why does weight training improve muscular strength more than cardiovascular fitness

Health · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021

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Weight training, also known as resistance training, improves muscular strength more than cardiovascular fitness due to the specific adaptations it elicits in the muscles being exercised. Here's how it works:

1. Muscle Fiber Recruitment: Weight training involves lifting weights that are heavy relative to the lifter's current strength level. This requires the recruitment of a large number of muscle fibers simultaneously to produce the necessary force. Over time, this leads to an increase in the strength of these fibers.

2. Muscle Hypertrophy: The stress placed on muscles during weight training causes microscopic damage to the muscle fibers. The body repairs these fibers by fusing muscle cells together to form new protein strands or muscle fibers, which are thicker and stronger than before. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy and results in increased muscle mass and strength.

3. Neural Adaptations: Weight training also causes improvements in the efficiency of the nerves that stimulate muscle contractions. This enhances the body's ability to generate force quickly and with more powerful muscle contractions.