When working out at the gym, we all want to know what is going to be the most beneficial exercise, especially when wanting to get the most bang for your buck. Is it cardio or weights, or should it be a bit of both?
In one corner, we have bad-ass cardio. In the other, we have kick-ass weights. How do you know which is better for your body journey?
It’s time to talk cardio vs weights for fat loss.
Some of us shy away from the weight section because we have absolutely no idea how to use them. Or, because they are dominated by men. While others avoid cardio because they fear they’ll lose their already achieve glute gains. Or, they simply just don’t enjoy the whole endurance, gasping for breath part of it.
So, here’s the widely wondered question: Is there a ratio to help you find the perfect balance between treadmill workouts and dumbbell sessions? Fear no more. We have done the research for you.
Below, we’ve got all the fat-burning and muscle-sculpting facts to make sure you’ve opted for the best cardio, weight, or both, body transformation strategy.
Which is better: Cardio or Weights for fat loss?
Benefits of cardio
Cardio burns more fat than lifting weights
It’s official: cardio is the calorie-burning king.
US research found aerobic exercisers lose up to four times more fat and in less time than those who solely strength train.
The type to go for depends on your goal: continuous-intensity cardio is better for those with high weight loss goals, while HIIT retains existing muscle as it stimulates fat torching muscle enzymes. This depends on what your fitness goals are.
Doing cardio makes you snack less
Sure, you’re starving after a run, but a study found people who did high-intensity cardio for 15 minutes ate 11% less in the 24 hours after.
‘This intensity level causes your body to circulate more blood to prevent overheating,’ explains metabolism expert Dr Andy Blannin.
Translation: blood is being diverted away from your gut, in turn, putting the brakes on your appetite.
Cardio vs weight training for belly fat
In a study by Penn State University in the US, dieters lost 21lb doing either cardio or weights. But here’s the clincher: the cardio group lost 6lb muscle while the lifters lost only fat.
Translation: cardio means losing weight from everywhere including losing muscle mass as you can’t choose what you lose or from where. “Fat is systemic – it belongs to your whole body, meaning you can’t control where you drop it from,” explains Breen.
So is cardio better for losing belly fat than weight training? Yes and no. Building muscle also means you increase your body’s ability to burn calories as muscle tissue requires more calories, so whether you’re working out our not, your body is burning more calories.
This means when weight training, your belly fat will reduce alongside other parts of your body whereas cardio workouts will make your body generally slimmed.
Benefits of weight training
For fat burning: lose weight by lifting weights only
Don’t jump on that treadmill just yet. Lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike an hour after your workout as your body repairs muscular microtears.
‘Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so the more you gain, the more calories you’ll burn – and the more likely you are to keep fat off,’ says exercise physiologist Dr Leigh Breen. Dibs on the kettlebells.
Can I lose weight by lifting weights only?
Losing weight through weight training differs from doing it solely based on cardio. Strength training lowers your hunger levels but not in the same way cardio does.
The satiating effect ends about an hour after exercise when your body starts to crave the energy it’s using to repair and build muscle. Unfortunately, this hits women the hardest because we’re wired to keep weight up for pregnancy and lactation.
Following a 14 day food plan while weight training may give you the healthy results you’re looking for.
For Body Reshaping
‘On the flip side, you can target specific muscles with weights because muscles are localised,’ says Breen.
So if you did a bunch of squats, you’d see results in your hamstrings and glutes – but you’ve still got to do cardio for muscle tone to show.
A study found if you run and lift weights your body will be 3% more defined than if you just did strength exercise.
Cardio vs weights results
Taking in how cardio slims down your fat (and muscles) whereas with weight training, it’s the muscle expansion that burns the calories, both give different desired results. However, to get the best healthy results is about balance and combining both with a healthy, nourishing diet.