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When a person walks into a gym, scratches his/her head and wonders, "Should I do cardio or lift weights?" there are a few things they should keep in mind before they make that all-important decision. The first thing is that weight training also gives a good cardiovascular workout. If you ever noticed while you were doing squats that your heart usually races, it should tell you that your ticker is getting a good workout as well.

The second consideration (and this is an important one) is that if your goal is weight-loss, weight training should be an indispensable part of EVERY workout. The fact of the matter is this: The more muscle mass your body has, the more calories you burn while doing NOTHING. Yes, my friends, it's true. Your body has to burn more calories to support muscle than it does to support fat. Simply put, if the muscle is there, you are burning more calories watching TV than if you chose to fore-go the weight training all together.

The third thing to consider is that while cardio-vascular training can burn calories, it can also be too much, too fast. One often remembers their glory days in high school when they could run a six-minute mile and hardly break a sweat. Many people often attack cardio machines at the gym the same way they did when their body was in peak condition and quickly learn that it hurts when you hit the moving belt of a treadmill. The point is simply that if you DO choose to start with cardio, start slow, because machines can be unforgiving. Usually, as soon as soon you pick up a weight you know whether it is too heavy or not.

The fourth point, especially important to those who want to get "ripped," is that if you want that "toned" look, make sure you have a good mix of cardio AND weight training. A good mix can be determined by your fitness professional, but the idea is as follows: If you want a six pack and you still have a nice layer of fat covering it, those bigger abs that you are creating during your 500 crunches are simply going to make that belly look BIGGER if you aren't burning the gut off with cardio. The same applies to the adductor and abductor muscles (inner and outer thighs) that women predominantly like to work on. If your thighs already have a good amount of fat on them, then adding the muscle is just going to make it look WORSE unless you work of some of the excess fat doing cardio.

The fifth and final point ties into the first four. Balance is essential if you really want to tone up and lose weight. Figure out your capabilities and make sure to make time for both cardio AND weight training and NEVER try to exceed your limitations without someone there to spot you or a personal trainer to guide you. You will find that this healthy balance will make your gym experience more exciting and you will notice a fitter, happier you in no time!

Learn more about this author, Marcelo Jaramillo.
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