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Is cardio over? Strength training climbs list of fitness trends
November 9th, 2009, 3:00 am · 27 Comments · posted by Landon Hall
“Strength training,” which is workout-speak for lifting weights, isn’t just for those who want to bulk up. More people are incorporating it into their existing routines, or in some cases going with an all-weight workout.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, strength training is moving from the men’s-only realm to women and “average exercisers.” In its fourth annual survey of top fitness trends for the coming year, strength training is No. 2, up from fourth the past two years and sixth in 2007.
What does this mean? More people are using weights and weight-machines not to get ripped, but simply stay in some semblance of shape, the ACSM says. And “it is not uncommon for cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, or metabolic disease management programs to include some form of weight training in the exercise prescription.”
Brad Davidson, who runs the Synergy Sports Institute in Costa Mesa, isn’t surprised that strength training is climbing the rankings. He specializes in it, and he believes cardio workouts and aerobics aren’t as efficient at reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass as strength training.
“The best results come from heavy strength training,” said Davidson, whose clients turn over tractor tires and perform other old-fashioned techniques as part of his “country strong” program. “I don’t even do cardio at all. I can actually get them leaner the less cardiovascular work they do.”
During the recession, many fitness providers have offered discounts and cut-rate membership fees to entice people to join. Life Time Fitness Inc., a high-end chain of gyms, lost nearly 17,600 members between June 30 and Sept. 30. Many customers have traded down to cheaper clubs, or are working out at home.
“Consumers are more conscious of their finances than ever,” Walter Thompson, lead author of ACSM’s survey of 1,477 personal trainers, instructors and other exercise specialists, wrote in a statement. “If they’re going to work with a fitness professional to improve their health, they’re going to do their homework and find someone who’s educated, experienced and certified by a reputable organization such as ACSM.”
Sure enough, for the third year in a row, ACSM’s No. 1 trend in the fitness industry is “the importance of experienced and educated fitness professionals.” This seems a little self-serving: the ACSM is recommending that cash-strapped consumers seek out pros who are certified by organizations like itself.
But there’s no question that competition among gyms and other fitness businesses is intense. Davidson, who works with elite athletes as well as weekend warriors, says he’s invested thousands in his own education and training, including $8,000 for a six-day internship with strength-coaching guru Charles Poliquin).
“You have to go to someone who knows what they’re doing,” Davidson advised.
Here’s the rest of the top 5 in the industry’s trends for 2010:
- Programs to help children avoid becoming obese.
- Personal training.
- Core training, which emphasizes conditioning of the torso muscles, including the abdomen and lower back.
Related stories:
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I think when people see the results of others who use strength training workouts (like Michelle Obama’s arms and Madonna’s muscular body) they tend to take an interest. Strength training causes the body to burn more calories. Lean muscle is a fat burning machine. Even after working out, the after burn can continue for many hours later. Plus, strength training workouts are considerably shorter than cardio. I see the same people walking for hours a day past my window year after year (not that wallking doesn’t have its benefits). They have strong calf muscles, but they still have bra bulge, wide hips and poofy bellies.
I am amazed at this story and the comments made by Mr. Davidson. First of all, are trends important?? NO! What about going back to the basics of getting in shape or losing weight by the best method possible and forget about “what’s new for 2010, or a “trend”.
To quote Mr. Davidson: “…..believes cardio workouts and aerobics don’t work for reducing body fat “. Are you serious?? You’re going on record to say cardio does not reduce body fat? So all the cardio that long distance runners, cyclists, triathletes do does not reduce body fat?? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Next time you pass a group of cyclist’s, look at their bodies and their body fat and how lean they are. Did they get this lean in a gym playing with tractor tires? NO! As a runner, swimmer and athlete myself for the past 35 years, along with all my education in Kinesiology, Sports Medicine and Athletic Training, it is well known cardio is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to burn calories, which equal a reduction in body fat. People would rather do weight training because cardio is hard and people tend to be lazy and choose weights over 40 min of interval cardio.
