The Strength Training - Cardio Misnomer

Last week, in a post, I introduced the idea that classifying exercise as either 'strength training' or 'cardio' is flawed, especially when we are talking about training. Here are three examples:

1. Endurance Training Muscular Skeletal Stress- It is indisputable that running any distance requires support by the circulatory and respiratory systems, however, often overlooked is the fact that the leg muscles have to develop an appreciable amount of force and power. The muscles of the lower body also have to be able to absorb significant ground reaction forces. These forces can be upwards of three times your body weight.
   
2. Cardio-Respiratory Support of Weightlifting- Lifting weights, especially exercises that utilize large muscles groups require strong cardiovascular and respiratory support. In fact, weight training can be structured so it has a significant cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic component- such as squatting, kettlebell lifting, sled pulling, and sandbag lifting.
   
3. Fat-Loss With Strength Training- Strength training not only builds muscle, but also burns a significant amount of Calories. Most of these Calories are from the elevated metabolism experienced after an intense strength training session. Strength training, without any traditional, long-duration 'cardio', and combined with a proper diet can lead to a significant loss of body fat. In fact, it may be an even better method to lose body fat without losing muscle mass.

Now that it is evident that we need a new model to classify exercise, I will continue with this topic by introducing the Movement Continuum Theory in my next posting.