Which is better: cardio or weightlifting?

Question

What's healthier for the body vs what leads to a more aesthetically pleasing body?

geeky_artist · Accepted Answer

Both are good for you. Most people think cardio is only running. Which has its ups and downs. The pros of running is that it helps burn fat and helps with lean leg muscles. Con is that is it high impact on the knees. If you want to avoid that swimming is great. Its a great all body workout and is low impact. Weights are great too if you want to burn fat. Girls won't get bulky if they do weights. It will just help define and tone the muscles. Personally I include both cardio and weightlifting into my work out routine. Doing this it helps me work different muscles but also forces me to change up the workouts. So my body won't plateau.

Climber · Accepted Answer

I agree with most opinions. You need cardio to burn fat and lifting to create or tone muscle. But I do not believe in the word "diet". Most diets give a yoyo effect. I do believe in healthy eating. Lots of vegatables and fruit, enough proteins, good carbs and no bad ones (sugar, sweets, soft drinks, ...)

NotJustAnotherGuy · Accepted Answer

Cardio is healthier. Among elites, endurance athletes can expect to live 4.5 years longer than those in power sports..

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8450727

What is more aesthetic depends on your body fat %. For most people, cardio will create better aesthetics. For the few people with low enough body fat % for their muscle definition to be showing, weightlifting is better. Just remember, muscle is layered under your fat, so if you're fat, no amount of muscle will make you look toned.

Illusive_Man · Accepted Answer

You NEED both.
Weightlifting without cardio will turn you into a lumbering beast who can't run 5 flights of stairs before wheezing like an old man.
Cardio without weightlifting will make you look like one of those Kenyan distance runners with not a single strain of fat on them making them look like walking anatomy diagrams.

You need both.
Weightlifting for the muscle definition.
Cardio to burn the fat covering the muscle with enables people to SEE them muscle definition.

BelleGirl21 · Answer

WEIGHTLIFTING!!!

Cardio is great for quick fat loss, but if you want a toned body, that is strong and sexy weightlifting is the way to go. It's so much healthier for you in the long run. Running after time ruins joints and even gets rid of muscle mass.

rachelbrrtt · Answer

I'm going to tell you what my power lifting (competitive weight lifting) coach told me, the best work out you will ever have is when you make lifting weights cardio.

What that means is you don't rest and just stand or sit between reps. Let yourself take like 10 seconds max to recover then do another. Use lighter weights for this type of work out.

But your question of which one is healthier is like asking are vegtables or fruits better for you. You need both to be healthy.

Justsomeobservantguy · Answer

Really depends to be fair, both cardio and weightlifting do burn fat. And the more muscle you have the easier you will burn fat as your body needs more fuel to run it so you will stay looking in shape easier. Going for one or the other cardio is definitely healther. I work with a bodybuilder and even though he looks in great shape he has next to no endurance and is always getting ill. I think purely weight lifting for girls doesn't give the best look anyway as they end up a little to broad in the back/shoulders. Best and healthiest way to do it is have a decent split between the two. Cardio for an hour a day and weights once or twice a week. :) p. s. I work in a gym so not sure if that's a little more regular than most people would go for :/ either way that's my thoughts :)

sammy_31 · Answer

I'd do both nothing is wrong with variety. Do some cardio before you do some weightlifting and you can also have a day where you focus on a certain part of your body to work out. I do cardio before my other workout routines.

Path1993 · Answer

Healthier for the body is cardio, without a doubt.

aesthetically pleasing - need a mixture. There does need to be emphasis on the type of cardio training you do. If you want to keep muscle but shred fat there are certain types of cardio training that you should be doing.

Quick example
Most girls like the stair master because it build the leg muscle and burns fat.

Good luck with it!

aamy811 · Answer

Lifting weights. Please read this link thy will explain it all Benefits of strength training

AllThatSweetJazz · Answer

Cardio is for losing weight and strengthening your vascular and respiratory systems. I say go with mostly cardio, specifically High Intensity Interval Training. Skinny girls are beautiful and you'll be healthy.

