Strength vs. Cardio:

Which one is “Better?”

IT DEPENDS.

That’s always the answer…it depends!

I get variations of this question a lot.

The answer (you should know this by now!) is.....IT DEPENDS.

But some other answers are: NEITHER because you need both, or DOESN'T MATTER as long as you're doing something.

That really clears it up, right? 😜

Let's discuss...


Strength vs. Cardio -- It Depends

What are your goals?

If you're someone who participates in activities that require more cardiovascular endurance like running, cycling, or swimming, you'll need to emphasize cardio training more than people who do more walking or yoga.

Athletes who play sports with more continuous movement, like hockey or soccer, would benefit from more cardiovascular endurance than those who play baseball or golf, for example.

If your activities require more cardiovascular fitness, you'll likely want a higher chunk of your training to be cardio compared to others, BUT strength training is still important to build muscle strength, mobility, speed, explosiveness, and general joint and bone health.

Strength vs. Cardio -- Both

I've come across many people who focus solely on cardio because they believe it burns more calories which will help them lose weight. Some people also avoid strength training because they are afraid of injury or of "getting bulky."

I've also talked with people who like strength and never, ever, ever want to do cardio of any sort.

The truth is that both types of exercise are valuable and necessary for all of us.

Strength training builds muscle, which is lean, metabolically active tissue. That means more muscle equals more energy expended (aka calories burned) which promotes fat loss, if that's a goal.

Strength training can also improve the health of the connective tissues to prevent injury and increase recovery and reverse the effects of aging on the body. (More on strength training here and here.)

Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, improves your cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Cardio-based training will help you stay fit for things like going up stairs or running after your kids without getting winded.

People who regularly participate in cardio-based activities experience lower rates of death due to heart disease and other disease-related risk factors, and cardiovascular training has also been shown to improve psychological health as part of treatment protocols for depression and mood disorders.

In general, my recommendation is to think of strength training as the "entree" and cardio as the "side dish," especially for clients who want to build muscle or change their body composition, but again, it depends.

It's also worth noting that gender isn't a factor here at all. Fitness marketing over the years has often promoted strength training for men and cardio for women, but that is NOT correct. All people will benefit from both types of training, as cardio and strength provide different training effects that we need! Whether you prioritize one over the other should be solely based on your individual preference and goals.


Strength vs. Cardio -- Doesn't Matter

The strength vs. cardio question, not to mention the debates about which one to do more or which one to do first in a workout, is NOT the first step.

For someone who is not currently exercising, or who is not exercising regularly, or doesn't know where to start or what to do, the answer is just to do something. It doesn't matter what. Move. Move in a way that feels good.

Getting more precision about how much strength vs. cardio, how long to do each, which one to do first, etc. can come later, once a person has an established routine they want to improve and a base level of fitness they want to hone.

Too often when it comes to questions about fitness and nutrition, we let ourselves get overwhelmed and bogged down in the details and nuance when we're not even checking off the most basic boxes.

First, start moving. Doesn't matter how. Once you have that down, try to work in strength and cardio. Hire a trainer if you're not sure how. And if you still want to fine-tune your training for even greater results and effectiveness, I highly recommend working with a trainer to create the balance of strength and cardio that is right for you and your goals.


Questions? Need help? Reach out to me: coachjustineh@gmail.com