The absolute best way to lose weight is Interval Cardio workouts. No question about it. That’s how my teams and clients lose weight. Now, if you add in strength training that helps but not doing cardio at all does NOT help in losing weight. 97% of clients want to reduce their weight, and cardio is the most effective, quickest way to achieve that goal.
To the author, I suggest you do a lot more research and interview more than one person before you write such a story with false information.
I am in complete agreement with your statement, Dr. Bailey. In my own experience, I agree that Interval Cardio is the most effective in weight loss.. and also, among other benefits, increases lung capacity and endurance, plus serious calorie and fat burning. However if I only engaged in strength training, it wouldn’t provide me with enough visible shape due to the fact that I would have a layer of fat covering my 6 pack and biceps.
whats interval cardio? is that like jogging for 30 seconds then walking for 30 seconds?
I do high intensity interval training..
I totally agree Doc. I did not start to lose body fat until I hit cardio for more than 15 minutes. Up until March of this year I was always lifting heavy (squats, bench, deadlifts, etc..) I weighed in close to 240lbs @ 6′ and my bench was near 380lbs. I got too caught up reading about the Pro’s in those bodybuilding mags. I thought if they can be 5′ 8″ and 260lbs then my goal of 250lbs @ 6’ was ok. Wrong! That weight was too much for my frame and I was always winded after weight training. 15 minutes of cardio was all I could do. It took a back injury, from heavy deadlifts of all things, for me to switch my routine. I now weigh 210lbs. and hit cardio after weights for about 30-45 minutes. I was going for an hour but started to lose muscle mass and strength. I feel 200% better since dropping those 30lbs. and I still have most of my strength on all exercises except for the flat bench press (315- tops). Cardio AND diet are the two key factors in dropping body fat. I eat clean 6 days a week now and no more ice cream at night -the hardest thing for me to quit!
Cardio is a MUST for those looking to drop body fat. Best time for cardio is first thing in the AM after waking up on an EMPTY stomach or right after weight training.
I suggest NOT doing cardio before weights as you will only burn your glycogen stores doing cardio and will have nothing left in the tank for weights.
Cardio after weights will tap into your fat cells for energy. This works best for me but everyone is different. Also, take about 300-700mgs of green tea extract before cardio to increase your burn capabilities by 10%.
Happy exercising!
Thanks guys. I was appalled at this story as someone who has studied sports medicine, is an athlete myself and is the founder of OC Fitness Camp here in OC which uses Interval Cardio Training. To answer your question darsh09, Interval Cardio Training (ICT) is basically doing intervals if some sort of high intensity “sprints” during your workout. Studies show that a 40 minute workout of intervals is much more effective than an hour of “slow” cardio such as a jogging etc…My workouts are 10 min of warmup (running) then the next 30 minutes are intervals. One day I may do intervals of 1 minute hard at 80% then 2 minutes recovery back to jogging, then 1 min hard…etc for the next 30 minutes. It is an absolute incredible workout. Another day I may do 10 min warmup, then 30 min of intervals of 3 min hard at 60% intensity then 2 min recovery….my clients (and myself) love this workout and weight loss can be amazing. Again, strength training is also important in addition as well as caloric intake for a total workout. But, as this story states that throwing tires is much better than cardio for decreasing body fat is childish thinking.
Dr. Bailey and Mr. Davidson both bring up important factors. Cardio and strength training are crucial to weight loss but one just as important is nutrition. These 3 all in conjunction with a FITNESS PROFESSIONAL get you results. I also am an athlete of over 30 years and a Certified Personal Trainer(CPT,CES,PES) for over 6 years and I disagree with Dr. Bailey on cardio being the most effective way to burn calories. Cardio does burn calories but does not burn as much calories as a structured strength training program building lean body mass. The more LBM you have the more efficient your body becomes in burning calories. With that said, the combination of nutrition, cardio and strength training will get you results!
