You’re a routine person; many of us are! You have your gym, studio, type of cardio, stretching, and routine down and it works. You are a regular.
The question isn’t whether one is better than the other, the question is: Should you mix things up?
The answer, Yes! Whether it’s weightlifting, yoga, running, Pilates, biking, hot yoga, spinning, or barre you can benefit from them all in their own ways.
You get an even better result when you mix things up and cross train. Let’s briefly discuss the benefits of some of the more common forms of working out and how they can benefit whichever passion is yours.
- Weightlifting. I am somewhat biased to this type of exercise as it is my favorite and it’s one of the main aspects I coach people on. Weightlifting or some may call it resistance training can be done with dumbbells, barbells, machines, kettle bells, and more. The idea behind this form of exercise is to place a stress on the body, it is not accustomed to, in order to build lean muscle, strength and in many cases help with daily and sport specific movements. Weightlifting is great for those of you who love yoga, Pilates and barre because it allows you to build lean muscle and get stronger. The muscles and strength gained help you hold certain movements longer, do more reps and moves, and in many cases target all the muscles evenly that yoga, Pilates, and barre does not target. You’re able to focus on those muscles that may need a little more attention.
- Biking, running, spinning…cardio fanatics. Cardiovascular training is ideal for those that like to use minimal or no equipment, want to be outdoors, like to be in a group setting, like to be alone and of course increase cardiovascular strength. Depending on the type of cardio it can be low impact (walking or biking) or it can be more intense (spinning, running, mountain biking, etc.). Cardio training will help those looking to lift weights, as it will allow you to recover more efficiently which in turn will enable you to be stronger throughout your workout. The same can be said for the benefits with yoga, Pilates and barre.
- Yoga, Pilates, barre. These forms, while different in their own course, really focus on flexibility, elongating the muscles, mind/body connection and stability. All of these benefits and each of these types can help the runner, biker, and cardio person as they become more flexible they have less chance of injury and the increase range of motion. Additionally, the stability will help reduce the chances of a fall, rolling of an ankle, twisting of a knee, etc. Regarding weightlifting, these three can help increase range of motion, which in turn will allow you to work a muscle more completely and reduce your chance of injury and/or incorporating muscles you should not be.
The above is just a brief breakdown of each of some of the more popular forms of exercise and by no means does it include all the benefits. I simply want encourage each of you to change things up a little so you can get the most out of your fitness. Now go out and become the best version of you!
Scott Keppel is the owner of Scott’s Training Systems, a world-class coaching facility in Chandler, Arizona. He is a nationally certified trainer through NASM and ISSA. His mission is to empower women of all ages and fitness levels. For more information head to scottstrainingsystems.com or check him out on Instagram at @stsnation.
