Cardio vs. Weight Training for Weight Loss – Part 1
If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off permanently, you only have one choice when it comes to choosing between cardio and weight training.
Weight training for weight loss wins every time!
Let's take a quick look at why strictly doing cardiovascular work for weight loss should not be your first choice.
The real reason why anyone completes an aerobic workout when trying to lose weight is strictly to burn calories. Therefore, you really need to do at least 30 minutes of steady state cardio to get any significant benefit out of it. In that time you would burn somewhere around 300 calories, which would yield about a half a pound of weight loss if it was done 6 days per week (everything else being equal). To me that seems like a lot of work for very little return…
Over the next two parts of this series, I will show you how weight training will yield greater results in far less time and I will lay out an actual weight training and cardio split you can use to burn the fat.
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Posted by: Sung | Jan 22, 2009 10:49:03 AM
For anyone that is confused, 1lb. of muscle does not, I repeat DOES NOT, weigh more than 1lb. of fat. What I think Jessica was trying to say is that muscle is denser than fat is. Because muscle is denser than fat, it will take up less space than fat given they are both equal in weight. Therefore, it should always be a goal for people trying to get lean to build muscle via resistance training. This goes for girls too, who sometimes are under the misconception that building muscle will make them look bulky.
Posted by: Stephen Cabral | Jan 17, 2009 6:46:57 PM
Thanks for the comments Corb,it sounds like you have a good routine going.
Posted by: Corb | Jan 10, 2009 10:30:33 PM
I also beleive that lifting weights gives more fat loss results than cardio. If you eat clean and do weights- you will get lean very quickly. Some cardio is a must- I like to do intense cardio first thing in the morning as soon as I get out of bed and before breakfast,for about 20 minutes BUT ONLY ON DAYS THAT I DON"T DO WEIGHTS - this seems to work very well. My calories still support both the workout and the rebuilding of muscle. Plus I don't overtrain or spend huge amounts of time on a hamster wheel lol.
Posted by: Stephan R | Jan 6, 2009 3:37:00 PM
In my own experience, cardio is also a very important part of the weight loss process, particularly in doing it with weight lifting.
I found that sometimes my cardio would fail before I exhausted the muscle group that I was targeting. This happened especially when targeting large groups like upper legs, back and chest. Cardio training helped me get to a point where I could lift longer, heavier and really hit the area I was after.
So while cardio doesn't burn as many calories as lifting does in the long run, I have found that its a necessary part of lifting to lose.
Posted by: Jessica Fox | Aug 5, 2008 3:54:16 AM
Muscle DOES weigh more than fat. Your "1 lb = 1 lb" is like the old riddle, which weighs more, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers? Obviously, feathers are lighter than bricks the trickery aside, and so is fat. One cubic inch of fat weighs less than one cubic inch of muscle.
Posted by: Stephen Cabral | Jul 18, 2008 1:40:10 PM
Hi Larisa,
I definitely recommend you check out my other posts on the topics you brought up. They're all answered at:
http://blog.nutritiondata.com/dieting_weight_loss_blog/blog_posts_by_steve/index.html
In summary:
1. Muscle does not weight more than fat (1lb = 1lb)
2. Muscle will not bulk you up (it's smaller and denser in size than fat)
3. Adding muscle will boost your metabolism
4. You should combine both cardio, weights, and nutrition for best results (all at the same time)
Posted by: larisa | Jul 18, 2008 12:56:36 PM
what if you want to drop weight, doesnt weight training bulk you up and than make you gain weight: muscle weighs more than fat>
I understand that in the long run, muscles also help burn more calories but my target is to drop weight. so would i do cardio for a couple months and than add weights?
Thanks
Posted by: D | Jun 29, 2008 9:53:53 AM
Weight lifting will increase your metabolic rate and require more energy to sustain.
In the long run you'll be burning more calories even when you're not working out than you would with a cardio routine.
Also, jamie, you shouldn't be losing 2 pounds in three days. Unless you're grossly overweight (and by your fitness abilities it doesn't sound like it) that could actually be dangerous. I guess you know best for your body but please consider seeing a nutritionist to make sure you're not doing long term damage through rapid body weight fluctuations.
