01
BODYBUILDING AND CARDIO, INSEPARABLE... OR ALMOST
There’s no need to put cushions on the floor: no one will fall off their chair today if we tell you that the two go hand in hand. Cardiovascular exercise and strength training are complementary physical activities that work your body differently. If we had only one answer to give, we’d say: do both. But the truth is, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all answer. The perfect formula depends on your objectives.
Training for a marathon? You should probably put the pedal to the metal on strength training. Remember, a muscle consumes oxygen. The bigger it is, the more it needs to breathe. And guess what your lungs will need to run…
02
CAN YOU DO WITHOUT CARDIO?
“…no, not really,” would be our official response. Are you a chest-buster? Is building muscle your main motivation for getting from the sofa to the gym? We’ve got one for you: the heart is a muscle. And that muscle fuels your entire body. All the more reason to take care of it.
If you take good care of your body’s engine, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ll come. Moral of the story: even Mr. Universe should take care of his cardio.
03
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
The average winning ratio: 60% weight training, 40% cardio. Now for the killer question: should you do your cardio before or after your strength training? This is where we may surprise you. If you’re the “easy on the cardio” type, it’s an excellent choice to do it at the beginning of your session. It’ll help you warm up. If, however, your cardio sessions are high-intensity or long-duration, starting with cardio could undermine the effectiveness of your muscle work. Here’s how it works…
Cardio gets its energy from your fat and carbohydrate reserves. Now here’s the catch: carbohydrates are the main fuel for your muscles. So you’re depriving yourself of an important source of energy. Conversely, if you use your carbohydrates first, you’ll always have the fat you need to perform on the mat. In these conditions, the optimum formula is to separate these two types of training on two separate days.
04
POUR AUGMENTER VOTRE SOUPLESSE MUSCULAIRE
S’installer sur le bench press « à frette », c’est un peu comme demander à un 2 par 4 de faire du yoga… L’aventure risque d’être un peu raide! C’est un fait, l’échauffement assouplit vos muscles et les prépare à ce qui s’en vient. Essayez-le pour voir. Vous verrez, votre amplitude de mouvement n’aura jamais eu si bonne mine!
05
INTÉRESSEZ-VOUS AU POURQUOI DU COMMENT
Le savoir, c’est le pouvoir. Entre santé et forme physique, impossible d’ignorer la foule de bienfaits qu’offre l’entraînement à votre corps et à votre esprit. Découvrez-en quelques-uns ici et gardez-les en tête tout au long de votre parcours!
HUGO'S LITTLE +
“On a personal level, my workout looks like about 50 minutes of strength training for 30 to 40 minutes of cardiovascular training.”
