by April J.

Created on: August 24, 2008   Last Updated: September 16, 2008

So you've done it! You've gotten yourself that gym membership and now find yourself surrounded by all the free weights, machines, treadmills, bikes and exercise balls that the gym has to offer. Alas, you find yourself thinking "now what?" Should you be doing weights or cardio and for how long? How best can you get results? And how can you design a plan that fits into your busy schedule, one that you know you will stick to?

Let's look at the pros and cons of both cardio and weight training and how they can be used together to help you reach your goal of healthy living.

CARDIO - PROS AND CONS

Cardio is a must in any exercise program, not only because it helps to keep your heart and lungs healthy, but also because of its importance in burning calories and fat. If weight loss is one of your health goals, cardio needs to be part of your plan for reaching those goals.

Cardiovascular exercise raises the heart rate and works the cardiovascular system, including the heart and lungs. Its benefits include fat loss, increased heart and lung health, increased cardiovascular endurance, and stress relief.

The downside of cardio is that, used alone, it cannot build muscle. For this, you'll need to pick up those weights!

WEIGHT TRAINING - PROS AND CONS

A good weight training routine can help sculpt your body, raise your metabolism (so that you can burn more fat), and increase your strength. When done correctly, you will see results very quickly, and many people find weight training very enjoyable.

The downside to weight training is that, alone, it does not burn large amounts of fat or work the cardiovascular system adequately. For that, cardio needs to be used as well.

STRIKING A BALANCE

An ideal program designed to help you reach your personal training goals will include both weight training and cardio (perhaps half an hour of each per day or alternating days between cardio and weights, depending on your schedule). This enables you to burn fat, improve your cardiovascular fitness, tone your body and improve its strength.

If you are unsure where to start, talk to your friendly gym employee and have a personal trainer write you up a program and show you how it's done! Soon you'll be working out like a pro and will have the body, and health, to show for it.

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