The real benefits of weight training vs. cardio

The benefits of cardio

1. It burns calories fast

If you want to blast through those calories with a burst of exercise, high-powered cardio is your quick fix; a short-term strategy for weight loss. The faster you move, the higher your heart rate climbs and the more calories you torch, meaning a run or a speedy cycle can be particularly effective. But, for a serious burn, we recommend a cardio boxing workout. One session can shred up to 1,000 calories, making it one of the highest impact exercises you can do.

2. It boosts your mood

All exercise benefits your mental health, and cardio is no different. There’s something freeing about slotting in some morning sprints or smashing your PB at the pool. It’s easy to lose yourself in your workout when you’re picking up the pace. Plus, according to an issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, it’s believed to reduce both anxiety and depression by increasing blood flow to your brain. Now, if that isn’t a reason to reach for your boxing gloves, we don’t know what is.

3. You can do it (almost) anywhere

Running, walking, jogging, cycling… you can do them anytime, anywhere, making cardio a pretty easy way of keeping active daily. Perfect for fitting in around your training sessions, we’re big fans of a quick, late-night 5k. But, if you want to take advantage of a full-body toning box, you might need to hit the studio.

The benefits of weight training

1. It burns more calories for longer

If you compare a weight training session with a cardio class of the same duration, it’s likely you’re going to see a higher calorie blitz from that killer cardio. However – and this is important to note – weight training continues to burn more calories post-workout, even while your body is at rest. This is because the muscle you build can help increase your resting metabolism, so those calorie-burning benefits keep going for hours (or even days!) after you exercise.

2. It also enhances mental health

Our number one fitness goal is better mental health – always has been – and, like cardio, weight training is said to positively elevate your mood. According to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, numerous studies indicate that strength training can lower anxiety while lifting up your self-esteem. Plus, there are few things better for keeping your mind busy than hitting the free weights. And the sense of achievement from pressing 75% of your body weight? There’s nothing like it.

3. It makes you stronger and more toned

For serious sculpting, weight training is the ultimate workout. You get the perfect combination of calorie-crushing and full-body toning in a single session. But, best of all, it increases your strength and makes you feel unstoppable, releasing a rush of endorphins every time you hit another goal. Who doesn’t want to up their strength?

Weight training vs. cardio: what’s the verdict?

When it comes to weight training vs. cardio, you don’t have to pick one over the other. Having a mix of both lets you reap all the mind-calming, body-boosting benefits you see above.

However, we do recommend a weight training-first approach for two reasons: a) it helps you burn more calories for longer and b) the muscles you build will make your cardio work harder. So, get booking your first The Artisan PT consultation, and we’ll find a weight training routine that works for you – plus a few boxing sessions to help you cover off your cardio.