Have you ever wondered if you should focus on cardio or weight training if you’re training for weight loss? Do you log miles pounding the pavement, spend hours on cardio equipment, or take fitness classes with the belief that cardio is the most effective way to make the number on the scale drop? What if you’re pressed for time and have to pick between weightlifting and cardio, what should you choose if your goal is to lose weight fast?
Many people, especially women, choose cardio. A lot of fitness influencers and even some healthcare professionals might pick cardio as well and tell you it is the key to fat loss. But if you ask a different personal trainer or fitness enthusiast, they’ll probably say that resistance training should be your priority.
Ahh, the great cardio vs. weights debate. It’s been around for a long time and probably isn’t going away anytime soon. What we hope to do is give you information to help you make an informed decision for yourself.
We won’t make you wait until the very bottom to answer this hotly debated question. The answer is… weightlifting is better than cardio for weight loss. This article will explain why, using scientific evidence to explain why weightlifting often has the edge over cardio.
But hold on, don’t ditch the cardio just yet. Cardio has weight loss benefits, too, especially when you know how and when to include it in a workout plan that aligns with your fitness goals. Let’s dive in!
How Do Calories In vs. Calories Out Affect Your Weight?
Before we dive headfirst into the cardio vs. Weightlifting showdown, let’s clear up one big concept: how your body actually manages weight.
At the end of the day, weight loss boils down to the age-old game of calories in versus calories out. If you consistently eat more calories than your body needs for energy, you’ll likely see the scale creep up over time. On the other hand, create a calorie deficit by burning more than you consume, through exercise, daily activities, or a combination of both, and you’ll start to lose weight.
Think of it like a bank account: deposit more than you spend, and your balance goes up. Spend more than you deposit, and your balance drops. Understanding this principle is key, no matter which type of exercise you prefer.
Now that you know calories are the currency of weight management, let’s see why weightlifting might give you more bang for your buck when it comes to shedding those extra pounds.
Is Cardio Better for Weight Loss? Research Says Weightlifting is Superior
Some people might disagree. Maybe you’ve even had success only doing cardio and losing a lot of weight. But science gives us several reasons why weight training wins over cardio for weight loss.
Now, that doesn’t mean cardio isn’t important or can’t help you lose weight.
Cardio has its place and can certainly help you shed pounds, inches, and body fat. In fact, if you look at it from a calorie-burning standpoint, minute for minute, cardio often burns more calories during the activity itself compared to strength training. Cardio is also superior for improving cardiovascular health and endurance.
No doubt, cardio has its place. However, in most cases, it shouldn’t be prioritized over weight training. While both forms of exercise burn calories, strength training offers unique physiological and hormonal benefits that cardio doesn’t.
Studies consistently show that resistance training is better than cardio for fat loss because of these key effects:
Weightlifting Builds Lean Muscle Mass
You aren’t going to build muscle on the treadmill. You can only build muscle through consistent resistance training. More muscle mass means higher metabolism and more efficient fat burning. Strength training also reshapes your body in ways that cardio can’t.
Weightlifting Increases Resting Metabolic Rate
Muscle is metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have, the better your resting metabolic rate (RMR) will be, which means you will burn more calories, even at rest.
Your body is always burning calories, not just when you’re working out, but also while you’re simply existing. Functions like breathing, thinking, and even sleeping all require energy. This baseline calorie burn is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR). On top of that, every movement you make throughout the day, whether it’s walking to the kitchen, standing up to stretch, or brushing your teeth, adds to your total daily calorie expenditure.
Building lean muscle through weightlifting increases this baseline burn. The more muscle you carry, the more calories your body needs just to keep you alive and functioning, 24/7. That’s why resistance training not only helps you burn calories during your workout, but also turns your body into a more efficient calorie-burning machine around the clock.
Resistance Training Elevates Post-Exercise Calorie Burn (EPOC)
Strength training causes a longer and more significant rise in excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This “afterburn effect” can last up to 48 hours, during which your body continues to burn calories at an accelerated rate.
Resistance Training Stimulates Fat-Burning Hormones
Resistance training naturally boosts hormones like growth hormone and testosterone, which help in fat breakdown and muscle building.
Resistance Training Triggers Molecular Changes in Fat Metabolism
There was a groundbreaking study that discovered resistance exercises can prompt muscle cells to release vesicles containing genetic materials like microRNAs. These vesicles communicate with fat cells, encouraging fat breakdown and enhancing metabolic activity.
