The average gym goer would probably tell themselves “If I want to burn fat, do more cardio” and “If I want to build more muscle, I should lift weights”.
Well with this article, we prove that weight training tops cardio for fat loss for many reasons.
Could Weight Training Strictly Be Used For Fat Loss? Yes it can.
Here’s why.
WEIGHT TRAINING INCREASES METABOLIC RATE FOLLOWING YOUR WORKOUT
The first reason weight training tops cardio is the calorie burn after the workout is completed. Studies have shown that after a weight training workout, your metabolism can be boosted for up to 36 hours post-workout, meaning rather than burning say 60 calories an hour while sitting and watching TV, you’re burning 70. While you may think, ‘That is no big deal, its only 10 calories’, this can make a huge difference when you multiply this over the course of 36 hours. When you think about this monthly, it becomes even clearer how a weight training session can boost your fat loss.
With cardio training, you might get an extra 40-80 calories burned after a moderate paced workout. In addition, it all depends on the intensity as well. To generate a high amount of post-calorie burn from cardio you’d want to incorporate sprint intervals.
Sprinting is a slightly different story and will create effects with your metabolic rate closer to that of weight lifting, so that’s something to consider as well. Â To optimize this method utilize HIIT otherwise known as High Intensity Interval Training.
It will tax your body, but won’t take up nearly as much time as Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio.
Long-Term Metabolic Increases
The second factor to consider in the fat loss wars is long-term metabolic increases. While it’s great to be burning more calories for 36 hours after the workout, that’s not going to help you two weeks from now. Weight training will increase your overall lean muscle mass, which is one of the best fat burners there is. Lean muscle will keep you burning fat around the clock. The higher your lean muscle mass, the higher your metabolic rate will be in addition to your body’s calorie burning potential around the clock. This is the primary reason males typically can eat more than females without gaining weight – they have more lean muscle mass on their body, thus they are burning more calories around the clock. Moral of the story is if you want to burn more fat, weight training > cardio.
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Disclaimer: Â This post contains affiliate linksSources: (Bodybuilding.com; BornFitness; Men’s Health)
1 Reply to "Cardio Versus Weight Training For Fat Loss"
Zoe August 8, 2017 (8:56 pm)
Love that you detailed a post about the benefits of weight training for fat loss. A lot of people are still in the dark about this topic and always enjoy reading people’s blogs who want to bring this topic to light!