The debate about whether cardio or strength training is better for weight loss has been going on for years. Some people feel that there's no point in doing any type of exercise if you're not trying to lose weight, while others believe that strength training can help you burn more fat than cardio and should be prioritized over cardiovascular work. Here's what the research shows: both forms of exercise are important if you're trying to reach your fitness goals, but strength training may be more effective at helping you sustain lean muscle mass and lose body fat over time—plus it makes your body stronger overall.
Cardio has been shown to be more effective at burning calories than strength training
Cardio is more effective at burning calories in the short term, but strength training is better for burning calories and building muscle over time. Cardio tends to burn more total calories than lifting weights, but strength training can help you build muscle that also burns calories even when you're not working out.
In addition to helping you lose weight faster, cardio is also an excellent way to improve your overall fitness level and tone up muscles--especially if you combine it with interval training (which alternates between high-intensity bursts of activity like sprinting and lower-intensity periods of walking or jogging). Strength training has been shown to have similar benefits: One study found that people who did 30 minutes of strength training three times per week lost 3% more body fat than those who did only 15 minutes per session every other day over six months; another showed similar results after just 12 weeks!
Cardio may be more effective at helping you lose weight
Cardio is more effective at helping you lose weight because it tends to burn more calories overall, but strength training can help you build muscle, which also burns calories.
Muscle burns more calories than fat does and the more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be. This means that if you increase your lean body mass through strength training and cardio exercises (like running), then this will lead to an increase in energy expenditure even when at rest! Another benefit of strength training over cardio-only programs is that it prevents loss of bone density (osteoporosis).
Many people find cardio boring
There are many ways to distract yourself from the boredom of cardio. Here are some ideas:
- Listen to music. Some people enjoy listening to music while they work out, but others find it distracting. If you're one of the latter group, try listening for just 20 minutes at a time (and don't forget earplugs if you're outside).
- Watch a movie or TV show on your phone or tablet. You can use this time as an opportunity for self-care by indulging in some guilty pleasures! For example, if you love reality TV shows where people fight each other over trivial matters like who gets which seat on an airplane--and then proceed to make fools out of themselves until someone gets injured--then go right ahead! Just don't forget that there's always something better waiting for us after we finish our workouts; otherwise, we'll end up missing out on all kinds of fun opportunities because we're too busy working out instead of doing something else productive...like reading books about nutrition science so that someday soon maybe one day soon hopefully maybe someday later down the road (but not now) perhaps sometime next year sometime maybe probably not definitely never maybe possibly perhaps eventually maybe eventually definitely never
Strength training helps you burn more fat
Strength training is more effective than cardio at burning calories, but it takes longer. Strength training helps you build muscle and muscle burns more calories than fat. Cardio can help you lose weight faster, but strength training will help you keep the weight off in the long term.
Strength training isn't just for bodybuilders--it can also be useful for people who are trying to avoid injury or osteoporosis/arthritis by building strong bones and muscles. Cardio can burn more calories than strength training (and much faster), but if all else is equal, strength training should result in better results over time because it builds muscle mass which increases your resting metabolic rate (the amount of energy expended per day).
It's important to get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
Strength training can help you build muscle, which burns calories. Strength training also helps you burn more calories in the long term than cardio does. Strength training has been shown to be more effective at burning fat and increasing metabolism than cardio, but it may not be as effective at helping you lose weight because it tends to burn fewer calories overall.
Cardio has been shown to be more effective at helping people lose weight than strength training because it tends to burn more total calories during exercise sessions and over time; however, there are some benefits of adding cardio into your routine if you want to maintain or gain lean mass while losing fat mass:
Both cardio and strength training can help you achieve your weight loss goals!
Both cardio and strength training are important for achieving your weight loss goals. Cardio can help you burn more calories, but strength training also has benefits that cardio doesn't have. Strength training can help build muscle, which means that you'll be able to burn more calories even when at rest. You don't have to choose between these two types of exercise--you can do both!
Strength training is especially beneficial for those who want to manage their weight or maintain a healthy body composition (the ratio between lean tissue and fat). For example, if someone who weighs 200 pounds has 20% body fat but wants his/her weight at 175 pounds, he/she will need to lose 35 pounds in order for his/her body fat percentage not to be affected by the change in scale reading (e.g., he/she could lose 10% BF while maintaining his original height). This would require an average daily caloric deficit of 500 kcal per day over 90 days - which equates to roughly 2150 kcal per week through diet alone! And since our bodies are designed with mechanisms meant specifically designed so we don't starve ourselves to death...this usually means eating fewer carbs than usual while increasing protein intake slightly (this helps preserve muscle mass), along with increasing activity levels during this period where possible
Conclusion
So which is better? It depends on your goals. If you want to lose weight, then cardio is probably the best choice. But if you're looking for overall fitness and strength training help keep your mind occupied during workouts, then adding three strength training sessions per week can be beneficial as well!
