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I'm a long-time runner who recently took up weightlifting but my body hasn't changed. Is cardio a hindrance to strength-training?

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  • Resistance-training and cardio affect the body in different ways, and it varies from person to person.
  • While cardio generally burns more calories during the exercise, building muscles raises your basal metabolic rate which means you burn more calories at rest.
  • The only real way to find out if running too much is inhibiting your muscle growth is to cut down on it and see.
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Dear Rachel,

For the past few years, I have been a runner (running four times a week) however I've recently taken up weightlifting. My main motive for taking up weightlifting is because I want to get strong but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't doing it for aesthetics too! My dilemma is that I'm not sure what the correct balance should be between weights and cardio.

As someone that is sat down at a desk all day for work, I'm reluctant to reduce the amount I run as I'm worried I'll start to pile on the pounds if I run any less! However, I've been reading that too much cardio can be detrimental to weightlifting as it makes it much harder to build muscle and subsequently get that 'toned' look.

I've been weightlifting for about five months now and have not seen much change in body composition at all which is disheartening because I go to the gym five times a week in addition to my running. I have a very healthy diet too so I'm stumped as to what I need to change! What is the correct balance of cardio and weightlifting for someone like me who otherwise has to be sedentary at a desk all day?

— Frustrated Fitness Fanatic

Dear Frustrated,

This is a super interesting question!

As a strength-training advocate, personally I'm thrilled to hear you've taken up weightlifting. However, as much as I urge people — and women in particular — to get into the weights room, I'm a bigger proponent of not forcing yourself to do any exercise you don't enjoy, as that's just damaging for your mental health.

So my question to you is, do you enjoy running? Or do you just do it because you're worried you'll gain weight if you don't? And does lifting make you feel awesome as well as being a means to improve strength and create a muscular physique?

125KG DEADLIFTS WOTCHU SAYIN’?! ???? Someone asked me the other day I how much I could deadlift and I realised I didn’t know because I haven’t really pushed myself for a while. ????????‍♀️ So this evening I went to the gym and decided to see how much I can lift, and at that moment it was 125kg. That’s nearly twice my body weight! Quite chuffed. ????????‍♀️ (And ngl the first time I did it - sans camera - it was a lot easier, quicker, and with less of a pained expression lol.) ???? I’ll be honest, I’m not my leanest right now. I’m not feeling my fittest - a month away followed by a month of all the Christmas celebrations will do that to a girl and I don’t regret any of it. ???? But it’s bloody excellent to have a reminder that I am strong af. Who cares what my body looks like? Look at what it can do!!! Priorities, people. YAS! ????????

A post shared by Rachel Hosie (@rachel_hosie) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:53am PST on

 

There's nothing wrong with having aesthetic goals, don't get me wrong. But maybe it would be useful for you to take a step back and think about which form of exercise you actually enjoy, look forward to, and like doing in the moment, not just afterward.

Giving your body time to recover is essential

I'd also like to congratulate you on your active lifestyle — getting that much exercise in when you have a full-time desk job is no mean feat! You have to prioritize yourself and your health, so kudos to you.

However, be careful not to overdo it. Five gym sessions plus running four times a week is really a lot of exercise — more than most fitness experts would recommend.

Only you know your body and what feels good, but recovery and getting enough sleep are so important. I know people who've swapped out some of their intense exercise sessions for more meditation, yoga, and rest, and that ended up being the key to hitting their fat-loss goals.

I know how disheartening it can be when you're working hard and not getting the results you want though. A lot of people give up a new fitness regime after a couple of weeks when they don't immediately have a six-pack, but the truth is that change — be that fat-loss, muscle gain, or anything else — take a long time.

With five months of weight-training under your belt, I can understand your frustration. Are you lifting heavy? Or are you sticking to light weights and high reps? Ideally, you want to be doing the former.

Your body reacts and adapts to the exercise you do

The thing is, how different forms of exercise affect your body varies so much from person to person. Mixing up your training and keeping it diverse is undeniably a good thing though, as Niko Algieri, Co-founder of Equilibrium gym in west London and content creator, explained to Insider.

"You are what you do," he said. "If you just run long distances your body adapts to that stimulus and resistance. You'll have low muscle mass, fantastic cardiovascular capacity, stereotypically terrible mobility and flexibility, low strength, and little muscular endurance when lifting stuff.

"If you just train weights you'll have balanced muscle composition, be strong, and be more mobile if you're hitting your end range correctly, but with terrible cardiovascular capacity. You see what I'm getting at?"

