Are you someone who loves cardiovascular exercise but is intimidated by weight lifting?
That’s OK! Any exercise is better than no exercise, but if you’re looking to get the lean out, tone up and get the best results possible during your transformation challenge, then resistance training is a must.
If you’re wary about hitting the weight, don’t worry. Here are some strength training secrets for cardio bunnies that can help you get better results with just a little bit of time spent lifting:
Strength Training Secrets for Cardio Bunnies
#1 Start Now
We always think there is a “right” time to start something in life, be it cleaning out the garage, improving our diet, or tackling that outdoor project you’ve been meaning to. The reality is that there is never a “perfect time.” You’ll always find some excuse for why now isn’t the right time for x, y, or z.
In other words, the perfect time to start strength training is now.
Not sure where to start?
No problem!
There are a wealth of FREE resources, including the 1UP articles section as well as the 1UP Fitness App where we provide customized training programs tailored to your goals and preferences. Within the app, you can also access our extensive exercise library so you can see exactly how an exercise should be performed.
#2 Nobody is Watching You
So many individuals feel uncomfortable going to the gym out of fear that everyone will be watching them and/or judging them for the way they work out or the amount of weight they lift..
The truth is, nobody cares how much weight you’re lifting.
They’re too focused on their own training to take note of how much weight you’re lifting, what exercise you’re performing, or if your outfit is color-coordinated.
The best thing you can do for your mental health and workout performance is block out the noise and focus on YOU.
What’s been helpful for us is to put on headphones, crank up the volume, and dial into the workout for the day. For added focus during training, having a serving of pre workout can be very helpful. 1UP Pre Men and 1UP Pre Women contain powerful nootropics and focus enhancers, including Guarana, CognatiQ, and Huperzine, that enhance concentration and help you to block out distractions.
#3 Lifting Weights Burns More Calories Than Cardio
Cardio has long been viewed as the “best” way to burn calories and lose fat. However, the increased calorie-burning benefits of traditional steady state cardio end pretty much when you stop your workout.
Resistance training, on the other hand, boosts your metabolism for multiple hours (24-48 hours, in some cases) due to the afterburn effect. So, while your calorie burn during a typical 45-minute strength training workout may be less than what you’d burn from 45 minutes on the elliptical, over the next 24 hours, you’re body will still be burning more calories per hour over the next day or two following a weight lifting workout than it would from steady-state cardio session.
An important caveat is that the afterburn effect only applies to intense workouts -- compound exercises like squats, presses, pull-ups, etc.), interval training, and sprints. If you’re not pushing yourself during your resistance training or interval workouts, then you won’t get the afterburn effect.
#4 Resistance Training Makes You Lean and Toned
A lean and toned physique is something millions aspire to, and think they can get there by adopting a low-calorie diet and doing lots of cardio. While you will lose weight with this approach, you’ll likely end up looking thin and soft (aka skinny fat), but you won’t have the lean, toned muscles that you envisioned.
This is due to the fact that cardio doesn’t build muscle, strength training does. Stressing a muscle under tension (aka resistance training/strength training) ignites a powerful metabolic signal that tells your body to reshape and tone your muscles.
You also increase energy expenditure and boost metabolism, which helps burn body fat! In fact, resistance training has been shown to help reduce belly fat.[1]
Basically, if you want to lose weight and achieve a lean, toned physique, then resistance training is critical!
#5 Strength Training Doesn’t Make You Bulky
While strength training will help make you lean and toned, one thing it WILL NOT do is make you bulky. This myth has festered for far too long, and it’s past time that it died.
The truth is that building muscle is one of the hardest, most energy-intensive processes in the body. In order to build “slabs” of big, hard, dense muscles, you have to make bodybuilding your life. Building appreciable amounts of muscle requires years and years of dedicated training, nutrition, sleep, and stress management.
Simply going to the gym 3-4x per week and lifting heavy isn’t going to transform you into a future Mr or Ms. Olympia. You will increase muscle strength and size as well as improve your aesthetics, but you will not look bulky. And, no one is going to mistake you for a pharmacologically-enhanced physique athlete.
#6 Resistance Training Reduces Stress
In addition to all of the other benefits we’ve mentioned about lifting weights (boosted metabolism, fat loss, muscle gain, etc.), it also helps to reduce stress!
Research shows that while intense exercise is an acute stressor to the body, it actually improves mood and reduces feelings of tension and anxiety.[2,3]
Life can get pretty chaotic at times, so it’s good to know that even when you’re feeling stressed, picking up some heavy weights or knocking out a few sets of push ups and squats can help boost mood (and help build muscle!).
If you’re still feeling on edge after your daily workout, then you may want to look into a relaxation supplement, such as 1UP RELAX which contains natural mood support and calming ingredients like KSM-66 ashwagandha, L-Theanine, and L-Tyrosine.
#7 Supports Cardiometabolic Health
We all want to look good and feel good. At the same time, it’s also important to make sure our insides are just as healthy as our exterior can appear.
Strength training is known to improve insulin sensitivity, glucose utilization, cardiovascular health, and blood pressure.[1,4,5]
The Bottom Line on Strength Training for Cardio Bunnies
Hopefully this article eases some of your concerns and reservations about resistance training and motivates you to add it into your weekly workout regimen. Also, keep in mind that you can STILL keep doing cardio each week.
Living a fit and healthy life is about finding (and maintaining) balance. This includes your workouts, nutrition, sleep, stress management and social engagements. If you ever have questions or need an extra motivational boost, we’ve got you!
Joining our 8-week transformation challenge lets you join our private Facebook group where you can engage with other like-minded individuals, get feedback from experienced coaches, and receive the insights you need to get the best results from your efforts in the gym and in the kitchen!
References
- Javier Ibañez, Mikel Izquierdo, Iñaki Argüelles, Luis Forga, José L. Larrión, Marisol García-Unciti, Fernando Idoate, Esteban M. Gorostiaga; Twice-Weekly Progressive Resistance Training Decreases Abdominal Fat and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Older Men With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 1 March 2005; 28 (3): 662–667. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.28.3.662
- Strickland JC, Smith MA. The anxiolytic effects of resistance exercise. Front Psychol. 2014 Jul 10;5:753. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00753. PMID: 25071694; PMCID: PMC4090891.
- O’Sullivan, D., Gordon, B. R., Lyons, M., Meyer, J. D., & Herring, M. P. (2023). Effects of resistance exercise training on depressive symptoms among young adults: A randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry Research, 326, 115322. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115322
- Jiahao L, Jiajin L, Yifan L. Effects of resistance training on insulin sensitivity in the elderly: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Exerc Sci Fit. 2021 Oct;19(4):241-251. doi: 10.1016/j.jesf.2021.08.002. Epub 2021 Aug 19. PMID: 34552636; PMCID: PMC8429971.
- Cornelissen, V. A., Fagard, R. H., Coeckelberghs, E., & Vanhees, L. (2011). Impact of Resistance Training on Blood Pressure and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors. Hypertension, 58(5), 950–958.https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.177071
