I ve met and seen a lot of women in the various gyms I visit going for a cardiovascular workout with no weight lifting. They hop from the treadmill to the rowing machine to the Stair-master and run, row and climb like there’s notomorrow. These women have a decent body fat ratio, but could benefit from a weight lifting routine.
Why? Because:
1) Cardiovascular workouts that involve repetitive movements eventually lose their effectiveness. Our bodies become very efficient on these machines and we burn less calories on them.
2) The easiest way to burn fat and lose weight is to gain a small amount of muscle. Muscle burns more calories while you’re not working out. Repetitive movements do not grow any muscle.
3) Contrary to what most women think, a weight lifting workout with high repetitions per set (i.e. 15 reps) will not make you bulky and muscular. You won’t be grunting like those muscle bound men you see at the gym and it won’t make you sore except for maybe the first 2 weeks.
4) You can get a cardiovascular workout with a weight lifting routine, by alternating two muscle groups and taking little or no break between sets. Don’t forget a cardiovascular workout means a workout where your heart rate is about 135 bpm or greater (it depends on age) on average throughout the workout, so buy a heart rate monitor and see what your bpm is while lifting weights. You’ll be surprised to see how you can raise it while doing high repetitions.