I'm presuming it's everyone's first full week back at the gym, and getting the nutrition back to something less like that of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? Good! Well done, medal to you. I'll also guess that you've all got that one mate who, after their own detox, is climbing the walls with their need to party, get shit-faced, eat all Pizzas ever made and never sleep. I've got one, he's called Kevin. They're the best and the worst mates you can have. The yes men. You've done a week. I'm 38, that's 0.0005% of my life. You've basically done nothing. You've started something and are nowhere near sorting it out. ALL the alcohol and crap food has barely left the system. For some of you, it's still sitting there on your arms and stomach. Stay the course just for another week and then introduce a little rubbish. It is fun I'll give you that. And the same with the workouts. You've probably kicked into gear and completed 4 to 5 workouts? Great! But your body is just realising what the hell is going on, the adaptations are starting but you've got to keep them going. Keep lifting, running, stretching (shush PT bullies, to stretch is to lengthen so trying to quash that word is down to your diction), keep hydrating and consuming healthy whole foods. Training and changing your body is about CONSISTENCY not 6 week blasts. I'm also not saying turn into a Monk/Nun. I'm saying keep it tight for at least another week, the difference will be huge. Now it's the weekend... Whatcha gonna do?

A post shared by ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? - Fitness / TRX (@nikoalgieri) on Jan 10, 2020 at 2:10am PST on

 

You don't necessarily need to choose between strength-training and running, but Algieri recommends sticking to one type of exercise per day.

"On the days that you're doing your long runs, anything 10k and above, then don't resistance train," he said. "Try doing two to three of these a week. Then resistance/weight-training three times a week.

"When you lift weights, DON'T run. Let's see how the body reacts. If the running really helps your mental health, then at the end of your weight sessions add 30 minutes of SLOW cardio. Conversational speed we call it."

Again, you'll need to stick to this for a little while to see how your body will react.

Make sure you're fueling your body adequately

"See how the body composition and muscle aesthetics change after four weeks," Algieri advised. "Then, of course, make sure that the nutrition is on point. Plenty of protein. Runners need a lot of carbs but if you're also lifting weights then you need protein to repair."

Having a healthy diet is fantastic as you'll be getting lots of nutrients in, but if you want to lose some body fat to show off your muscles, you just need to watch your portion sizes — nourishing foods like avocados and nuts can still lead to weight gain if you eat too much as they're very calorie-dense.

I understand you're worried about gaining weight if you cut down on running, but here's the magical thing about weight-training: The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns at rest as you'll have increased your basal metabolic rate.

 

Ultimately, doing both cardio and weight-training is great for your body, you just need to find the right balance for you.

"For general fitness and strength development, it is excellent to focus on a mix of strength and cardio — both have excellent benefits," Laura Hoggins, trainer at The Foundry Gym and author of "Lift Yourself," explained to Insider.

"If your main goal is to change your body composition, to lose fat and gain lean muscle, then you will need to train using resistance and do cardiovascular activity.

"Now, both will 'burn calories,' and we know when it comes to fat-loss, the energy balance equation is essential to have a good understanding of — by being in a sustainable calorie deficit over time, you are most likely to lose fat because you are burning more than the energy you are taking in.

"Here's where it's important to find the balance that works for you with lifting and strength work, because to achieve that definition, you will need to lift relatively heavy, using the theory of progressive overload to gain muscle."

 

Progressive overload means gradually increasing either the weight or the volume (ie. number of reps or sets) over time, but don't increase both at once.

Focus on deadlifts, squats, and press-ups

Hoggins also recommends resistance-training two to three times a week and focusing on compound lifts to work the major muscle groups: deadlifts, squats, lunges, press-ups, and pull-ups (with assistance where necessary).

"Ensure the load is challenging, and you're moving with good form," she said. "This will provide a stimulus to change your body composition, whilst giving you time to recover and get those runs in."

 

But again, Hoggins stresses the importance of fueling yourself properly and making sure you have time to recover:

"We must remember that diet and nutrition is fundamental in achieving body composition changes," she said, "and be cautious of the signs of overtraining, sometimes less is more."

Try changing your training style, be patient, and be kind to yourself — each of our bodies reacts differently and at different speeds. Look after yourself and you'll get there in good time, there's no rush and it's not a race.

Wishing you well,

Rachel

As Insider's Senior Lifestyle Reporter and a self-confessed fitness fanatic, Rachel Hosie is fully immersed in the wellness scene and is here to answer all your burning questions. Whether you're struggling to find the motivation to go for a run, confused about light vs. heavy weights, or don't know whether you should be worried about how much sugar is in a mango, Rachel is here to give you the no-nonsense answers and advice you need, with strictly no fad diets in sight.

Rachel has a wealth of experience covering fitness, nutrition, and wellness, and she has the hottest experts at her fingertips — she regularly speaks to some of the world's most knowledgeable and renowned personal trainers, dietitians, and coaches, ensuring she's always up-to-date with the latest science-backed facts you need to know to live your happiest, healthiest life.

Have a question? Ask Rachel at workingitout@insider.com or fill out this anonymous form. All questions will be published anonymously.

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