Cardio training: What are the benefits, and is it better before or after weight training?
The word "Cardio" actually comes from the ancient Greek word "Kardia" which meant "Heart" so naturally, as you may expect, cardiovascular exercise and activity is very beneficial for the human heart, which is, without question, one of the most vital organs in our bodies. There are many different reasons why people choose to perform cardio training on a regular basis, however, although it's pretty clear that one of the main reasons they do so is to help keep their weight under control and to help burn excess body fat. When people think of cardio training, however, they tend to instantly picture themselves sweating buckets on a treadmill in a crowded gym, running on the same machine for up to an hour at a time, possibly even longer still. In actual fact, however, cardio training can be described as any form of physical exercise or activity that happens to increase your resting heart rate, so if you hate treadmills, or running in general, don't think for one second that those are your only available cardio training options, because they're not. One common question that people find themselves asking, is whether it is more beneficial to perform cardio before, or after weight training. In this article, we'll be looking at the main benefits of cardio training, plus we'll be taking a quick look at whether cardio is indeed better before, or after weight training.
When is the best time to perform cardio? - In reality, there is no "best time" to perform cardio, as it all depends on what it is that you're hoping to get out of your workout. For example, if you're trying to burn fat and build muscle, cardio before weight training is not ideal because by the time you've finished, you'll still have a full weight training session to get through, whilst feeling tired and lacking glycogen energy in the process. If you're trying to lose fat or increase your stamina, however, cardio after weight training is not ideal because again, you'll be tired from your previous workout, and will therefore not be able to perform at your best. Ideally you should perform cardio on a separate day to weight training, although obviously with time restraints, etc., this isn't always an option. Now that we've, sort of, cleared that up, let's now take a look at some of the main benefits associated with cardio training.
Fat
loss - One of the main reasons why so many people
tend to perform cardiovascular exercise on a regular basis beside using any
kind of fat burner as trenbolone(learn what is tren), is because it
has been proven to help to dramatically burn excess
body fat in a relatively short amount of time.
Cardio exercise is ideal because once any available calories from
food or drink have quickly been used up, to help power your body through your
workout, the body is forced to look for alternative energy sources, which just
so happen to come in the form of stored body fat. The reason why we store body
fat is so that, if necessary, the body has an emergency supply of energy to
burn through to keep it going. Think of body fat on the same basis as you would
think of storing firewood during the summer, ready to be burned during the
winter to keep you warm.
It boosts the immune system - Studies have revealed that cardiovascular exercise can greatly boost a person's immune system function, helping to keep them fit and healthier as a result. The immune system is literally the body's first and last line of defence against illness and disease, so the stronger it is, the better. A strong immune system, will not only help to protect you again common ailments like colds and mild flu viruses, it will also help to protect against far more serious conditions such as pneumonia or cancer.
It strengthens the heart - As mentioned, one of the main benefits associated with cardiovascular exercise is the fact that it has been medically and scientifically proven to substantially strengthen the heart and make it healthier and more efficient as a result. Your heart is a muscle just like any other, which means that it will become bigger, healthier, and stronger with the right exercises. Unlike your other muscles, however, you can't strengthen and improve the size of your heart muscle by lifting weights, but what you can do is strengthen its via cardiovascular exercise. A strong heart will pump more blood around the body, it will increase oxygen transportation, it will be far less likely to be affected by heart disease of heart attacks, and it will generally be healthier and more efficient as a result, meaning that you are as well.
Enhanced
brain health and function -
Another great benefit of cardio training is that it has
also been proven to help enhance brain health and brain function. Studies
have revealed that aerobic exercises that got the heart pumping,
actually increased the size of a part of the brain known as the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is responsible for learning and verbal memory.