Strength Training for Aerobics Participants
, by Sandesh Prasannakumar, 5 min reading time
Introduction
Any form of exercise that is moderate intensity, such as running, swimming, cycling, aerobics, dancing, etc., is good for the heart and for weight loss endeavours. Nonetheless, it is a fact that relying only on aerobic training is detrimental in the long run as it results in a loss of muscle mass and slowing metabolism. That is why aerobic exercise participants must also incorporate some weight training into their exercise regimen.
To sum up, strength training has many benefits for people that aerobic exercise cannot offer. This exercise helps put up lean muscles, enhance the strength of bones, improve mobility and balance, and increase the body's metabolic rate even when the person is at rest. That is why it is better to combine aerobic and resistance training – fat loss will occur faster, and it will be easier to move to the next level. A fully-fledged workout program incorporating both aspects is far superior to aerobics in getting the best body and health.
Advantages of Incorporating Resistance Exercises
Here are some of the top reasons why those focused on aerobic training should add strength training to their regimens:
Developing Muscles and Increasing Metabolism
Aerobic exercise eliminates calories during the activity but fails to develop or maintain muscle tissues. Due to ageing and calorie depletion in aerobic exercises, those who perform aerobics gradually lose muscles without resistance training. This reduces metabolic rate because muscles require more energy to maintain than fats, even when the body is at rest. Increasing lifting weights for a few days improves lean muscle mass and raises your basal metabolic rate.
Enhances Bone Health
Most aerobic exercises, such as running, cycling, and aerobics, offer little opposition to your bones. Nevertheless, strength training puts some pressure on bones; though it is not as intense as muscle strengthening, it is still sufficient to help bones become stronger and denser. This is quite beneficial, especially for checking for osteoporosis issues in the future.
Supports Functional Fitness
VO2 max is good for cardiovascular fitness because it determines your aerobic power. However, simple activities such as carrying bags of groceries, lifting an object from the ground, climbing the stairs, etc., are other activities that need muscle strength. It is important to do some resistance training so that you can perform these simple activities when you begin to lose muscle due to ageing. Ideally, strength training is crucial in ensuring that one is fit at an older age and can perform the necessary activities for daily life.
Aids Overall Athletic Performance
Whether you just play basketball or tennis for fun or you play to build up your fitness level, incorporating weight training into your regimen benefits translation by enhancing your speed, agility and power on the court. For runners, it only helps to improve the leg and core strength as it then adapts to improve the gait cycle – effectively helping you achieve better race times with less energy spent! Strengthening is the basis of most of the activities that involve the use of muscles in a sports field.
Prevents Injuries
Asymmetrical training, or unequal development of opposing muscle groups, may lead to neuromuscular dysfunction, negatively impacting posture and movement. This increases the chances of being involved in an accident during aerobic exercises. All-body weight training also develops muscles, tendons and ligaments – providing stability and security for joints – for safer, injury-free exercise.
How Strength Training Can Be Incorporated Into Training Programmes
two strength training sessions on the full body should be performed in a week, and these sessions should not be consecutive. It is recommended that each session develop large muscle groups such as pectorals, dorsal, shoulders, arms, glutes, legs and abdominals. Free weights include dumbbells, barbells, and plates, while resistance equipment includes weight-lifting machines, bench presses and other similar apparatus.
Begin with 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions as a general guideline, but remember to concentrate on the form and execution. Rest between sets and ensure you have enough stamina to complete all your planned sets. When the body gets used to the exercise, more weight/resistance can be introduced, and fewer reps can be done in a set. It is also important to consider exercises from large to small muscle groups across multiple joints and through varying ranges of motion at high loads. Squats, lunges, push-ups and rows are ideal examples of full-body exercises.
As aerobic exercise remains the focus, strength training should be run for a maximum period of one hour. Thus, options like circuit training should also be considered for cardiovascular advantages. Portantly, pay a lot of attention to the diet – while avoiding overeating, make sure you hit your required protein intake and have a slight caloric surplus to put on lean muscle mass. If this process is followed through consistently, a strong, lean, aerobically fit body's ultimate fitness synergy will be attained.
Conclusion
The aerobic exercises should also include resistance training exercises that help build up muscles and ton all the major muscles in the body for those interested in having a well-shaped and fit body. This means having a training plan that optimises the two rather than just participating in cardio activities is better. In a body fitness program, you can lose fat mass while at the same time attaining a muscular structure that can perform different functions.
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