Resistance Training Enhances Long-Term Fat Loss and Prevents Weight Regain
By improving muscle-to-fat ratio and boosting your metabolism, resistance training helps prevent fat regain. Studies show that people who include resistance training in their exercise routines are more likely to maintain weight loss over the long term compared to those who focus solely on cardio.
How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?
You might be wondering how often you should lace up your sneakers or hit the weights to see real results, especially if your goal is weight management or just feeling your best overall.
Here’s the science-backed baseline for most adults:
- Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Think brisk walking, cycling, easy swims, or even mowing the lawn, anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you break a light sweat.
- Or, mix things up with 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. This could mean running, high-energy dance classes, or hiking up steep trails, something that leaves you a little more breathless.
- Don’t skip strength training. Set aside at least two days per week for resistance exercises. This doesn’t have to mean heavy bench presses at the gym. Bodyweight moves (like squats, lunges, and push-ups), resistance bands, or lifting groceries can all count, just aim to work all major muscle groups.
The key is to stay consistent and find activities you enjoy. The magic formula is a blend of movement that suits your lifestyle: whether it’s gardening, chasing your dog around the park, or hitting a spin class with friends. The more you move, and the more variety you add, the better your body (and your mind) will feel.
What Affects How Fast You Lose Weight with Different Workouts?
Now, before you sprint to the squat rack or lace up your running shoes, let’s unpack what actually influences how quickly those pounds drop when you switch up your exercise routine. The reality is, weight loss isn’t one-size-fits-all. Multiple factors come into play whether your focus is cardio, strength training, or anything in between.
- Exercise Intensity and Duration
The harder and longer you exercise, the more calories you’ll usually burn. For instance, high-intensity workouts (think HIIT or sprints) torch more calories in less time compared to steady-state walking or cycling. But keep in mind, blasting out a sweaty cardio session doesn’t always guarantee long-term fat loss or muscle gain, what you do post-workout matters just as much.
- Your Body Composition and Starting Point
Your current body weight and muscle mass impact your calorie burn. Generally, someone with more muscle or a higher body weight will burn more calories during any form of exercise or even at rest. As you lose weight, your energy needs decrease, so the same workout might not burn as many calories over time.
- Muscle Building vs. Calorie Burning
Cardio is efficient at burning calories during the moment, those 30 minutes on the treadmill rack up a calorie deficit quickly. But strength training helps build and preserve lean muscle mass, which elevates your resting metabolic rate. Over time, this means you’ll burn more calories even while binging your favorite Netflix series.
- The ‘Afterburn’ Effect
Weightlifting and higher-intensity workouts offer a metabolic perk known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). In plain English: After you’re done, your body keeps burning calories as it recovers, a metabolic bonus you don’t get to the same degree from leisurely cardio.
- Variety and Consistency
Mixing up different exercise methods (strength, cardio, HIIT, even a little old-school walking or gardening) helps keep things fresh and utilizes a wider range of muscle groups and energy systems. The people who see the best results? They’re usually the ones who find activities they enjoy and stick with them week after week.
- Dietary Choices and Energy Balance
No matter how expertly you program your workouts, weight loss boils down to burning more calories than you consume. Regular movement, paired with a manageable calorie deficit from your diet, is a proven way to shed fat. Foods rich in nutrients, rather than just “empty” calories, will support your performance and help you keep the weight off for the long haul.
- The Impact of Lifestyle Factors
Other things, like sleep, stress, age, hormones, and genetics, can nudge your results in one direction or another. For instance, you might notice weight loss slows with age, or certain medical conditions can make shedding pounds more challenging.
The Bottom Line
In summary, how quickly you lose weight with different types of exercise depends on how hard and how often you move, your starting point, whether you’re building muscle, and what’s happening in the kitchen. A balanced mix of strength training, cardio, and daily movement, combined with a solid nutrition plan, gives you the best shot at lasting results.
Benefits of Strength Training for Fat Loss
When most people say they want to “lose weight,” they’re usually not just aiming to be a smaller version of themselves. What they truly want is to build definition and reshape their bodies. This transformation requires more than just calorie-burning exercises like cardio.
Strength training is the key to achieving this because it builds muscle, which not only changes the shape of your body but also offers a cascade of other benefits that extend far beyond aesthetics.
Here are some stand-out benefits of strength training for fat loss and overall well-being:
Boosts Metabolism and Enhances Fat Loss
Strength training increases muscle mass, raising your resting metabolic rate and helping you burn more calories 24/7. Of all the benefits of weightlifting, this one might be the most impactful (and certainly the most interesting) in terms of fat loss.
