Cardio is awesome right?

Everyone thinks that cardio is the way to go if you want to lose weight. You must walk. You must run. You must bike. You must use the elliptical. You just MUST. Don't get me wrong, cardio is important, but it shouldn't be your everything go-to all the time workout. I have a love-hate relationship with cardio, personally. I love the way I feel after a long run. I love riding my tricycle to pick up groceries or ride to a workout class, etc. But, I feel much better and stronger and LEANER when I'm weight training.

Weight training works wonders for the body. Muscle is lean. Building lean muscle tissue helps speed up your metabolism, which means you will burn more calories. Weight training makes you stronger, not only in the amount you can lift but also in terms of functional fitness as well. If you focus more on a weight training program, you'll start to notice an increase in flexibility and also in your ability to complete random tasks with ease. So, unloading groceries from the car gets easier, stacking boxes on a tall shelf becomes easier, and lifting your toddler becomes a breeze.

If you're like me, you'll find that too much cardio can actually make you gain weight. Cardio tends to make you hungry. You tend to crave carbs when you're doing a lot of cardio. And carbs make you retain water and bloat. For me, I find a good balanced workout schedule works wonders. So, focus on doing mostly weight training or body weight exercises (like push-ups) for 4-5 days a week. And, do your cardio sessions only 1-2 days a week. This way, you get a little cardio exercise in, but it shouldn't hinder your overall progress. I've also found that if you start to hit a plateau in your weight loss, adding in extra weight training sessions can help you get past that plateau faster.

What is your relationship with cardio? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Or are you somewhere in between? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.