This is always a hotly debated topic in the fitness world. As a strength & conditioning specialist, I get asked this question constantly… And the answer is… it depends!
I’ll explain my preferences, but to be clear, either of these options is better than nothing! Incorporating both is ideal.
Why do I say it depends? We all have different goals at different times of our lives. Whether you’re a trail runner, marathoner, power lifter or cross fitter, I’d like to think you are doing something you enjoy. Maybe your social circle is partly built around your cycling group. Maybe it’s your friends at the CrossFit box that keep you motivated to keep coming back. Perhaps that hot yoga class is what gets you out of bed early in the morning. Movement is good: we evolved to move and be active. Even our lymphatic system, lacking its own “heart”, depends on movement to keep working.
I used to be a trail & ultra runner, and I cherish that time in my life. I saw some amazing swathes of wilderness and met some very cool people. Nowadays my focus is on lifting, and my priorities have changed. I still do conditioning: easy runs, hill sprints, skip rope, boxing, etc. But it is secondary to ensuring that I lift as heavy as I can, and improve those numbers over time. Why?
Mark Rippetoe, the creator of Starting Strength, likes to say that when you are stronger & have more muscle, you’re harder to kill! I always subscribed to this philosophy, kind of in a “WE ARE SPARTA!!!!” , sort of way :D
As it turns out, however, muscle mass actually does make you harder to kill. Muscle mass optimizes you for longevity. The greater your muscle mass, the higher your survivability against all diseases. By way of just one example, cachexia (loss of muscle mass) is what kills 1 in 5 cancer patients. You need protein reserves to survive serious disease, and most protein is stored in muscle.
Muscle is also your primary metabolic regulator: it is the primary site for glucose disposal. Skeletal muscle will manage the utilization and disposal of glucose & triglycerides - you want muscle to be healthy & in abundance.
It is never too late to start building muscle - I have clients in the 80’s. And building muscle is especially important for women, and super-duper important for older women. Why? When males hit puberty, they are blessed with a few years of massive testosterone production that yields greater muscle mass/muscle density, as well as greater bone mass/bone density. When females hit puberty, yes - they get some testosterone too, but not in the same quantities. As humans age, there is a tendency to lose muscle & bone mass, and anyone who started out with more is in an advantageous position. Oh and by the way - losing muscle/bone mass is NOT a given - this is something that can absolutely be mitigated with exercise and nutrition. All this to say… While I encourage everyone to put on muscle, I think its especially important for older women. Nobody wants to become frail.
By weight training, I do not mean 50 bicep curls with light weights. I mean a solid barbell training program, like Starting Strength, that incorporates deadlifts, squats, bench presses and overhead presses. This would be my first choice. There are some great tutorials online, some excellent books, and good coaches (Starting Strength or Olympic lifting) to get you started. There is something about heavy squats and deadlifts, in particular, that sends the message to your muscles to grow. Everywhere.
But maybe this is not a commitment you’re ready to make. Perhaps you lack access to a gym or home exercise equipment. Body weight exercises are a great way to start. While you’re on that trail run, grab that overhead branch and do a few pull-ups. Alternate your running/cardio/yoga days with some calisthenics at home. Get your kids to sit on your back to make pushups harder! “Convict Conditioning” is an excellent book for introducing you to body weight workouts.
Cardiovascular exercise definitely has huge benefits, such as mitochondrial biogenesis, but it’s resistance training that will contribute more to your long term health. As you get older, consider swapping out a day or two of cardio for strength training.
Aim to get about a gram of good quality animal protein per pound of your optimal weight. Yes, you can absolutely gain muscle on a vegetarian diet but it will take more effort. You can’t out-train poor nutrition - so that will be the subject of another post!