We’re going to list several more benefits of resistance training first, but in the next section, we’ll dive deeper into how strength training plays a role in metabolic health, supercharging your metabolism and turning your body into a 24/7 calorie-burning machine!!
Builds Muscle and Reshapes Your Body
Muscles are what give your body definition and shape. Strength training stimulates muscle growth, allowing you to achieve a toned, sculpted look. Without muscle, weight loss can leave you feeling “skinny-fat” rather toned and sculpted.
Supports Bone Health
Resistance exercises improve bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and
fractures as you age.
Relieves Stress and Improves Mood
Strength training reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol while boosting the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good chemicals. This makes it an excellent tool for stress management and mental health.
Improves Sleep Quality
Regular strength training helps regulate sleep patterns and improve overall sleep quality, allowing your body to recover and repair more effectively.
Reduces Risk of Chronic Conditions
Strength training has been linked to lower risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
Promotes Brain Health
Emerging research shows that strength training may improve brain function and lower the risk of cognitive decline and dementia by enhancing blood flow and stimulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
Improves Insulin Sensitivity
Strength training improves insulin sensitivity by helping muscles absorb glucose more effectively, reducing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Reduces Risk of Everyday Injuries
Stronger muscles support your joints, improving balance and stability. This reduces the risk of falls and injuries, particularly as you age.
Boosts Immunity
Regular strength training enhances immune function by promoting better circulation and reducing inflammation. It helps your body fight off illness more effectively.
Builds Confidence and Mental Toughness
Achieving strength milestones, like setting PRs and lifting heavier weights, improves self-esteem and fosters a sense of accomplishment. This confidence often spills over into other areas of life.
Makes You Stronger for Daily Life
From lifting groceries to playing with your kids, strength training makes everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable. Functional strength gained in the gym translates to better
quality of life.
Looking Deeper Into Strength Training’s Role in Metabolism
The impact that strength training has on your metabolism is fascinating, and it’s probably the leading reason why it’s often considered superior for weight loss.
First, when you train with resistance, your body builds muscle. Muscle tissue is metabolically active. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn not only while exercising, but also while doing nothing. Yes, even when you are sleeping!
But that’s not the only way muscle mass boosts around-the-clock calorie burn. One of the most fascinating effects of strength training is the “afterburn effect,” scientifically known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).
After lifting weights, your body requires extra energy to return to its resting state by repairing muscles, replenishing energy stores, and restoring oxygen levels. This means you continue to burn calories long after your workout ends. Research shows that EPOC can remain elevated for up to 38 hours, depending on the intensity of the session.
Some studies also suggest that lifting weights enhances the oxidation (burning) of fat for energy, even when you’re not exercising. This means that lifting weights can help your body rely on fat stores for energy during everyday activities. Yet another way that weightlifting can help with 24/7 fat burn.
We’re not done… there’s more! Muscle mass also influences how much energy your body requires to digest, absorb, and process the nutrients you consume, known as the thermic effect of food (TEF).
Since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, the more muscle you have, the higher your TEF will be. This means building muscle through strength training enhances the efficiency of your metabolism, contributing to your daily calorie burn even during digestion.
How Body Weight Influences Calorie Burn During Exercise
Your body weight plays a significant role in determining how many calories you burn during physical activity. Generally, the heavier you are, the more energy your body requires to perform a given exercise, whether you’re cycling, jogging, or lifting weights.
For instance, if two people perform the exact same cardio workout, the individual who weighs more will typically burn more calories compared to someone lighter. This is because moving a heavier body demands greater effort and energy output.
Let’s use cycling as an example: someone weighing around 150 pounds might burn roughly 145 calories during a moderate 30-minute ride, but cycling at a higher intensity can push that number much higher. As intensity and effort increase, so does calorie expenditure.
It’s also important to note that as you shed pounds, your calorie burn may decrease for the same activity. With less body mass to move, your muscles don’t need to work as hard, so the energy (and calories) expended goes down. This means you may need to adjust your workouts over time to keep progressing toward your goals.
Benefits of Cardio for Fat Loss
We hope you now better understand why weightlifting is often considered superior to cardio for fat loss. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t do cardio. In fact, it has its own unique benefits for both weight loss and overall health.
While cardio alone may not have the long-term metabolic benefits of weightlifting, it certainly plays a role in improving heart health, burning calories, and boosting endurance
Burns Calories During the Activity
One advantage of cardio is the number of calories burned while you are doing it. Typically, cardio burns more calories per minute than weightlifting. This can make it a useful tool for creating a calorie deficit. However, unlike strength training, the calorie burn from cardio usually stops once you finish the workout.
