Is It Faster To Lose Weight By Lifting Weights Or Cardio

There's no one perfect way to transform your body composition, so if cardio just isn't your cup of tea, you might be wondering if lifting weights is a good way to burn fat. First off, know that finding what works best for you is the key to weight loss — and then being consistent about your routine. Weightlifting is a good choice for weight loss, if that's your favorite workout to do — and for a number of other reasons, like the metabolism-boosting effect it has on your body. But how exactly does weightlifting lead to weight loss, and how often should you do it? Will you still need to do cardio on top of your weightlifting routine?

Lose weight by lifting weights, and you'll do it while getting stronger at the same time. That means, yes, with the right routine, you can build muscle and burn fat simultaneously. In fact, building muscle can actually help you lose weight by increasing your metabolic rate to help you burn more calories when you're at rest. To explore all the ins and outs of weightlifting for weight loss, spoke to Tiffany Chag, MS, RD, CSCS, a sports performance specialist and sports dietitian at the Hospital For Special Surgery's Tish Sports Performance Center.

It is absolutely fine to only lift weights to promote fat loss, Chag told . (If you despise running, take a moment to celebrate. Now back to burning fat.) However, if you're trying to burn fat

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, you won't want to cut out cardio completely. Adding some cardiovascular work and making small changes to [your] diet will create a more well-balanced routine and may lead to faster results, she said.

But if cardio really isn't your thing, lifting weights alone is absolutely fine; actually, it's great, Chag explained. But adding in cardio and modifying [your] diet will be even better.

As we mentioned earlier, there's so much information going around, it's hard to differentiate between workouts that will help you achieve your goals and ones that just look cool. According to Chag, there's no one best way to lose fat.

Calories Burned Lifting Weights Vs. Cardio: Which Is Better?

In general, the best workout is really one you enjoy doing, she said. If you don't like something, you're less likely to do it, so find something you enjoy and start there. To lose body fat, Chag recommends starting with a combination of strength training, cardio, and eating healthy.

Now that you have a general idea of what you should do to lose body fat, you're probably wondering what exactly your weekly workout regimen should look like. Here are a few tips:

As Chag mentioned earlier, you can lose fat with weightlifting alone. But if you want quicker results, she recommends doing cardio and eating healthy foods as well. When trying to change our body composition, increase lean muscle, and decrease fat mass, taking a moment to look at what we eat is absolutely a part of the equation, she said. However, cutting out entire food groups, like carbs, isn't necessary.

Cardio Vs. Weights: Which Is Better For Your Health?

Losing fat may not happen overnight, but now you've got a game plan; time to implement it! Here's an eating plan you can follow and a four-week strength-training program that will help you burn fat and build muscle.

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Weight Lifting Is A Waste Of Time: So Is Cardio, And There's A Better Way To Have The Body You Want: Jaquish, Dr. John, Alkire, Henry, Griffin, Forrest: 9781544508931: Amazon.com: Books

Celebrity News Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Spotted Being Super Affectionate in NYC Amid Breakup Rumors by Sabienna Bowman 1 day agoNearly all of them, right? Weight loss is an important fitness goal, and many of your new clients will come to you looking for the fastest, easiest way to do it.

Of course, you know that the best way to lose weight is not a quick fix. It's steady, consistent lifestyle changes: working out more, eating better.

While there are no easy solutions to losing weight, you can help your clients hit their goals faster and more effectively by including more strength and resistance training in addition to their cardio sessions.

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Most people turn to cardio to blast calories and lose weight, and that's not a bad move. Minute by minute, you will burn more calories during a cardiovascular workout than during a lifting session. For example:

Clearly, cardio workouts win out in terms of actual calories burned during exercise. But calories and weight loss are more complicated than that.

Learn more: Read this ISSA article for a more in-depth look at how cardio and strength workouts change the body and help with body fat loss .

Weight Lifting For Weight Loss

Sure, you could do cardio for every workout to lose weight, and along with smart food choices, this can be effective. But you can also make your metabolism more efficient and burn more calories all day long, by adding in weight lifting.

Strength training builds muscle mass. Muscle tissue burns more calories when your body is at rest than other types of tissue. So, if you have more muscle, you will burn more calories and potentially lose more weight throughout the day, every day, even if you're just sitting at your desk.

Studies have proved that strength training increases your calorie burn. The researchers in one study followed a group of participants for 24 weeks as they engaged in weight training:

Cardio Vs Weights: Which Is Better For Fat Loss

Weight lifting also helps you burn more calories to lose weight by keeping the burn going even after the workout. For most cardio training sessions, the number of calories you torch during the session is the limit. Once you're done, there is no more calorie burn.

But studies show that your body will keep burning calories for hours, even a day or more, after finishing a strength training session. The effect is greatest and provides the most weight loss benefits with high-intensity lifting workouts.(3)

Your clients aiming to lose weight are most likely gung-ho to do cardio because they believe it is the best way to hit that goal. They probably have misconceptions about lifting, strength training, and building muscle that make them wary about using this kind of workout.

How Much Weight Should I Lift At The Gym?

Women especially fall victim to the myth that strength training will make you bigger, heavier, and bulkier. It certainly can, but bodybuilders work very hard to look the way they do (and likely lift a heavier weight). A couple of workouts lifting weights each week is not enough to get there.

If you're trying to lose weight, and cardio burns the most calories, you should get in as much aerobic exercise as possible, right? This is not true. Yes, cardio and aerobic workouts are essential for both fitness and weight loss, there is a limit.

Too much cardio exercise can actually be counterproductive to gaining muscle mass, which you need to up your metabolism and burn more calories overall. It's worthwhile for your client's goals to take some of that time spent on cardio exercises and use it in the weight room.

Cardio Or Weights: Which Comes First?

DOMS , delayed onset muscle soreness, can happen with any type of exercise but is more common with strength training. This is the aching you feel in muscles, usually the day after a workout. It can last 24 hours or a few days, depending on the severity.

Assure your clients that this doesn't have to happen with every one of their training workouts and DOMS need not derail their next-day jog or cycling class. Not only do you not have to be sore after weightlifting, but you shouldn't be, at least not very much. As the personal trainer, you will guide your clients to start strength training at an appropriate level so DOMS isn't an issue.

Weight lifting is for everyone, period. There is no limit on who can lift and strength train. Everyone, at every stage of life, can benefit from it. Your client in her 60s who has never lifted before will have a strength training program that looks very different from the one you make for the young man in his 20s, but she can and should still build muscle, both to lose weight and to be healthier.

How Long It Takes To Lose Weight From Working Out, According To Experts

Any addition of strength training and weight lifting to your client's routine will support weight loss and increase overall calorie burn. But if your client isn't excited about spending too much time on weight lifting, streamline the workouts with some of the best overall moves for building strength and a good caloric burn.

Squats are among the best strength moves for overall fitness, to burn calories, and to activate several muscles at once. A squat enlists large muscle groups, like the glutes and quads, which increases heart rate and calorie burn while also building a lot of muscle mass.

Add in variations to hit more muscles and for progression: suitcase squats with weights, wide-leg squats, squat thrusters to add in core and upper body, and squat jumps for extra cardio and power.

Weight Lifting Essentials: Workout Smarter, Build Lean Muscle, And Lose Fat Faster!: Steen, Darin, Fronczak, Derek: 9781549678592: Amazon.com: Books

Like squats, lunges recruit some big muscle groups. They can also be varied to help your clients progress and change up routines. Add upper body twists to