Cardio vs Resistance Training.. What is better for Fat loss..?

Many of us shy away from weights because of a plethora of bad info about how we will all end up looking like the Hulk’s slightly more pumped sister or simply because we aren’t quite sure what we are doing with the dumbbells.

On the other hand, people avoid cardio for fear of losing booty gains, or the concept of gasping for air whilst pounding a treadmill just doesn’t appeal at all!

The answer for optimal fat loss is probably exactly what you would expect… a blend of the two methods with a healthy dose of sensible eating on the side.

The optimal amount/ ratio of cardio to weights for maximal fat loss will depend on how individual body’s respond to training, this will involve an element of trial and error. Over time, you will start to work out what your body likes and responds to best. Here are the facts about both methods, to arm you with the best information to experience optimal progress and execute the best wellbeing and health transformation strategy.

CARDIO…

Cardio is the calorie burning king.. sweating away on a spine bike, smashing a HIIT session or bashing out Hill sprints is going to create a massive calorie deficit. If you are interested in maximising fat loss, the intensity of cv exercise will drive the results. Put simply. Ramp up the intensity to drive down body fat.

That being said, studies indicate that walking briskly has massive positive effects on both mental and physical health. So just because you aren’t purple and unable to speak, it doesn’t mean that low level sustained cardio is not worth adding into your regime for the many additional health benefits!

Studies show that dieters who lose weight doing cardio-vascular exercise, lose a combo of muscle AND fat whereas resistance trainers lose primarily just fat. You will experience more general fat loss with cardio, meaning you will look smaller, but perhaps not necessarily firmer, leaner and more muscular.

Hang fire and hold off your burpees for just one moment…

WEIGHT TRAINING…

Lifting weights boosts metabolism which makes your body more efficient at utilising calories. Muscle is anabolic, which means the more muscle you retain, the more calories you will burn at rest, creating a fat loss machine!

This combined with high intensity cardio creates a solid method for maximising health and maintaining a healthy body fat.

If you participate in cardio alone, you can’t specifically target a “problem area” or specific part of your physique. The amazing thing about weight training is you CAN target particular muscle groups.

e.g If you do push ups, pull ups and dumbbell rows, that is going to seriously improve the shape of your arms and shoulders, likewise if you squat, deadlift and lunge, you can directly improve the shape and appearance of your legs!

I would recommend approximately 30 mins of cardio and 30 mins of resistance training a couple of times per week.

Move more and do something positive and active every day!

Fat loss isn’t rocket science, it simply requires discipline…