Great for Heart Health
Cardio is excellent for improving cardiovascular health, strengthening your heart, and reducing the risk of heart disease. It helps improve blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, and increases your heart’s efficiency, making it an essential component of a balanced fitness routine.
Improves Endurance
Cardio trains the body to use oxygen more efficiently, boosting endurance and stamina. This can improve performance in aerobic activities and weightlifting sessions by enhancing overall work capacity.
Aids in Appetite Regulation
Although responses to cardio can vary, for some people, cardio can temporarily suppress appetite after exercise. This effect might make it easier to maintain a calorie deficit when paired with proper nutrition. For many, the opposite is true for strength training, which many find can slightly increase appetite.
Improves Insulin Sensitivity
Much like strength training, cardio enhances your body’s ability to utilize insulin effectively. Improved insulin sensitivity can help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent excessive fat storage.
Increases Daily Calorie Burn
Cardio does burn calories, which means it can contribute significantly to your daily energy expenditure. This makes it a helpful tool for weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy diet and regular strength training.
Is HIIT as Effective as Cardio and Weightlifting for Fat Loss?
Let’s talk about high-intensity interval training (HIIT), the lovechild of cardio and strength, and the holy grail for people who say “I want maximum results, but I have, at max, 23 minutes.” HIIT packs short bursts of hard work (think sweaty sprints or rapid-fire squats) alternated with brief rest periods, all crammed into a session that can be as brief as 10 to 30 minutes.
But can HIIT really stand toe-to-toe with traditional cardio or weightlifting for fat loss and muscle retention? Research suggests a resounding yes. Not only does HIIT torch calories during your workout, but it can also keep your metabolism revved up after you’re finished, thanks to the same EPOC effect we discussed earlier. In fact, side-by-side comparisons show that HIIT can burn 25–30% more calories in the same amount of time than steady-state cardio or standard resistance training. That’s an impressive calorie burn for a time commitment that might not even outlast your podcast episode.
The beauty of HIIT is its versatility: you can sprint, cycle, jump rope, or do bodyweight moves like burpees and mountain climbers. You can even toss in some dumbbells if you’re feeling ambitious. By ramping up intensity for short intervals and then catching your breath, you blend the fat-burning benefits of both aerobic and anaerobic training.
What about body composition? Good news, multiple studies in folks with diverse backgrounds show HIIT not only trims down body fat and waist circumference but does so as effectively as longer, steady sessions of cardio or resistance training. This means if your goal is to shed fat, preserve muscle, and get in and out of the gym (or your living room) fast, HIIT checks all the boxes.
So, short on time but big on goals? HIIT is your friend. It’s an efficient, science-backed way to tap into both fat loss and cardio benefits, no marathon sessions required.
Why Diet Matters for Sustainable Weight Loss
While it’s easy to get excited about torching calories in the gym, what you put on your plate ultimately plays a starring role in your fat loss journey, and in keeping those results for the long haul. You can out-lift (and out-treadmill) your fork for only so long before nutrition starts to tip the scales.
Here’s why: The foundation of any weight-loss effort is a calorie deficit, meaning you consistently consume fewer calories than your body burns. Exercise helps, but it’s difficult to outrun a daily surplus of pizza and pastries, trust us, we’ve tried! A balanced diet full of whole foods makes it easier to manage calorie intake while providing nutrients your body needs to recover, build muscle, and power through workouts.
Long-Term Success Requires Both Sides of the Equation
- More Than Calories In, Calories Out: While the math is crucial, the quality of your calories is just as important. Think fiber-rich veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats. These foods help keep you fuller longer, fuel your activity, and support healthy hormone levels that can affect weight.
- Consistency Is Queen (and King): Crash diets and extreme cuts may show quick results, but they’re tough to maintain. A realistic, balanced approach, one that fits your lifestyle, will serve you far better in the war against yo-yo dieting.
- Metabolism and Muscle Maintenance: Eating enough to support your activity ensures you hang onto precious muscle mass as you lose weight. Skimping on nutrition can slow your metabolism and make weight regain more likely.
Remember: movement builds muscle and burns calories, but a smart, satisfying diet sets the stage for fat loss that sticks. Prioritizing nutrient-dense foods and staying active is your ticket to sustainable, life-long weight maintenance success.
