Guest post by Sarah Danielson from Everyday Health
Although exercise programming has become a big money-maker by offering a plethora of options when it comes to getting fit, there are really only two types of exercise you need to know about: cutting and bulking. Cutting generally involves getting toned while losing weight, and bulking involves building muscle while gaining weight. The type of exercise routine you choose will be determined by which of these two goals you’re shooting for. And knowing the difference between the effects of cardio and weights on your body will help you to tailor a regimen that meets your needs and leads to the results you desire.
Cardio for Cutting Weight
As most people in this day and age are aware, cardio is generally accepted as the best way to get in shape and shed unwanted pounds (usually in combination with a healthy diet). So if you’re looking to cut, you will definitely want to include a lot of cardio in your plan. This can be accomplished by a variety of methods. Jogging is always an easy way to start since you don’t really need any special equipment to begin. Aerobics, kickboxing, and spinning are also excellent options, although you will likely have to take a class to learn to execute many of the moves without hurting yourself. Unfortunately, some cardio exercises are high-impact and can cause problems for those with joint or arthritis problems. In this case, try equipment such as a stationary bike or elliptical machine to reduce the strain on your body while still achieving a calorie-burning workout.
Weights for Tone and Muscle
While cardio is a great way to lose weight and improve your cardiac function, it will only tone your muscles to a certain degree, and not necessarily in a comprehensive fashion. For overall body toning, you will likely need to adopt a concurrent weight-training program. By using small increments of weight and a lot of reps (or several sets), you can engineer a regimen that allows you to target muscle groups that need improvement without the disastrous side effect of building up muscles where you don’t want them. Instead, you will simply tone and define those muscles.
Trying to Bulk Up?
If, however, you’re looking to bulk, you’re going to want to do the exact opposite. Using heavier weights and increasing your caloric intake (in combination with additional protein ingestion) will help you to build up targeted muscle groups. Cardio is still an important factor, though. You need to keep your heart pumping strong to ensure that enough blood and oxygen are reaching damaged muscle tissues in order to repair them (otherwise you may find your routine on hold as you recover from injury). The trick is to do a lot less cardio so as not to counter the effects of your specialized diet.
Do the Right Thing for Your Body
No matter how you’re looking to change the shape of your body, you should always consult with a doctor before tackling any new exercise or diet regimen. It is important to operate within healthy guidelines in order to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from any new workout routine. Likely you will want to use a combination of cardio and weight-lifting to do this, but you still need to make sure that you are doing it in a way that is safe and effective.
Author Bio: Sarah Danielson writes for Everyday Health where you can find answers to all of your health related questions including information on arthritis and how to treat it.