Posted by: Sam | Jun 3, 2008 3:58:12 PM
I found a great blog about losing weight by lifting weights. http://weightcontrolinfo.com/2008/06/03/weight-lifting-for-weight-loss/
Posted by: jamie | May 24, 2008 2:43:57 PM
I've always been over weight, but my body is VERY receptive to working out. I was jogging 30 minutes a day for two weeks - I lost 3 pounds but had the same body size. I've been doing about 300 crunches a day, 100 lunges, 200 pushups, and a lot of stretching in between - for 3 days. I've already lost 2 pounds, my skin is firmer and my pants are looser. I am still eating regularly. I can tell you, that for my body, doing things like lunges, push ups, crunches and stretching, in a matter of 2-3 weeks my skin will be toned, my muscles will be firm, my size will be smaller, and I'll have lost my target 13 pounds. And when you are strict with yourself...push-ups to crunches, to lunges, to 10 minutes of stretching, back to pushups, then crunches and so on - your cardio WILL increase - maybe not as much as jogging, but there is definitely a low level of cardio. Now that I've been doing it for THREE DAYS, I'm finally feeling soreness and its time to make today a different exercise plan. Perhaps jumping jacks and lunges, butterfly kicks, and side leg lifts, and throw in a couple hundred crunches. Sounds like a lot, but honestly, I am soo out of shape, havent worked out seriously for years, and it is easy if you push yourself. It works. The best. For my body. And that's the most important. Try out a regimine for 3 or 4 days and see if your skin looks firmer and if you feel better but sore. If so, then youre doing whats right for you. There are no two bodies alike and different types of work out work better for different types of bodies. Good luck and hope that bathing suit is a compliment to your sexy bod!
Posted by: Whey | Apr 18, 2008 6:29:35 PM
I have done both, cardio and weight training with mixed results. That was until my personal trainer recommended supplementation, it has made a difference in my weight and my energy levels. Get some advice on this, there are so many choices that it can get really confusing. I also recommend that you shop online, you end up saving a bunch. I have used HealthPricer
Posted by: William Hill | Jan 18, 2008 1:22:53 AM
Despite what you may have heard, losing weight isn’t a incomprehensible process. In fact, weight loss doesn't even have to include odd diets, uncommon exercises or even the use of medication or fitness equipment. So what is the secret to losing weight effectively? Simply make minor changes each and every single day and you'll slowly but surely lose extra unwanted weight, pound by pound.
Secrets to Weight Loss
To lose a sinlge pound, you must burn approximately 3500 calories above what you already burn while conducting daily activities. That sounds impossible doesn't it? Well, it’s not. Here's how simple it is.
1. Calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Your BMR is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing and digestion.
2. Calculate your activity level. Use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while doing various things like sitting, standing, exercising, etc. throughout the day.
3. Closely monitor of how many calories you eat. Use a food journal to add up what you eat and drink each and every single day. If you're eating less calories than you're burning, you will lose weight.
Focusing your attention on daily changes is the best way to reach your weight loss goals. Don’t expect to lose weight overnight. Instead expect to lose weight gradually over time. To lose weight gradually over time, is to lose weight the healthy way. When attempting to lose weight it’s important that you always remember, your Health is more important than your Appearance!
source - http://rxpop.com/
Posted by: Lars | Nov 11, 2007 6:43:03 PM
Second commenter is correct. Weight training is not a better method of burning calories for time expended. Do the math and it is obvious.
Posted by: Myria | Nov 7, 2007 4:03:42 PM
Great blog, very excited to see the rest. I can be a living testament to it, because I've been doing strictly cardio for a month now, 30-60 minutes a day 4 days a week...and I've lost only 4 pounds!!! So last night I got a gym membership and plan on doing strength training 3 times a week as well...we'll see how the next month pans out...food and serving sizes remain the same.
Posted by: | Nov 7, 2007 11:50:31 AM
The energy expenditure provided by weight training is about 8 calories per minute (and that's while you're actually lifting weights), not while talking between sets.
And the hugely misinterpreted increase in BMR (it's really only between 15-30 additional calories PER DAY) for each pound of muscle that you gain, demonstrates that traditional weight training may not be the best choice.
Posted by: Claudia a/k/a Happy Nutritionist | Nov 6, 2007 11:53:42 PM
Very nice blog, glad to have found you. I'll look forward to seeing how you provide a program that benefits both cardio and weight training. We do a lot of walking for the heart, but it doesn't do much for the muscles. I am going to add you to my blogroll at http://www.happynutritionistsnuggets.com
Have a wonderful day!
Claudia L. Meydrech, CN