Other Factors That Influence Your Weight
While your workout routine and nutrition habits do much of the heavy lifting, there are some behind-the-scenes players that can impact your weight, too. Age, for example, comes with a natural slowdown of metabolism. That means your body burns fewer calories at rest as you get older, so what worked in your twenties may not be quite as effective a decade later.
Hormonal health also plays a significant role. If your thyroid isn’t firing on all cylinders, for instance, it can put the brakes on metabolism and make it harder to lose weight, even with a solid exercise plan in place. Other factors like stress levels, sleep quality, medications, and genetics all have a say when it comes to how easily your body sheds or stores fat.
The bottom line? Weight management isn’t just about calories in and calories out. It’s a complex symphony with many instruments, diet and exercise are just the loudest ones in the orchestra.
Combining Cardio and Weights for Optimal Results
Much of the research examining the question “Is strength training or cardio better for weight loss” looks at each activity separately. While most of these studies say weightlifting wins, many also point out that the most effective strategy isn’t to choose one or the other but to combine the two.
Most would agree that if you had to choose between a 20-minute lift or 20 minutes on the treadmill, you should go with resistance training. But the best approach is a hybrid exercise regime that includes both cardio and weight training.
By incorporating both cardio and strength training, you can maximize the benefits of fat loss and overall health in ways that no single type of exercise can achieve alone.
Which Should You Do First: Cardio or Weights?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether you should do cardio or weights first.
Whether you perform cardio before weights, after, or even in a separate fasted cardio session depends on several factors, including your fitness goals, the intensity of the cardio you’re doing, and your personal preferences.
Some people prefer to do cardio on rest days or split it up, doing cardio first thing in the morning and a weightlifting session later in the day after fueling their body with a few meals. Others prefer to tackle both in one session to maximize gym time.
If you’re combining cardio and weights in the same session and your priority is building strength or muscle, it’s generally better to begin with weightlifting, especially if the cardio you do is moderate or intense. High-intensity cardio, like HIIT, can deplete glycogen stores and leave you too fatigued for effective strength training, potentially hindering
performance and results.
On the other hand, doing cardio first might make sense if your main goal is improving cardiovascular endurance or if you stick to low-intensity cardio. Low-intensity options like walking or light cycling are less taxing and can be a warm-up or cooldown for your strength workout.
Some people follow the “eat the frog” philosophy, starting their session with the activity they dread the most. For those who struggle with motivation and discipline, doing the most mentally challenging or least enjoyable part first can ensure it doesn’t get skipped.
Ultimately, you should do what works for you. Whether it’s fasted cardio, lifting heavy weights before a treadmill session, jumping on the stepmill before your lift because you hate it and know you’ll be tempted to skip if you wait until after your lift, or alternating between cardio and strength days, the key is consistency.
Bottom Line
Both cardio and weightlifting serve a purpose if you want to lose weight.
Cardio mainly burns additional calories and can be used as an additional tool to help with weight loss (to help you see the muscle you’ve put on) and improve cardiovascular health. However, most of the time, you should prioritize weightlifting and sprinkle in cardio as a supplement to complement your strength-building routine.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you customize your workout to meet your unique fitness goals in a way that is realistic and sustainable for your lifestyle.
But don’t forget: exercise alone isn’t a magic bullet. For real, long-term results, whether your aim is losing weight, building muscle, or simply feeling healthier, a balanced diet is just as critical as what you do in the gym. Weight loss, in its simplest form, comes down to the balance between the calories you consume and the calories you burn. If you eat more than you burn, you’ll likely gain weight; if you burn more than you eat, you’ll lose. But what you eat also matters, a diet full of nutrient-dense whole foods will fuel your workouts and recovery, while helping you maintain a caloric deficit without feeling deprived.
Consistency truly is the name of the game. Fad diets, extreme calorie cuts, or sporadic exercise routines might deliver short-term results, but they rarely stick. Instead, aim for a moderate reduction in calorie intake paired with a workout plan you can maintain. Moving more, rather than simply eating less, can also help preserve muscle, keep your metabolism humming, and make it easier to maintain your results over time. And remember, factors like age, hormones, and overall health can also play a role in your progress, so give yourself grace and focus on habits you can sustain.
By combining a sensible eating plan with regular physical activity, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success, not just a quick fix.
Most people need a little help finding the right balance.
This article is a great beginner’s guide to fitness to help get you started. You might also want to consider hiring a personal trainer. At REVIVE gym in Stuart, FL, we have expert trainers available to create personalized workout plans that prioritize your goals and keep you on track.
Stop by today and let us help you reach your weight loss goals faster and easier!
