This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Ditch The Cardio And Lift Weights
Increase your longevity, decrease disease, and slow down aging
My primary source of cardio is walking, hiking, or biking. Sometimes, I throw in the stairs, but for the most part, my cardio regimen is relatively simple. For a time, traditional cardio sessions were low-key non-existent in my regimen.
Weightlifting has been the primary focus of my workout routine for the past few decades and will remain the priority.
Not only have I maintained a fast metabolism, but I rarely get sick, I don’t have any of the ailments other people from my lineage experience, and I’ve already started to defy specific symptoms of aging.
“[…] resistance training not only can slow down but also reverse the aging process at the genetic level (The Strength Clinic).”
What Is A Common Occurrence As We Age?
We lose muscle mass.
And we lose it relatively fast the longer we stray from weight lifting.
The longer you lift weights, the harder it will be for your body to lose muscle mass.
The 50-Year-Old Who Looks 30
I was chatting with a 50-something-year-old that looks better than most 20 and 30-year-olds because he’s been lifting for several decades.
He doesn’t have to work hard in the gym; he maintains it because he’s been in for so long.
Not only that, but his muscle mass is relatively high for his age, and it’s not going anywhere.
Cardio Is Far From Bad, But It’s Not A Priority
Am I saying don’t work out your heart? Heck no. Too many people don’t work out their hearts, which increases heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity rates.
Diet is also a critical contribution to heart health.
It’s essential to work out your heart and keep it active through aerobic activity. However, it should not be prioritized over weightlifting.
You can frequently work out your heart when you’re lifting weights – especially if you do supersets and implement cardio into your sets (e.g., sometimes I will include jump rope, jumping jacks, or plyometrics during my workouts to add in additional cardio/heart work into my weight training workouts).
Some of my weightlifting workouts are so fast-paced that it feels like I’m doing a cardio session, giving me heart benefits.
Here’s Where To Start
If you’re uncomfortable or unfamiliar with lifting weights, asking questions is the best way to start learning.
I didn’t learn weights at home (though you can). I learned how to use them by asking people (who were already in the gym) questions about their routines and how to perform exercises.
The more questions I asked and the more I frequented the gym, the more I learned.
With new technology and equipment constantly coming out, learning to do everything is impossible. Still, if you keep asking questions and stay in the gym, you will learn to use new and similar equipment relatively quickly and easily.
The benefits are astronomical
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.