Weight training is for muscle strength/size/endurance depending on how you do it. If you like you can add some weights, but what kind of weight training you do depends on what you'd like to achieve. Would you like strength, size or endurance?

Em_Power · Answer

I've heard weightlifting is meant to be better for a great looking body but I gave up on them and compensate with cardio instead - much more fun than weights

bananatossing · Answer

Depends on what you want to achieve. Cardio if you want to lose some weight first (you'd still want to do it on occasion later) and lifting will help you tone your body (you will have to to this for the rest of your life to maintain). I personally enjoy doing cardio much, much more than weightlifting though.

WeaponZero · Answer

A mix of both is the ideal. That being said cardio in and of itself does nothing to shape your body. It just burns calories which helps you maintain a calorie deficit.

You can get the benefits of both however in circuits and complexes.

front2back · Answer

Both are important. If you lift heavy but start panting after going up a flight of stairs that's bad. Similarly, if you can run for 20 minutes straight no problem but can't lift your suitcase that's bad.

kheserthorpe · Answer

Healthier... Both maybe leaning cardio But both.  Aesthetics? Weights.

AkumaKira · Answer

A mix of those is the best. Healthier is cardio but you need weightlifting too to get a balance on your body.

MaiNameIsSunshine · Answer

I would say both, cardio to burn fat/stay lean and weightlifting to build muscle definition/ be toned.

zorro8888 · Answer

Well it's better to have a nice amount of both. However, if you just want to pick one, I'd go with cardio.

Aud_Queen · Answer

Both. Cardio sheds the fat. Long runs slims the thighs and tones everything.  Weights? They'll get you dat ass 👌

Misterjay02 · Answer

Weightlifting will give you more tone, definition and muscle, while cardio will help burn fat better. A balance of both is what you need.

calliptra · Answer

it is about your expectation about sport. What do you wanna get sexy body? powerful body? faster one etc...

TripleAce · Answer

It really depends your how your body is  Some will benefit more from Weights and some more from Weight loss

smokahontas · Answer

Cardio if you want to lose some belly fat. Weight-lifting if you want to gain toned arms and muscle.

Barbarossa · Answer

You need to do both. Alternate one day of cardio with a day of weightlifting.

Northeast106 · Answer

Both are needed, I don't think its one or the other. The more exercise you do in general, the better off your gonna be.

ObviouslyBored · Answer

Weight lifting is good to be aesthetically pleasing. Cardio is for weight management/loss.

Anonymous · Answer

It depends on what your body is currently like, what you want it to look like, goals, etc... There is no "better", it's all subjective to your own situation.

Keyspirits · Answer

Cardio is healthier cuz it makes ur heart stronger to help pump blood through ur entire body efficiently. Afterall, its what keeps u alive 😎

Prettygurl12 · Answer

Weight lifting. Fit people eat and workout. Others diet and exercise.

I_M_LEGEND · Answer

aesthetics and general health weights cardio is good if you wanna keep it light and just do it for health. better for energy

Dakota_The_Rota · Answer

Cardio is for health, and weightlifting is for a better looking body.

cjmtherfcker · Answer

Cardio is better for health, weight lifting produces better aesthetics

tenofthepeaks · Answer

better depends on your goals. seems ambiguos but both have their good points/uses.

Polswedgirl · Answer

Combine both of them!

Silverware · Answer

Both are important, but more weights.

marksmith108 · Answer

You need a balance of both.

Kabloosh75 · Answer

A little bit of both.

Prof_Don · Answer

Weightlifting is more important by far.

thealphamaleishere · Answer

Try calisthenics. Girls look sexiest on a bar

AlwaysBelieving · Answer

Weightlifting to tone.

Marstalk · Answer

Just do crossfit.

Which is better: cardio or weightlifting?

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