Is Cardio Over-rated?
- How the gym boosted my fitness
- Why too much cardio is a bad thing
It’s that time of year when everyone (and their dog, literally) wants to be outdoors. Temperatures are rising and nobody wants to be cooked up inside!
Whether it’s running, cycling or any other cardiovascular activity, it’s always more enjoyable in the sunshine. Certainly when I was training for marathons, it was the cold, dark, winter nights that used to be the issue. However, with having a goal, training needs to be done.
Running seems to be the hobby of Choice for those looking to get fit faster and for free and it’s easy to see why.
I often found that as a personal trainer, injuries would spike when (especially) beginners would try running and pushing themselves too far. This is quite common.
Ideally, distance-wise, you should only be increasing in increments of around 5% each time. Simply deciding that you’re going to go for a long run one day is not the solution.
RYPT is all about sustainability, moderation and enjoyment: that principle certainly doesn’t adhere to any of these. Besides, if all you is focus solely on one discipline, then your performance will be hampered. Even doing marathons, I would be in the gym at least three times a week, doing classes and cycling all within an average week through a structured plan and not overdoing it.
Performance suffers when you don’t look at the bigger picture. If you can strengthen muscles through a gym plan, diversify your cardio by cycling: improving your resting heart rate and get enough variety so you don’t get bored then you are onto a winner.
Indeed a common mistake that runners make is to stick with their chosen discipline and wonder why they aren’t improving. In truth, once you have the muscle capacitance (which can be easily achieved through gym training) it comes down to improving your lung capacity (again achievable through any cardiovascular exercise).
In truth, the conditions and acclimatisation are the reason that runners feel they need to stick with running. However a limited degree of marathon preparation comes through running exclusively. Opening your mind to other types of training is certainly the most rewarding thing you can do.
Furthermore, don’t forget stretching and recovery (these are vital). Even classes like bodybalance or yoga will drastically improve your stride length and lessen risk of recovery.
Yes, running is fantastic to improve your health, wellness and energy however balance is what will ultimately get you results. Cardiovascular training clearly has a place but without muscle training, it will do little for your physique or aversion to injury.
During my running training, I personally found that gym workouts were the most advantageous; not only could I improve my strength / endurance and hence my running ability but I found it to be often more organised then simply “going for a run.” Gym sessions are often based on time and the difficulty can be adjusted to your own needs (providing of course that you know what you’re doing.
Sign up for the RYPT app now and discover a whole new world that will get you motivated, supplement your current training or even get you started. Your fully personalised plan awaits…
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Ross
Owner
