high-intensity cardio can be a little overrated. While HIIT has its place, it should not be the sole source of cardio. Moderate, low-intensity exercise done for longer periods of time (also known as “steady-state cardio” or aerobic exercise) is just as important. In fact, it’s oftentimes the primary form of cardio for individuals with chronic pain or joint issues.

Moderate cardio is frequently touted as one of the best ways to lose weight, simply because of its appeal to all abilities and the ease of doing it every day.

Since steady-state cardio is done for longer periods of time, it builds endurance. This helps prepare your body for other forms of exercise, such as HIIT or weight-training. The difference is, instead of over-elevating your heart rate, it keeps it steady at 135-140 BPM.

Furthermore, regular aerobic exercise is shown to reduce blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes, according to Sports Medicine. The Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research also found that it improves mood stability and reduces the severity of depression.

The fact of the matter is, because exercises like hiking, biking, swimming (and any other activity where you can talk or contemplate while you work out) qualify as moderate cardio, this kind of cardio helps with mental state. While all exercise can be beneficial to mental health, the more relaxed nature of moderate cardio has incomparable advantages to the others.

Conversely, HIIT is believed to have the opposite effect from time to time. Its high-intensity leads to an increase in adrenaline, which activates your fight-or-flight response. This high-anxiety, emotionally-responsive result can last beyond the fitness studio, and inflict more stress on mentally unstable individuals.

Steady-state cardio exercise also benefits heart health by improving HDL (good) cholesterol levels and blood pressure. So, when it comes to caring for your heart, this is perhaps the best kind of exercise you can take on.

How Cardio Supports Strength-Training

The quality of your strength-training significantly improves when you have a steady cardio regimen in place to support it. Since cardio can improve your endurance, it makes weight-training that much easier on your muscles. It also helps you burn the excess weight that can be putting an unnecessary burden on your joints, making it unthinkable to place even more weight/pressure on them.

Still, you’ll hear personal trainers and self-proclaimed fitness experts warn against the adverse effects of doing cardio before weight-training at the gym. However, a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise shows this is not really true. Finnish researchers showed no significant difference in the order of these two processes, and how they affected body fat, muscle mass, or overall capability.

Regular cardio activity will decrease your required recovery time – something that will surely come in handy when you start weight-training. Cardio improves the body’s ability to use oxygen and, as a result, improves your breathing. When weight-lifting, this comes in handy. When your body repairs itself and any muscle damage more quickly, muscle builds back up more quickly. For individuals looking to bulk up, this means cardio is an important asset to strength-training.

Cardio also improves your metabolism. It helps your muscles better absorb the nutrients from the foods you eat, leaving less available to store as fat. With less excess fat on your body, your strength gains will be that much more feasible (and noticeable).

Misusing & Abusing Cardio

Cardio’s bad rap mostly results from its misuse by inexperienced, misguided, or misinformed individuals. Some people believe it’s the best way to lose weight quickly, while some simply believe that strength-training will cause them to “bulk up” – a look that they don’t particularly want. Neither of these are true.

Someone seeking to lose weight by a certain deadline, whether it be for a wedding or other event, should begin their cardio routine 16 weeks in advance. Even then, they should evaluate their cardio routine based on their metabolism, carb intake, and overall physique.

In attempts to lose weight quickly, individuals intersperse resistance (weight-training) between cardio sessions, but it’s better if it’s the other way around. Five 40-minute strength-training sessions, followed by 12 minutes of steady-state cardio each, is the best way to burn fat.

People looking to lose weight quickly with cardio also often compound it with a low-calorie diet. However, this leads to fatigue. Cardio burns and requires more calories than strength-training, which is why so many people following this routine experience burnout. Calorie intake should remain in the normal range if incorporating heavy cardio into your fitness routine.

The Best Routine for You

The best cardio routine is heavily subjective, but there is an optimal process that helps most people get into shape and eventually achieve their goals. Here is the best way to go about developing your cardio routine – at least while you’re still getting started.

Set a goal & create a schedule

Decide what you hope to achieve. If you’re trying to lose weight and burn fat, you may want to tackle a more extensive schedule (5 days a week). If you’re simply trying to keep in shape and stay lean, you can probably get away with 3-4 days a week.

