While there are still numerous benefits to cardio exercise 10(like improving heart health and blood pressure), “doing cardio without paying mind to strength training exercises isn’t adequate enough to build muscle,” says Cording.
Strength or resistance training11 means that you’re working your muscles against a force. This resistance is created from body weight, weight machines, or resistance bands. It can also be carrying laundry or children up the stairs.
This resistance damages the muscle, creating tiny tears in the tissue. And this is actually a good thing. This damage signals repair processes12 to grow the muscle back stronger.
“It’s important to keep in mind that this growth can only happen when sufficient tension is put on your muscles,” registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Brianna Frutchey, R.D., CPT, previously told mindbodygreen.
“If we are continuously lifting the same amount of weight at the same amount of reps each week, muscle growth will plateau,” she notes.