Sunset League-
If you understand how the body burns calories intense interval cadrio training is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to burn calories which in results burns fat. I, myself am a personal trainer and have written articles on this subject , and strength training (weights and static exercises) does build muscle which does burn calories after your workout is finished BUT, the majority of people who hire a trainer (at gyms) want to lose weight. 97% of people who hire trainers are to lose weight…not bulk up muscle. And to lose weight you MUST first burn calories the best way which is cardio. This is an old school method that goes back to the 70’s and it works. Who want’s to build muscle and have the fat covering it? With my clients all we do is cardio until we get to their desired goal THEN we do strength training.
People must also remember, your workouts must be a part of your daily routine for the rest of your life. Once you reach your weight loss goal, you must maintain with cardio, strength training, and proper caloric intake.
Thanks Dr. Bailey. Don’t get confused with a structured resistance training program and bulking up with muscle. A STRUCTURED STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM integrates flexiblility,cardio,core and balance,reactive,speed, agility and quickness training. This is all science based not the gym workouts of the 70’s. I recommend the National Academy of Sports Medicine(NASM.ORG) to all who want to be informed.
In response to Sunset League post below I don’t think you understand my response to this nonsense in the story that “cadio does nothing for weight loss” and my support of pure cardio for weight loss. If you have a client who has 45 min a day, 3 days a week to workout and their goal is to lose 25 pounds by Feb 1, how much of that 45 min would you WASTE doing flexibility, core, balance, reactive, and agility? How much would you spend doing cardio? You mentioned 9 items as a part of your “structured strenght training program”. So, I take it out of 45 minutes you will spend 5 minutes dedicated to cardio in your 45 min workout?! MY POINT is if you want to LOSE weight, you can do it with pure cardio doing intervals in a 40 minute workout….but you MUST keep moving. Anyone who wants to spend money on a trainer and wants to loose weight does not want to waste their time on working on their BALANCE, reactive, core, flexibility, agility…etc. CARDIO CARDIO CARDIO burns calories in the MOST EFFCETIVE WAY. Once you hit that goal then you can do the other workouts which are a great total body workout. I agree fully, but for DEDICATED WEIGHT LOSS, you must spend your time on Interval Cardio Training. I have written several articles and books on this subject.
I guess it’s only a “trend” if you haven’t been reading the fitness magazines for the past 20 years.
Aside from making you look better, it is also cool to be able to surprise yourself by how much you can lift in your daily life. Grocery bag too heavy? Not after strength training. Jar of pickles too tight? Not for me!
I can lift four one-gallon jugs of water out of the back of my truck and heft them up the stairs to my house without a second thought.
After strength training, my stand-up jetski just doesn’t tire me out anymore.
Fun!
cardio is definitely more than a bit “overrated”, but activities like running (walking), playing sports like basketball or soccer, and even cycling will definitely remain huge because of the economy. they’re relatively cheap. who wants to pay for a gym membership now, or buy a home gym?
I enjoy using dumbells or weight machines and it really helps my overall fitness and (I believe) general health. but it has it’s limitations, and for most people once or twice a week is more than enough.
also, people need to know that light to medium weights and high reps (12 to 20) is really the way to go. take it from someone who has lifted weights for sports and overall fitness over 20 years. this is especially true for upper body where certain joints like your rotator cuff are involved. I injured mine several years ago when I was still on a routine of working out with medium to heavy barbells. never again.
the only time I would use medium to heavy weights with a barbell ever again are for large movements like olympic lifts to train for specific sports. but for most people, this is totally impractical and they’d never experience the major benefits anyway.
This is such a silly article.
Strength training has a place in the fitness spectum no doubt. It helps strengthen the muscles and tendons which support the skeletal system and protect vital organs. But it really does nothing to protect against, let’s say, heart disease. In fact, it might even contribute to heart disease with heavy lifters by increasing blood pressure. Someone who is smart will do aerobic type exercise 80% of the time and strength training 20% of the time. A mix like that is best. But to forego aerobic conditioning in favor of strength training is absurd. Most guys work out with weights to impress the girls with their newfound muscles. And most girls aren’t impressed by that sort of stuff anyway. If you really want to be healthy eat a good diet - low saturated fat with a balanced portion of protein and carbs - watch the calorie intake. Drink lots of water. Do vigorous (so you sweat) aerobic exercise 40 minutes a day 5 days a week. If you wish, do 3 days of strength (resistance) exercise 15-20 minutes. That’s it. Unless you are in competitive athletics or training for the Olympics that’s all you need to be a very healthy human being. Oh, work out your minds too! Oftentimes I see alot of dumb bells in the weight room. And I’m not talking about the lead weights either!!!
ocobserver wrote:
Most guys work out with weights to impress the girls with their newfound muscles. And most girls aren’t impressed by that sort of stuff anyway.
