Dooley Noted: 12/27/2015
While home, I ran into an acquaintance at the local gym.
I see her there at Christmas every year. She is the queen of the elliptical machine. Sometimes, I think she will launch it right off its tracks.
She never comes on the weight floor with me. She’s convinced that cardio is her mission.
She says, “I don’t want to get – you know – bulky.”
I don’t take offense, although she clearly gives me the eye when making the statement.
I’ve been bulky. And it wasn’t from lifting weights.
When she mentioned the bulk, I couldn’t help but ask her about her goals with fitness. She told me she wants to stay toned and lose a little bit of weight.
But year after year, she always looks the same.
I’m never seen her lose much weight, although she works out five or six days a week. That’s a consistent dedication to something that is not quite working out for her.
She’s always giving me a new compliment on a skill I’ve achieved. And every time I ask her why she doesn’t spend more time achieving particular goals with strength.
She always says the same thing, again: “I am afraid I will get bulky.”
But there are a few truths at play here.
With lifting, I continue to become more compact and while changing my body composition, I get stronger by the minute as I get older.
She always looks about the same – with about the same fitness level.
I still do cardio in the form of 10-15 minute high intensity segments of swinging a kettlebell. I also walk all over creation as the typical New Yorker does.
But if I’m going to spend 30-45 minutes on training, I can’t reason it being behind an elliptical.
In 45 minutes, I can work to build strength and power WHILE still having 10-15 minutes left of the hour to do high intensity cardio.
Weight training increases bone density, sky-rockets metabolism, and helps strengthen the mind as you watch yourself crush goals.
Weight training is a skill, and perhaps having a few sessions with a trainer is warranted.
My argument with cardio is that most people need training on that treadmill, too, such as gait/technique training.
Doing any activity with great technique lessens the chance of injury.
Don’t choose one: cardio or weights.
Consider both in your life. And consider being properly trained in both for safety and skill.
Get the heart-pumping effects of cardio by trying interval training, something we at Catalyst SPORT call metabolic training.
But don’t forget to program weight training as an essential, non-negotiable part of your fitness plan.
From calisthenics to kettlebells to barbell, you will benefit in building muscle tissue that will protect your joints from all that impact cardio!
Plus, cardio burns fuel mostly while you do it. But muscle tissue is metabolically active, burning fuel every moment that it lives.
You may be missing your goal by only including cardio.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
