Indian Bodybuilding Indian Bodybuilding Articles
These days people opt for a combined approach of cardio and strength in their workout regime.
What is cardio?
Cardio is any form of exercise that increases the heart rate and pumps up more oxygen into blood. Swimming, running, aerobics etc. are all various forms of cardio exercises.
Benefits of Cardio
Cardio is a great form of exercise which helps in losing those extra calories or fat, while toning your entire body. It also helps in warming up your system and prepares your body for a high intensity workout by adding flexibility to your joints and strengthening them. Cardio is known to benefit your heart, lungs as well as the entire body by helping it shred extra fat. Besides increasing your energy levels, it also helps in improving bone density thus preventing osteoporosis.
What is Strength Training?
Strength training is any form of exercise that focuses on specific parts or muscles of your body with the intention of making them stronger.Strength training can be performed by using external weights or your own weight of the body for example – squat.
Benefits of strength training
Strength training also known as weight training helps in increasing muscle tissue thus adding to lean muscle and burning excess fat.
Both, cardio as well as strength training help you in shredding extra fat however strength training not only helps in fat loss but also helps you focus on specific body parts helping them give desired shape and size with a toned look.
In fact, it is believed that strength training works better at fat loss rather than cardio if you plan a proper diet and workout plan to supplement it.
It is not either cardio or strength training, it is a combination of both which gives the best results. Combining cardio with strength training is the best tool for any fitness or fat loss plan.Research has shown that strength training is better at fat loss as compared to cardio. Also, short intense cardio workouts are better than slower and longer cardio regimes.
Your body burns calories even after your strength or weight training workout has finished and that is one of the most important benefits of strength training exercise.A lot many women believe that strength training which requires lifting of heavy weights can make their bodies heavier and bulkier, which is not true. Lifting weights does not automatically bulk you up, it is the testosterone that does the job and generally a women’s body does not contain enough of this hormone to make her any bulkier. In fact it aids in fast weight loss and muscle toning.
Strength training also involves resistance training where you can use your body instead of external weights, examples are squats, push ups etc.Like cardio, strength training also helps in increasing bone density and strengthening them which helps prevent osteoporosis. The key is to mix both the types of exercises for example 2-3 cardio sessions combined with 2-3 strength sessions per week. Along with the right kind of food, the ideal way to lose weight is through a combination of both cardio and strength training.