_______________________________
Ain’t that the truth! This is probably why most girls go for the skinny emo type dudes 6′2″ @ 155lbs dripping wet.
I agree 100% with what Dr. Bailey says about cardio burning fat vs just strength training alone. You make some very good points. I have heard about your OC Fitness Camp. Where can I get more information or sign up?
Thanks–Tonya
Thanks Tonya for the comments. For more information on the Fitness Camps and the locations you can email OCFitnessCamp@aol.com
I went from 265 pounds to 180 pounds by running and cleaning up my diet. I spent less than one percent of my time weight training. I am now working on weight training to gain more muscle mass. May I say on a far leaner body.
Cardio will never go out of style, thanks to its strong benefits. I have found many cardio exercises, complete with step-by-step instruction, listed on Holosfitness.com. The site has a wide array of fitness and health-related information.
Hey guys looks like you’ve been having some fun on here while I have been working today. I would like to start by saying there was an initial mix up in what I had said that was cleared up if you re-read the article. I do know that cardio training and aerobics can drop body fat but I do not believe it is the most efficient way to create a change in body composition. Everyone has different perspectives and different ideas to cater to our vast society of wants and needs. I don’t feel the need to put anybody down or mock their comments . I would like to make note of a couple things that led me to find a superior method for body fat loss:
1. I work with professional power athletes (not triathletes or marathon runners) that have short off-seasons and pay me for big change. Body fat loss is huge for my business because the less body fat present on an athlete the faster that athlete can be.
2. I receive a lot of referrals of individuals who have hit complete roadblocks from to much cardio training. Obviously if they have been beating themselves senseless with cardio and it’s not working I have to find something else to help them.
3. I believe the most open minded best read strength coaches prevail in this business. My business has doubled in the last year during this deemed horrible economy. If you provide something that works and works well people will pay anything for it. My suggestion to everyone is to read more, and not just fitness magazine or personal training certification journals. Check out great strength coaches like Charles Poliquin, Paul Chek, and Tudor Bumpa to name a few. I even provided a nugget in the article with a link to Poliquin’s website. This guy has trained athletes to World Records in 10 different Olympic Sports. I think he might know a thing or two about conditioning. Look into the Germans philosophies for getting their athletes lean it is incredible!!!! I can vouch that it works amazingly well for getting men and women lean fast!!!!
4. My programs had to be based off science and proven results so I found the best in the industry and paid lots of money to intern with them and watch them work with their high level athletes and general public clients. Funny how none of them prescribe cardio training to anyone but endurance athletes.
Also I noticed a few cracks on flipping tires in the posts. Obviously you have never done it so how can you crack on it? there is a reason I use tires for conditioning my athletes. If any of you would like to experience the “cardio” response of flipping one along with the strengthening of the Posterior Chain to create improved running speed you are more than welcome to swing by my gym and have a go at it.
Have a great night everyone!!!
Mr. Davidson & Landon Hall (author of story)
I see you or the author changed the title AND text in the story written by Landon Hall. Why would the author do this and change the theme of the article?? Maybe you realized the information you produced was inaccurate?? Whatever the case, any professional in the speciality of Sports Medicine knows that keeping your Target Heart Rate in a specific zone reduces calories and fat and almost 100% of the people who hire a trainer at the “national chain” gyms want to lose fat. As we all know, the number of professional athletes is very very small and that’s who you are refering to in the story. But, the majority of people who hire a trainer are overweight and want to lose fat…not gain muscle. I am disguusted by trainers at these gyms that have overweight women and men sitting on a bench doing arm curls. You will never lose weight doing that. You must be doing CARDIO to burn calories which burns stored fat off your body. PERIOD. The reason why trainers do this is because if they sent their client over to do 40 minutes of cardio the client would realize they don’t need a trainer! And what does that mean to the trainer and the gym? They won’t make money!
