Steps or Reps?

Apr 8

The Great Debate

Coca-Cola vs Pepsi, Celtics vs Lakers, Apple vs Microsoft, Adidas vs Nike. No matter what the subject is, you’ll find rivalries as old as time.

One of the biggest rivalries in the fitness world is strength training vs cardio. When I first started my fitness career, I was in a marketing role. A lot of my time was spent in-house, and I got a front-row seat to the gym ecosystem.

The die-hard lifters would crack jokes at the cardio people for being string beans, while the cardio-lovers would remind the meatheads that they couldn’t jog a mile if their life depended on it.

It’s easy to have a bias toward our strengths and what we like, but objectivity matters. So, let’s settle the score once and for all: when it comes to health, longevity, and capability, should we hit the weights? Or should we lace up our shoes and rack up the mileage?

But before we compare and contrast, we need to first establish a general understanding of what each one is.

Aerobic vs Anaerobic

Aerobic (cardio) = WITH Oxygen

Anaerobic (weights/sprints) = WITHOUT Oxygen.

Think of it this way: When you’re doing your cardio, and you’re huffin’ and puffin’, you’re utilizing a lot of oxygen as energy to sustain whatever activity you’re doing. At the same time, when your exercise involves short, intense bursts, such as sprinting or lifting a heavy weight, your body relies on fuel sources like glycogen or creatine phosphate rather than oxygen.

To put it even more simply, any exercise that lasts longer than 10 minutes (though in some cases as short as 2) is aerobic, while anything under 10 minutes is anaerobic.

So, at the end of the day, what are the benefits of each? Is one better than the other?

Let’s dive in.

Reps

Although you may see resistance/strength training only as something that will make you look good at the beach, it is actually one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health.

Inactive adults lose anywhere between 3% and 8% of their muscle mass every decade [1]. Why does this matter? If you have less muscle mass, your resting metabolism decreases, and you will start to accumulate more fat. More muscle = higher metabolic rate, AKA, you burn more calories while doing nothing.

Not only that, but resistance training increases healthy levels of testosterone and growth hormone, reduces the risk of falls by up to 57% [2], and may assist in both the prevention and management of Type 2 Diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity [1]. A 2014 study [3] also found that older adults with more muscle had a 19% lower risk of premature death. Strength training packs a punch when it comes to living longer.

As you age (especially women), your bone density decreases. Resistance training is regarded as the optimal way to both reduce bone loss and increase bone density in postmenopausal women, aging men, and the elderly population [4]. Want stronger bones? Start working on your strength.

Lastly, resistance training is one of the best ways to lose fat. We already talked about how muscle mass can raise your resting metabolism, but something cool happens in your body after you engage in an anaerobic activity. It’s called EPOC.

EPOC, or Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, is best explained by the analogy of a car engine: once you turn your car off after driving, the engine stays warm for a while and needs time to cool down [5]. The same thing happens after exercises such as lifting or sprinting. Your body continues to burn energy/calories at a higher rate, even after you’re done. Depending on the exercise, duration, and intensity, this could last for up to 48 hours, whereas with traditional cardio (aerobic), you’re only burning calories while you’re moving.

Start pumping the iron to become stronger, leaner, more resilient, happier, more confident, and to alter your biochemistry for the better. The good news is that you don’t even need a gym membership or equipment to get these results. Even consistent bodyweight training can produce similar results.

Steps

Aerobic exercise, or cardio, includes activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, and running. Essentially, any activity that is rhythmic, uses large muscle groups, and is something that you can sustain for longer periods falls into this category [6].

One of the greatest ways you can take care of your heart, or your ‘ticker’, as my dad would say, is to make it work harder in a controlled setting. Aerobic training increases your capillary density [7], therefore improving oxygen uptake and transport throughout the body. Not only that, but it increases your heart’s stroke volume, meaning it pumps more blood per beat. More efficiency = less strain.

In addition, aerobic training improves your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) [8]. While Heart rate measures beats per minute, HRV measures the exact fluctuating milliseconds between beats. This variability shows us the balance between your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) nervous system. This is important because we want to mostly live in that restful state.

Low HRV = poor recovery, poor stress tolerance, and sluggishness.

High HRV = a resilient, well-recovered system that can handle stress without falling apart.

But the benefits of cardio don’t stop at the heart; they go as deep as your mitochondria, or the powerhouse of the cell, for anyone who was paying attention in 6th grade. This type of exercise stimulates the creation of new mitochondria [9], leading to better endurance, improved fat burning, and better metabolic health.

To add some final perks of getting your steps in, you may experience lower blood pressure [10] and improved cholesterol levels: an increase in HDL (good cholesterol), a decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol), and, subsequently, a reduced risk of heart disease.

And weight loss? Sure, it can definitely help you burn more calories, but I wouldn’t rely on cardio alone to drop those pounds. As we talked about earlier, the EPOC effect is largely negligible after an aerobic workout. You’re going to get faster, more long-term fat-loss results by also incorporating proper nutrition and strength training.

The Hybrid Approach

The polls are in, and it’s time for the big reveal.

So which one’s better? The overall answer is neither. They both offer many overlapping benefits, but they also have unique strengths: Aerobic training makes your body more efficient, while Anaerobic training makes it more capable and resilient. Why not have the best of both worlds?

At the end of the day, shouldn’t our goal be to live as long as possible while being as healthy as possible?

And it’s not just about health and longevity either. It’s about being useful—from everyday tasks, such as helping someone move, to emergency situations that require strength and endurance.

Personally, I take the hybrid approach. Am I limiting my strength potential by doing as much trail running as I do? Sure, and I also lower the ceiling for my speed and endurance by keeping a decent amount of muscle. But I’d rather be capable in both areas than a master of one.

However, my main concern is its impact on my health. Both types of training help you sleep better [12]. They both offer neuroprotective benefits by increasing BDNF [13], which is essentially just Miracle-Grow for the brain, and they both greatly benefit your mental health by creating things called Hope Molecules. To read more about Hope Molecules, check out the post I wrote here.

In the end, you can’t go wrong with exercise. Anyone who knows me has heard me say that at the end of the day, all that matters is that you’re moving. But if you want to get the maximum benefits, then hammer out those reps and get those steps.

How to Implement

The American Heart Association and the CDC recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. However, I think that should be a baseline. Because most of us work sedentary jobs and live largely sedentary lives, I believe it should be much more, if possible.

The amount of exercise required varies for each person due to several factors, including stress levels, their line of work, and any underlying health issues. So, if you’re going to start exercising, start slow and find what works best for you.

And you don’t have to go crazy, either. More isn’t always better. The body needs time to rest and recover. Lastly, make it fun. This shouldn’t be another dreaded chore on your list.

If you’re either trying to navigate chronic pain or chronic illness and are unsure how to implement exercise, or you’re looking to make healthy life choices and don’t know what to do, you can book a free call with me here, and I can help you get the ball rolling.

Get movin’!