Why is dog food in the very back corner of the store, I wondered, as I hoisted a 44-pound bag of Iams Mini Chunks on my shoulder and began to make my way to the front. Because it's holiday time, the trip is more challenging than normal as I try to dodge the special displays that seem to be everywhere.
About halfway to the checkout, I realize that I'm not that strong. And that I should have grabbed a cart.
No choice now but to power through. So I do. It's a "free" workout, right? It's cardio and strength training!
Someone told me that cardio training is working while you are actually working out. But the minute you stop, your body stops receiving the benefit. Lifting, however, keeps working even after you're done, they said.
I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but I buy it somehow. I know I feel better when I feel stronger. At this point, I even have a little, defined bicep muscle that makes me smile.
I'm not a professional by any stretch of the imagination. Kati left a weight bench at our house when she moved out and I use it a couple of times a week to bench press about 50 pounds. I do three or four sets of 10 or 12 reps now ... in the beginning it was all I could do to get two sets of eight reps done. I'd like to increase the weight, but the next level "up" is too heavy for me. So I just pump away with what I have.
Then, every once in a while I'll pop into the weight room we have at work and try to do 15 or 20 minutes of something. Arms, legs (well, one anyway), shoulders, inner and outer thighs. I also bought a few hand weights (8, 15 and 20 lbs.) and I mess around with when I'm bored. I even occassionally try to do push-ups, but I stink at them.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you can combine some cardio with some strength building, it seems like you get a greater overall benefit.
When you're working so hard, anytime you can get 2 + 2 to equal 5, take it!
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