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CARDIO VS. WEIGHT TRAINING FOR FAT LOSS 

Writer's picture: MakaylaMakayla

Article written by Makayla Burke, personal trainer.


If you have a goal of losing fat, you’re likely already aware that a healthy diet and physical activity are going to be important factors.


However, you’re probably also questioning what kind of exercise is the most effective for shedding the pounds.


With so much information online, it’s easy to get lost in the sauce when researching what exercise has the most impact on losing fat.


Most people assume that there is a secret formula routine that they need to follow in order to get results. They are also under the impression that cardio is more important for fat loss than resistance or weight training, but that’s actually just a common misconception.


The equation for losing weight is simple:

Burn more calories than you consume.


With that in mind, any form of exercise in general will help.


Both cardio and weight training play a role in losing fat, but in different ways.


If you spend only time on the treadmill or leave it all in the weight room, you’re missing out on an important ingredient in your weight loss recipe. 


WHAT ROLE DOES CARDIO PLAY?


Cardiovascular exercise (aka "cardio") aims to increase one's heart rate and make one's respiratory system (lungs & airways) work harder than normal, which is extremely important for overall health.


Cardio has been deemed the hierarchy of exercises for fat loss because you are likely to burn more calories during a cardio workout than a weight training workout.


You’ll also typically find that you breathe heavier and maybe sweat more during a cardio workout compared to a weight training workout. This is because cardio is more of a consistent form of exercise that you perform at a certain intensity, whereas weight training typically includes more rest or downtime.


With that fact, it’s entirely understandable why people would believe that "going ham" on a treadmill or Stairmaster would trump spending an hour or so lifting some weights. So much so that they get to a point of dripping in sweat and burning 200-300 calories.


However, what they don’t know is that weightlifting has a secret superpower that cardio doesn’t have.


WEIGHT LIFTING SUPERPOWERS


The calories you burn from doing cardio start when you begin exercising and stop once your heart rate returns to its normal resting rate.


Even though you burn more calories during a cardio workout than you would a weight training workout, weight training actually burns more calories over a longer period thanks to this hidden superpower.


Weight training increases your muscle mass and muscular strength.


We knew that already, right? Well, the more muscle you have, the more efficient and faster your metabolism needs to work to maintain that muscle mass.


A faster metabolic rate means you’ll burn more calories naturally throughout your day.


Think of it this way: Weight training is like hiring someone else to burn more calories for you throughout the day without doing any extra work. It's brilliant, right? 



OKAY, SO WHAT SHOULD I DO?


So, let’s put this all together.


Both cardio and weight training effectively put you in a calorie deficit required for losing fat.


It’s important to incorporate cardio into your exercise routine due to its benefits for your cardiovascular, respiratory, and heart health, alongside its contribution to burning excess calories.


But when considering what’s more effective at losing fat and leaning down, it’d be silly to neglect weight training from your exercise routine.


By engaging in weight/resistance training, you burn calories during your workout and do yourself the favor of increasing your metabolism, which will burn additional calories throughout your day. 


While you can choose one or the other in your weight loss journey, incorporating a healthy amount of both cardio and weight training is important for achieving better overall health.


Research for this edition and writing by Makayla Burke, personal trainer at Mesa Fitness Grand Junction.
Research for this edition and writing by Makayla Burke, personal trainer at Mesa Fitness Grand Junction.

If you're looking for help finding the best way to use both cardio and weight training to achieve your fitness goals, don't hesitate to ask someone for help.


Our gyms have plenty of trained and certified personal trainers to help guide your way to a happier, healthier you.

 

 

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