Thursday, October 22, 2009

Strength Training And Cardio Workout Combinations For Maximum Success

By Cathy Fatherel

There are many strength training and cardio workout options, but which one is right for you? Whether you are new to exercise and don't know where to start or have been working out for awhile without getting the results you really desire, there are some things to consider when it comes to setting up an effective workout program.

You don't need to spend more hours at the gym in order to get in the best workouts. You just have to workout in a new, smarter fashion! Ultimately, you can call your workout program a completely success if it allows you to see the results you really want to see without completely burning you out. That means you want to get ripped abs before you get frustrated and quit.

If you are just now starting out, aim for about a half hour a few days a week. With time, your body will get stronger and you will need to increase the intensity of the workout, go for a longer period of time, or perhaps add in another workout per week. Stay at your current level of fitness and then gradually increase the demands on your body.

Yet, do you know what to do during those hours you devote to getting in shape? There has been a lot of argument in the industry about strength training programs versus cardio sessions, but you can bypass all that complicated science right away. There are benefits to both types of exercise, and you need them both!

Strength training will develop your muscles, but you need cardio to burn off the fat that is currently hiding those muscles! You will never achieve the body of your dreams while doing only one or the other.

Yet, doing both of these forms of exercise is too time consuming, right? This is what you may believe, but if you are doing it correctly it doesn't have to be time consuming at all.

The most time efficient way to get in your strength training and cardio workout obligations is to do them together! Interval training has now been developed to allow those with less time to spend in the gym a way of getting a complete workout in a short period of time. It is now one of the best ways to workout for everyone.

You basically go through various strength training moves and cardio moves, moving directly from one to the other without pause. This keeps your heart rate up from the bursts or cardio while strengthening your muscles.

It is untrue that you have to do all weights or all cardio at a time. You can cheat a little and get them done at once now!

If you can get the fat burn of a cardio workout and the definition and toning benefits of a strengthening workout all at once, why wouldn't you do it? That is exactly what interval training offers. You can get in a strength training and cardio workout all at once!

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