It is an age-old debate.  What type of discipline is better for your body: strength training vs. cardio?  I think the answer to that question will surprise most of you.  I’m sorry to let you know, but it is strength training, and the reasons are so multi-faceted, it will be difficult to get them across in this short article.

I know strength training sounds like a daunting task to many of you, possibly because you’re not knowledgeable or informed on the benefits of it, or even how to design an appropriate program for your body type.  At Mind Over Matter, we can help with this.  We design programs specifically for post-partum fitness, helping women achieve their pre-pregnancy figure; however, enough of the self-promotion.

Here’s what you need to know, and here’s the main reason why strength training is significantly more beneficial than cardiovascular work:  Strength training is the only thing known to change the shape of your body.  I repeat: change the shape of your body.  Cardio is great.  Cardio is a necessity, and cardio helps you lose weight.  However, it will not change the shape of your body.  Many times while doing cardio your overall weight will drop, but that just feeds into our preoccupation with numbers.  It’s not about numbers, it’s about how you look, how you feel, and how you fit into that dress you wore pre-pregnancy.  Strength training will help you do this.

It’s as simple as this:  Strength training builds muscle.  Not bulky mass, like some of you maybe thinking or fearing, but if done the right way, long, lean, firm, toned muscle will be the return.  What that muscle does is burn fat.  In fact it’s the only thing known to mankind that burns fat.  It burns fat while you sleep, while you eat, while you sit, while you stand, and especially while you move.  The second you get off that treadmill, the cardiovascular benefit is over.  However, after training consistently with resistance workouts, that benefit lasts a lifetime.