Cardiovascular and resistance training?

Question:  If cardiovascular workouts aim to burn fat and decrease body mass, wouldn’t it be counter-intuitive to lift weights to gain body mass?  Thanks for the help.

Answer:

You’re confusing body mass, body fat and muscle mass.

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2 Responses to Cardiovascular and resistance training?

  • Mistermoonpie says:

    Not necessarily, because the types of mass you are gaining/losing are totally different. Cardio burns fat, while lifting builds lean muscle.

    Granted, the diets that go along with each type of training are slightly counter productive. But that doesn’t mean that your body will stay in a stailmate if you try to do both at the same time.

    For example, when you lift to gain mass, you are usually supposed to eat plenty of calories, including extra carbs and protein for your muscles to use as energy to work and build themselves. This diet would slow down (but not stop) the effects of cardio training, but you would still see yourself becoming leaner, asssuming that your cardio training was intense enough.

    Likewise, if you eat as if you’re trying to lose pounds fast, your body will not have enough nutrients to properly repair itself quickly, thus making the muscle building process take longer than it would have to.

    I say eat a normal, healthy diet, and rotate every few days between cardio and resistance training. This way you will see both results at the same time.

  • Boomerang says:

    Cardiovascular activity (during which the body consumes mainly carbohydrates) improves endurance, regardless of muscle or fat mass.
    Aerobic activity (during which the body consumes mainly fats) is effective in decreasing fat mass.
    Resistance training (during which the body consumes mainly carbohydrates) builds muscle mass.
    So that’s decreasing fat mass, and increasing muscle mass. No problem with doing both.

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