Over the past 15 years I’ve been known to say something like this:
Weight training is like a 401k. You don’t see the results right away, but over time they add up. Cardio is like a weekly paycheck. When the week is over, you no longer continue to accumulate benefits.
Given that I know more about finance and fitness, I’d like to update this analogy. A 401k is something one doesn’t draw upon until retirement and many employees are stuck in investment plans that are certain to lose them money in this secular bear market. Instead of 401k, I’ll use the term compound interest.
Cardio isn’t a weekly paycheck. It is far worse. Cardio is more like one of those high interest ghetto paycheck loans. You get the money now, but there are costs to incur later. Increased cortisol levels, slower metabolism, carbohydrate cravings, muscle loss, suppressed immunity, injuries and a host of other problems.
The new fitness finance analogy:
Weight training is like compound interest. You don’t see the results right away, but over time they add up. Cardio is like a high interest paycheck loan. The benefits you may see in the short term will be offset by costs in the future.