Strength vs “Cardio”

Honestly, I hate the word “cardio” because a good workout should be just that: a good workout that makes you stronger & challenges your lungs - there should be some of both strength and “cardio” in it.  That being said there are times when you may want to focus more on the workouts that test your stamina and then other times you want workouts that build more muscle. It depends on your athletic goals (notice I said athletic not aesthetic)… Then sometimes you throw it all in a blender and push hard. My motto is variety breed results. Keep your body guessing, never adapt to a particular exercise method, order or pace and you will see results.

I used to run everyday. I would wake up early, not eat breakfast and go running, at least 3-5 miles everyday. Then I would train Muay Thai later in the day for 1-2 hours. I was stupid. But I forgive myself. I didn’t know any better.

I don’t do this anymore because frankly it’s counterproductive. I was tearing down my muscle everyday and I wondered why my body looked the same and if I stopped running I would gain weight. I was an athlete without a “ripped look”. Not to mention who I did it without eating breakfast… LAME!

Then I discovered strength training. I began to add this to my routine and saw better results. Over the next few years I spent a good deal of time trying to find the best method for me as an athlete and my clients too. It wasn’t until I learned the CrossFit Method of training and began to implement that philosophy into my training that I saw a dramatic increase in my metabolism and muscle mass. 2 years later and I’m significantly stronger and more ripped. I can eat more and not gain fat… and I don’t run that much anymore, read: I do LESS “cardio”.

However, I love running and I love “cardio” even though I hate the word. Rowing, trails, biking, treadmill, even the stair-mill are my chance to zone out and listen to music. I know I’m crazy, but you have to be crazy to get hit in the head for living too.  So what I do now is I train in intervals for no more than 20 minutes. I hit it hard for an interval of anywhere from 20 seconds to 3 minutes and then rest a lesser amount of time, then repeat. I switch it up for variety. Sometimes I still run a mile before Muay Thai training to warm up and get in the zone, but I never run 10 miles. I still run a 5k once a week or so, but I don’t run it idly. I run it for time… which on a good day, will only take me just over 20 minutes. My best is a 5k in 22:30 (if I remember correctly). You wanna talk about real “cardio” try making that time.

The previous few months I have been focusing on strength more in my workouts. I did the CrossFit sectionals and needed to be really strong, but too tight and strong is not optimal for Muay Thai, so right now I’m doing more interval stamina training with medium/light weight or body weight in addition to Muay Thai.

Your workout should be varied and reflect your athletic goals, but above all you should LOVE it. Hate running or traditional “cardio”? I’m here to tell you you don’t have to do it to lose fat. But if you love running and cardio, do it! Just do it in moderation and mix up some strength training and other sports into your routine.

For more into on my training programs you can go to www.roxyfit.com

11 May 2010 ·

• Tags
• cardio
• fat loss
• running
• strength