I met with a client the other day for a consultation and her goals were pretty much the same as most of my clients...lose weight.

I started talking to her about strength training and how it will help her change her body composition by building muscle.

For some reason she could not grasp this concept.

"Strength training?"

"You mean I actually can build muscle...that's gotta be some old wive's tale!"

I continued to explain the many benefits of strength training and what it can do for her, but she still did want to believe me, saying:

"I've read so many different things...I heard that cardio is the best...can we just do cardio when we meet?"

We went back and forth until finally she started to believe me...but she still was doubtful. I'm positive she'll see the light once we start training together.

Many of you might be wondering the same, which is better...strength training or cardio?

Well, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the answer is...

STRENGTH TRAINING!

While cardio is necessary and important to your fitness program, strength training is better.  I could give you many reasons, but I think this one will explain my point best.

Strength training transforms your body!

You have to realize that your body is composed of muscle, fat, water and bone...nothing more...nothing less.

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The reason strength training is so vital because it increases your muscle while simultaneously decreasing your fat. 

This is not to say that when you strength train your fat will turn into muscle.  That's like saying bronze will turn into gold.

Fat and muscle are two separate tissues.

If you strength train, you increase your muscle tissue, while decreasing your fat tissue.  If you sit on your arse all day watching tee-vee and eating junk food, you decrease your muscle, while increasing fat...Got me?

I don't mean to explain it to you like you're a third grader, I just want  to make it crystal clear...simple stupid...because sooo many people including the lady I met with think doing nothing but cardio is the way to go.

Yes, cardio is important. 

It help you burn fat calories.  It speeds up your metabolism.  It increases your energy and endurance.  It helps blood circulation.  It help digestion and so on and so on. 

BUT, the one thing cardio does not do is...you guessed it...build muscle!  Let's say you're body is shaped like a pear.  Well, if all you were to do is cardio all the time, you would eventually look like a smaller version of the pear.

In other words you would shrink NOT transform.  The reason for this is because cardio only burns fat.

I hope this helps you understand the importance of strength training and why you should NOT do without it.

Jim Coughlin is a personal trainer and the owner of Coughlin Fitness & Results, a nationwide personal training company. He is also the author of The In-Home Personal Trainer, a helpful guide to successful in-home personal training in addition to other products and many other popular fitness articles.

Jim is very passionate at motivating people to empower themselves to live a healthy lifestyle through consistent exercise and proper nutrition. He has free weekly success tips which you are welcome to subscribe to on his website http://www.fitnessandresults.com