Cardio Vs. Strength Training: Which Is Better For Weight Loss?

When it comes to weight loss, two primary exercise strategies often dominate discussions: cardio and strength training. But which one is better? The truth is, that both offer unique benefits, and the most effective weight loss strategy may be one that combines both. 

In this article, we’ll compare cardio and strength training to help you decide which one should play the bigger role in your weight loss journey.

What Is Cardio And How Does It Contribute To Weight Loss?

Cardio exercises, short for cardiovascular exercises, are activities that increase your heart rate. These exercises typically include running, cycling, swimming, or even brisk walking. The primary benefit of cardio for weight loss is its ability to burn a significant number of calories during the workout itself.

How Does Cardio Help With Weight Loss?

Cardio helps create a calorie deficit, which is essential for weight loss. By burning more calories than you consume, your body starts to burn stored fat for energy. Cardio workouts, particularly those that are sustained over a longer period, burn fat both during and after exercise.

• High-calorie burn: Moderate-intensity cardio can burn around 250-400 calories per 30-minute session depending on the exercise intensity and your weight.
• Effective fat burning: Steady-state cardio, such as jogging or cycling, is particularly good at burning fat, though it may take longer for the same calorie burn compared to high-intensity exercises.
• Immediate impact: Cardio has an immediate effect on fat loss, with calories burned during the activity contributing directly to fat loss.

Advantages Of Cardio For Weight Loss

• Quick calorie burning: Cardio exercises, especially those done at a higher intensity, can burn a significant amount of calories in a short time.
• Improves cardiovascular health: Regular cardio exercises strengthen the heart and lungs, improving overall health.
• Improves endurance and stamina: Over time, cardio increases stamina, which can enhance your ability to do other exercises.
• Better sleep and stress reduction: Engaging in regular cardio can reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality, both of which are beneficial for weight loss.

However, while cardio is excellent for calorie burning, it’s not as effective for building muscle, and the benefits tend to diminish once you stop exercising.

What Is Strength Training And How Does It Contribute To Weight Loss?

Strength training, or resistance training, involves using weights or bodyweight exercises to strengthen muscles. Unlike cardio, which focuses on calorie burning during the workout, strength training focuses on building muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.

How Does Strength Training Help With Weight Loss?

Strength training helps with weight loss in a different way than cardio. While it burns fewer calories during the workout itself, strength training boosts your metabolism by increasing muscle mass. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, meaning it requires more calories to maintain.

• Increases muscle mass: Strength training promotes muscle growth, and more muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate (RMR). This means you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re not exercising.
• Burns calories after exercise: Strength training increases the “afterburn” effect, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which means you continue to burn calories for hours after your workout.
• Improves body composition: Strength training reduces body fat while increasing lean muscle, improving overall body composition and appearance.

Advantages Of Strength Training For Weight Loss

• Boosts metabolism: The increased muscle mass from strength training makes your body more efficient at burning calories at rest.
• Prevents muscle loss during weight loss: When dieting, strength training helps preserve muscle mass, ensuring that you’re losing fat, not muscle.
• Enhances strength and functionality: Strength training makes you stronger, which improves your ability to perform daily tasks like carrying groceries or lifting heavy objects.
• Improves bone density: Weight lifting helps maintain or increase bone density, which becomes more important as you age.

Although strength training may not burn as many calories as cardio during the actual workout, the long-term effects on metabolism can make it a more effective strategy for sustainable weight loss.

Cardio Vs. Strength Training: Which Is Better For Weight Loss?

When considering which exercise method is best for weight loss, it’s important to assess both the immediate and long-term effects of each. Let’s break down how each exercise impacts weight loss:

Cardio For Weight Loss

1. Quick Calorie Burn: Cardio burns a lot of calories during the workout, which is crucial for creating a calorie deficit.
2. Fat Loss: Cardio is effective at burning fat, particularly during prolonged or high-intensity sessions.
3. Improved Heart Health: Regular cardio exercise strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation.
4. Increased Endurance: Cardio helps improve overall endurance, making it easier to engage in other activities and exercises.

Drawbacks Of Cardio

• Muscle loss: Excessive cardio without strength training can lead to muscle loss, which may reduce your metabolic rate.
• Limited afterburn: While cardio does provide an afterburn effect, it’s less significant compared to strength training.
• Boredom: Some people find cardio monotonous, especially if it’s not varied regularly.

Strength Training For Weight Loss

1. Long-term Metabolism Boost: Strength training increases muscle mass, which raises your resting metabolic rate and helps you burn more calories at rest.
2. Fat Loss and Lean Muscle Gain: While strength training doesn’t burn as many calories during the workout, it changes your body composition by reducing fat and increasing lean muscle.
3. Preserve Muscle Mass: Strength training helps maintain muscle mass during weight loss, which is critical for sustaining a higher metabolism.
4. Increases Strength: In addition to weight loss, strength training builds muscle strength, which can improve your performance in other physical activities.

Drawbacks Of Strength Training

• Lower calorie burn during the workout: Strength training generally burns fewer calories than cardio during the workout.
• Requires technique and equipment: Proper technique is crucial for injury prevention, and access to weights or resistance equipment is necessary.

The Best Approach For Weight Loss: Combining Cardio And Strength Training

The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to whether cardio or strength training is better for weight loss. Both exercises provide unique benefits, and when combined, they can create a well-rounded fitness plan that optimises fat loss while building muscle.

Why Combining Cardio And Strength Training Works

• Cardio burns calories: It helps create a calorie deficit, which is essential for fat loss.
• Strength training builds muscle: The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest, contributing to long-term weight loss.
• Increased fat burning: Combining both forms of exercise boosts fat burning during and after workouts.

How To Combine Cardio And Strength Training

• Alternate cardio and strength days: For example, you could do strength training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and cardio on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
• Incorporate both in a single session: You can also combine both types of exercise in a single workout, for instance, by doing a 20-minute cardio session followed by 20-30 minutes of strength training.
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): This is a time-efficient way to combine both cardio and strength training. HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by periods of rest, helping you burn fat and build muscle simultaneously.

Conclusion

In the end, both cardio and strength training play vital roles in a successful weight loss journey, each offering unique advantages. Cardio is great for burning calories and improving heart health, while strength training helps build muscle mass and boosts metabolism over time. 

Combining both strategies will not only maximise fat loss but also help you build lean muscle, improve endurance, and maintain a sustainable weight. It is about finding a routine that works for your lifestyle and goals, whether that means alternating workouts or blending both into each session for an efficient and balanced approach to fitness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Is Better For Weight Loss, Cardio Or Strength Training?

Neither cardio nor strength training is definitively better for weight loss—they complement each other. Cardio helps burn fat during the workout, while strength training builds muscle that increases your metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories throughout the day.

How Often Should I Do Cardio And Strength Training For Weight Loss?

A balanced approach is key, aiming for 3-4 cardio sessions and 2-3 strength training sessions per week. This ensures you’re burning fat through cardio while building muscle with strength training to maximise weight loss results.

Can Cardio Cause Muscle Loss?

If done excessively without proper nutrition, cardio can lead to muscle loss, especially if you’re not also doing strength training. To prevent this, make sure you’re eating enough protein and incorporating strength exercises to maintain muscle mass while burning fat.

Navigate to this website for more questions about the topic.