Cowboys Fit, Strength Strategy with Lisa

Cardio vs.
Strength
We often think of cardiovascular
exercises being the gold standard
to heart health, however, you
would be remiss to not include
the benefits of muscle building
for our heart. It is, after all, a
muscle. Heart disease is the
number one cause of death for
men and women and is more
often
than
Muscle
not,
tissue
preventable.
assists
in
controlling blood sugar, lowers
insulin resistance, and can reduce
blood
pressure.
Managing
a
healthy muscle mass improves
cardiovascular risk factors and
makes it less likely to develop
CVD (cardiovascular disease).
And
if
those
aren’t
reasons
enough, lifting weights can also
improve your metabolic rate by
up to 15%. Meaning you will burn
more calories doing absolutely
nothing than if you would if you
did not include muscle building in
your routine!
Developing the right routine for you can begin with reviewing the
current recommendations for adults as given by the CDC. The
Center for Disease Control suggests the following:
Adults should complete at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) to 300
minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate intensity exercise, or 75
minutes to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity, or a combination.
There is also a benefit for increasing your activity to beyond 300
minutes.
Additionally, it is recommended adults should complete musclestrengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity that
involve all major muscle groups on 2 more days a week.
These recommendations can serve as your foundation for a
consistent resistance training program. As a Fitness Professional, I
regularly remind my clients that getting in the gym twice a week is
excellent, but if you’re sitting at a desk for 8 hours per day, this is still
considered a sedentary lifestyle. It is vital to incorporate additional
movement of any kind throughout your day.
When planning your workouts for the week, consider that muscle
gain requires around 15 sets per week per muscle group. Each set
should aim for around 6-12 repetitions with anywhere from 30
seconds to 3 minutes of rest between each set. Also be sure to vary
your exercises to include a variety of motions, lengths, and
directions (planes of movement and ranges of motion). This
consideration will create a well-rounded approach.
When you have your resistance training plan in place, adding in
cardiovascular, mobility, balance training, and plyometrics can all
be helpful additions to further your overall physique, endurance, and
strength.
Article continues on the next page

Paperturn flipbook system