As for throwing tires, that may be fine for football training, but for the average reader of this story, this does not apply to them. Cardio, strangth training, and diet is the whole balance to a perfect body.
Dr. Bailey — I amended the post because I misconstrued Brad Davidson’s comments about cardio. I initially wrote that he believed cardio “doesn’t work” for people trying to burn fat. He noted that he believes it simply doesn’t work as efficiently as strength training. That was my error. As far as the title, there was different wording on the original blog post than the version that ran on the homepage of OCRegister.com. The blog version began with the question “Is cardio over?” and the hed has stayed there. That wording wasn’t intended as a proclamation, but as a starting point to a conversation, which obviously has grown into a robust debate here. The gist of the matter, that strength training is rising as a fitness “trend,” has remained the focus of the heds.
Landon-
I appreciate the response. I just would hope you contact others and not just use one person’s opinion and promote his business. His statement that he “believes (cardio) doesn’t work as effciently as strength training (to burn fat)” is so inaccurate I wish you contacted others for their opinion. It is well known in the Sports Medicine community that cardio is the BEST, MOST EFFECTIVE form of exercise to burn fat and reduce weight, NOT strength training. Strenght training is building up your strength by building muscles. Cardio is BURNING CALORIES. I would love to see how many calories a 180 lb woman burns throwing a tractor tire vs how many calories she will burn doing 40 minutes of INTERVAL CARDIO TRAINING. I know the answer…but those who make money charging $35,000 for workouts won’t admit that cardio will win everytime.
Brad like you I don’t want to criticize anyone but in reading through these posts I haven’t found much about the value of body weight exercises to develop overall body strength, cardiovascular fitness, and to promote weight loss. Body weight exercises give a person an increased ability to develop control of their own body and also to develop the core strength necessary for peak performance. Many of our nation’s top professional and collegiate athletes have incorporated some form of body weight exercises in their routines. For those who are not top level athletes body weight training provides an exceptional workout. In those who are not athletes I find that consistency as well as intensity of workouts are vitally important to gaining strength and losing weight.
The comment section has now been changed to p*mp my business, a website or my authority.
I don’t have a exercise science degree, trainers certification or anything like that. It’s actually overwhelming and a bit of a turn off when people make living a healthy lifestyle so complicated. For the everyday person I think eating healthy, doing cardio and strength training works well enough without getting all bogged down in specific details. Unless you’re an athlete looking for something specific, I try and keep it simple.
Hey there! Great post so far. However, I think you can learn more about weight loss and getting optimum low body fat by visiting this website! http://www.threesixtyhealth.com
It includes fitness tips, and teaches you getting in shape. Weight loss should not be done using extreme diets or related things like that! Getting in shape should be much easier. Find a fitness buddy and guide each other the path down low body fat today!
Do visit http://www.threesixtyhealth.com
Cheers,
Kelsey.
Some great tips. Thank you and nice blog!
Great post! I like to see all the interaction and differences in opinion. In reading this article, what I took from it was that FINALLY strength training is getting portrayed as a necessity to over all fitness results. Most of us know that the only way to increase metabolic burn is to increase muscle. More muscle burns more calories throughout the day. If we overdue our cardio, then we burn muscle. Burn muscle, then you slow metabolism. The common myth for most woman has been not to lift weights because they don’t want to bulk up. This has lead most woman to not want to lift weights and therefor only do cardio.
For someone that never works out and then does cardio for 3 weeks will lose weight, but after a few months, they will look flabby. In our industry, we call these cardio bodies.
The bottom line is there needs to be a balance between strength training, cardiovascular training, and nutrition ( 95% of why most people fail).