Similarly, carve out 12-16 weeks to accomplish your goal. This is the average amount of time it really takes to see gains and significant changes in your body.

Start with no cardio

If you haven’t exercised in a long time, jumping right into cardio is a bad idea. Chances are, you’ll go overboard at first and burn yourself out entirely on the idea of achieving your goal before you’ve even started. This is why so many New Year’s resolutions to “get fit” meet their demise before mid-January.

Build momentum by adapting to weights first. While most of us do some sort of cardio on a daily basis, whether it be walking to lunch or taking the stairs up to our office, many of us rarely get a chance to lift weights. It will warm up your muscles and prepare your body for more involved cardio.

Go easy with anaerobic training

Anaerobic training (another word for HIIT) can really take it out of you, so start with only one interval training session each week. Just 10-12 minutes at first is all you need to get your blood pumping and test out the resistance you’ve built up with weights.

After the first few weeks, you can work up to three sessions weekly. Go slow, however. Wait until your body is no longer feeling sore the next day before you decide to increase your interval training. Your interval only has to last 15-30 seconds at first. Then, you can slowly work your way up to 45 seconds.

The interval training you do should also gradually increase in intensity. At first, you can just start with some bike spurts or elliptical spurts. Then, begin incorporating burpees into your routine.

Incorporate steady-state cardio

Now that your body’s metabolism is in shape and your muscles have learned how to more efficiently use oxygen, you’re ready to implement some long form cardio. Start with long walks, move into jogs, and maybe even try bicycling.

Individuals with a low metabolism that struggle to lose weight will likely see the largest gains from this step. This routine is very gradual, but it’s the best way to prevent severe burnout, exhaustion, and injuries.

In Defense of Cardio

So, does cardio still matter? Should I fire my personal trainer for preaching weight-training to me all the time? Yes, and absolutely not!

Here’s the problem: We’re more inactive than ever. That, singlehandedly, is why cardio is still essential. Since 1950, sedentary jobs have increased by 83 percent, according to the American Heart Association. Sitting for long periods is associated with heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.

Depending on your lifestyle and where you live, you may still get a decent amount of cardio in as part of your day-to-day life. Maybe you have a dog that you need to walk, or you don’t own a car so you bike to work. If this is the case, that’s excellent.

For most people, however, it still stands that we get into our cars, drive to work, take the elevator up, and then proceed to sit at our desk for 8 hours. This is not conducive to a long and healthy life. So, people who find themselves sedentary for most of the day definitely will need more cardio. Your personal trainer may not be aware of this. And, if that’s the case, you absolutely need to let them know.

“Ideally, you should get some cardio exercise every day,” says kinesiologist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Dean Somerset. “It can even be 10 minutes going for a brisk walk. You don’t have to train for a marathon every day. Just do a daily something.”

This is what it all comes down to. Most of us aren’t even able to achieve this much each day. Using a fitness tracker/pedometer, a standing desk (to encourage getting on your feet), or even setting a timer to get up and walk around for a few minutes every hour are all effective ways to make this a habit.

Final Considerations

Ultimately, the cardio you choose will also depend upon your target heart rate. Target heart rate can vary based on age and other factors. It’s recommended that you exercise within 55-85% of your maximum heart rate for 20-30 minutes in order to achieve the best results from cardio. This allows you to more expertly manage and monitor your fitness goals.

Maximum heart rate is usually calculated as 220 minus your age. In order to develop a more accurate understanding of it, however, and to determine whether or not your exercise is taking you within your target heart rate, you’ll want to invest in either a heart monitor or stethoscope to monitor the heartbeat after you exercise.

It’s important to remember that everything is okay in moderation. So, if you’re suddenly concerned upon reading this that you’re not getting enough cardio or your cardio is too much – don’t take drastic measures. Simply adjust your cardio routine, but never cut it out.

Even Olympic athletes attest to how important a stable balance of cardio and strength training is to your heart health. After all, your heart is a muscle too, and it will be the determining factor of your overall health.