Resistance training. Weight training. Weight lifting. Hitting the weights. All are terms or phrases used to refer to the same thing - using some form of weight or resistance to build a leaner, stronger, healthier body.
However, when many people think about resistance training, a lot of grotesque or negative images come to mind. Things like veins that seem to pop out of a person’s skin, muscles grown to ridiculous proportions or even the use and abuse of steroids. While these images are understandable, especially given the multi-million dollar ad budget of bodybuilding magazines, they very much represent the minority.
Just like not everyone who swims a few laps in a pool will look and perform like Michael Phelps, not everyone who starts training with weights will look and perform like a bodybuilder. This is an important idea to keep in mind when deciding what type of exercise is right for you to achieve your goals.
Having studied exercise physiology for almost a decade, it is astounding to this author how one-sided the education for this field really is. An overwhelming majority of the lesson plans, lectures and lab studies deal exclusively with cardiovascular exercise.
Whether it’s looking at making people better at running marathons or improving sprint times for track and field athletes, very little time is spent educating exercise scientists about the importance of including resistance training in clients’ programs. Given that this favoritism exists among the people who are supposed to be the ‘authority’ on exercise, it is no wonder that the rest of the world seems to have a bias against weight training to get in shape.
Let us look a little closer at what is involved in these two forms of exercise as well as the pros and cons of each...
Cardiovascular exercise - Involves using some type of repetitive motion (e.g. running, bicycling, rowing, etc.) for a period of time or a predetermined distance.
Pros: Burns calories, improves endurance, strengthens heart and arteries
Cons: Can decrease muscle tissue and lead to an increase in weight, often leads to overuse injuries in back, knees and hips, only increases metabolism while it is being performed, does not lead to lasting changes in body composition (in other words, once you stop doing it you stop getting the benefits)
Resistance training - Involves using some form of resistance (e.g. barbell, dumbbell, bodyweight, etc.) against the body’s muscles for a given number of repetitions and sets.
Pros: Leads to long-lasting (> 48 hrs.) increase in metabolism, boosts strength, stability and flexibility, can improve or cure muscle imbalances, has enormous carry-over to real life (i.e. makes everyday tasks easier or safer), affords far more variety than cardio.
Cons: Moderate degree of skill and practice required, often daunting to those who have never tried it before (especially true of women)
Looking at this brief summary, the choice should become clear. Weight training is your best bet at making a lasting change to your body. However, bear in mind that weight training is only part of the equation. Things like stress management and nutrition play an equal part in determining whether or not you attain your goal.
