This question was originally posted on Quora.com, and below are some of the best answers. Answer 1 by Mansour Ansari, Fitness is the big part of my life Lifting weights? Here is an answer from a weightlifter with seven years of weightlifting experience. So lifting weights may mean playing with a dumbbell or a machine. (Public Gyms). Weightlifting means (one word) the sport of Powerlifting and the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. Now that we have separated the activities, please allow me to share my weightlifting experience. Cardio training (treadmill, walking, running, biking, etc) is an excellent way to improve heart and lungs. These activities can help strengthen your heart and lungs, therefore, leading to a better cardiovascular conditioning. You increase conditioning and project more stamina. A combination of Weight lifting and strength training such as using the Dumbbell and Machine training also offers benefits. You strengthen the heart and lungs while attending to the creation of connective tissues. This sort of approach to resistance training is a useful way of increasing the overall fitness for both endurance (heart and lungs) and production of connective tissues. A superior method of training for both cardiovascular conditioning, strength and power training, increased flexibility & mobility and excellent proprioception is a mixture of Powerlifting and Olympic-style weightlifting. There are no dull cardio requirements although there are more benefits to use cardio as an assistance exercise to weightlifting. If you do’weightlifting’ right, you increase conditioning (heart and lungs), build muscle, lose fat, trigger hormones, all at the same time. Over the years of weightlifting, I have developed an excellent heart & lungs conditioning without substantial engagement with cardio apparatuses. I can climb stairs with ease,climb walls, jump obstacles, pull and push heavy stuff with ease and control without losing my breath or begging for air. Most people will gasp heavy after any of these physical exertions. Instead of boring cardio, I use lightweight barbell training named: the Barbell Complexes. Barbell Complex is a super brutal high-intensity cardio/weightlifting routine suitable for the Intermediate trainers. I have many answers on this on Quora. For the new trainers, I recommend both. Answer 2 by William Shang, MD, MD Pathology & Exercise Medicine In addition to the excellent answers here, I would like to add two often overlooked aspects: Aerobic exercise causes the body to enter into a starvation mode. While most studies have looked at the immediate energy consumption during exercise, only more recently have studies examined the days following. On day 2, following aerobic exercise, the body is CONSERVES energy. Here’s the reference and conclusion of one such study. Springerplus.2015 Dec 22;4:798. doi: 10.1186/s40064-015-1594-2. eCollection 2015. Change in energy expenditure and physical activity in response to aerobic and resistance exercise programs. Drenowatz C, Grieve GL, DeMello MM “Total daily energy expenditure on exercise days increased by 443 ± 126 kcal/d and 239 ± 152 kcal/d for aerobic and resistance exercise, respectively (p < 0.01). Non-exercise moderate-to-vigorous PA, however, decreased on aerobic exercise days (-148 ± 161 kcal/d; p = 0.03). There was no change in total daily energy expenditure and PA on non-exercise days with aerobic exercise while resistance exercise was associated with an increase in moderate-to-vigorous PA during non-exercise days (216 ± 178 kcal/d, p = 0.01)..” Resistance exercise lowers insulin resistance. Insulin Resistance (IR) may be the greatest disease process most people haven’t heard of. IR is not only responsible for prediabetes, diabetes, but most forms of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, dementia, gout, — in other words diseases we associate with aging in the 1st World. Resistance exercise is equal if not superior to aerobic exercise in lowering IR, especially in obese individuals. This is particularly important because without lowering IR, abdominal fat cannot be easily reduced. Diabetes. 2012 Nov;61(11):2787-95. doi: 10.2337/db12-0214. Epub 2012 Jun 29. Effects of aerobic versus resistance exercise without caloric restriction on abdominal fat, intrahepatic lipid, and insulin sensitivity in obese adolescent boys: a randomized, controlled trial. Lee S, Bacha F, Hannon T, Kuk JL, Boesch C, Arslanian S “Both aerobic and resistance exercise alone are effective for reducing abdominal fat and intrahepatic lipid in obese adolescent boys. Rresistance but not aerobic exercise is also associated with significant improvements in insulin sensitivity.” There is no recognized exercise type known as “cardio” among exercise physiologists. heart disease is simply a local form of atherosclerosis occuring within the heart coronary arteries. Increased stamina is roughly 10% heart and 90% muscle adaptation. Exercise preferably utilizes (oxidative) aerobic muscle fibers or anaerobic muscle fiber metabolisms. The heart pumps either way. If you would like to learn more about my research interest in treating diabetes with resistance exercise, I invite you to check out, The FIRST Program, available on Amazon. Answer 3 by Ilaria Vezzoli, Economy from University of Brescia I totally agree with you: lifting weights is better than cardio! Why? I think there are at least 3 reasons. 1. Weight training helps to change your body composition. Doing cardio can be usefull for weight loss, but the only way to get that toned body (which every woman desires) is to lift heavy weights! Remember that the most important aspect when we speak about a healthy (and beautifull) body is the relation between fat mass and lean mass: so, what is better than a weight lifting session to increase lean mass and reduce body fat percentage? 2. Strenght training helps to boost your metabolism more powerfully. If you increase your muscle mass, even your resting metabolism burns more calories: muscles require more energy than fat for their everyday functioning. 3. Lifting weights helps to increase your confidence. Feeling more strong gives you an incredible self confidence. This is what I personally tried out: it is so satisfying to be stronger than the majority of women and even some men, and it has a positive impact on all the other aspects of my life! I know I’m a bit biased, because I fell in love with this kind of training, but I think everyone should give lifting weights a chance! Source
