Cardio or Resistance Training for Fat Loss?

Most of the time, when people say, "I want to lose weight," they mean they want to lose fat. When said person enters the gym, they immediately go to the treadmill or elliptical because it is familiar territory and cardio is assumed to be the "go-to" for fat loss. Yes, because long-term, low to medium intensity exercise uses aerobic pathways, fat is primarily targeted for the body's source of energy.

However, from my personal experience and research, resistance training, which includes any type of exercise that increases muscle strength, is more effective long-term than cardio. This is because your metabolism can actually increase over time with the growth of muscle and abundance of mitochondria on the cellular level. Mitochondria are known as the "powerhouses" of the cell. Granted, the resting metabolism will not burn a significant amount of calories through the increased muscle mass.

But which is better?

In terms of exercise, resistance training. Why? Because cardio will not only burn fat, but muscle, too. And strength training can burn the same amount, if not more, fat than cardio. (2018) Yes, you will get smaller using cardio alone, but you will be soft. For the women reading this article, I've had a lot of clients tell me they are worried about looking too muscular and this makes them fearful of lifting weights. In order to look "bulky" and have bicep veins that protrude through your entire arm, you have to be in a caloric surplus--which is a whole different type of diet and training. I promise you won't turn into the guy bench pressing 250lbs with a muscle shirt on who's name is Tank with boulders hanging off his upper arms.

This brings me to my next point. . . .

REGARDLESS of the type of exercise you choose, my favorite phrase is, "abs are made in the kitchen"--meaning, the work outs you do in the gym are absolutely useless if you do not have your diet under control. In order to lose fat, you have to be in a caloric deficit, period.

Furthermore, if you are the type of person who loves cardio (for reasons I will never understand), you can perform HIIT work outs, which are a combination of cardio and strength training.

1. Chan, J. (2018, March 08). Strength Training For Fat Loss: Building A Bigger Engine! Retrieved May 20, 2018, from https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/strength-training-for-fat-loss-building-a-bigger-engine.html