The endless debate: weights vs. cardio?

  Strength training vs. cardio? This issue has been talked about here before, and in countless scientific studies and fitness. Both are great for you, and are not mutually exclusive
   Think of professional or Olympic athletes. Most require a great degree of strength and cardiovascular conditioning (as well as balance, coordination, and flexibility).
    For pure weight loss, I have found cardio works the best. It's rare to see an overweight person in a marathon, and I've found that the more miles I run, the skinnier I get. Plus, for heart and lung health, cardio is unsurpassed. And really, the heart is the most important muscle!
   However, to build up muscle strength; to preserve your bones; to keep your ligaments and tendons supple; and to boost your metabolism, strength training is key.
    It's ironic: after a hard cardio workout, I'm drenched with sweat. After a similarly intense strength training session, not as much. Yet, the after-burn (when your burning additional calories at rest) is approximately six hours after a good weight workout, and only about three after cardio.
    Strength training does stimulate your metabolism. The more muscle you have (and that's lean muscle mass, not bulk), the more calories you burn at rest. You can eat more and retain your weight; or by reducing calories intake, see the scale move in the right direction.
   In the 18 years I've owned Mountain Fitness, my weight has fluctuated about 10-12 lbs., depending how much cardio or strength training I have been doing at that time. But my body fat  percentage has always stayed within  two percentage points. That's because when I was a bit heavier on the scale, it was times I was concentrating more on lifting, and my body fat did not increase because I was more muscular!
   I feel an approximate 50/50 mix of strength and cardio is the best to reach my fitness needs. If it's winter, and I'm preparing for a Spring half-marathon, I'm doing more cardio. After about five months of focusing most of my attention on running, I'm a little burnt out and bored with it, and make strength training more of a priority.When other races come around, I'm back to hitting the roads a
little more regularly.
   The point is, go by feel and what you like to do. Any form of fitness is great for you, and you will get benefits. Mixing it up, exercise-wise, is just a "balanced diet." Find the right formula for you!