If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the first things you may be considering is doing some cardio. But actually - research shows that cardio is not necessary to lose weight and not only that, it is not a great strategy for long-term fat loss. So, if you were dreading those long runs, swims, or bike rides, don’t worry! With a combination of proper nutrition and resistance training, you can lose weight more effectively than with cardio alone.
A Combination of Exercise and Diet Is Best
Studies have shown that a combination of exercise and a healthy diet is the most effective way to lose fat. In one study, overweight postmenopausal women were placed on a diet-only program, an exercise-only program, or a combined exercise and diet program. Women in the exercise-only program only experienced 2.4% fat loss, while women in the diet-only program saw 8.5% fat loss. Those in the combination program experienced an impressive 10.8% fat loss.
Some of you may have heard of HITT (high intensity interval training) as an effective way to burn fat. Now while HITT cardio does burn calories and work type I muscles more efficiently than LISS (low-intensity steady-state) cardio, resistance training is actually better for long-term fat loss. Resistance training burns calories, builds type II muscles, and increases your resting metabolic rate, making it easier to manage your body’s fat ratio over time.
Resistance Training vs. Cardio
Let’s discuss the difference in terms of resistance training vs. cardio for fat loss. Yes, if you compare side-by-side someone who does an hour of running vs. an hour of resistance training - yes, the cardio will burn more calories in that hour. But the reason why this does not work for long-term fat loss is because over time, your body adapts to cardio, which means you have to keep doing more and more of it to have the same result. I have personal experience in this- I was a marathon swimmer which means I swam anywhere between 3-6 hours in one session in the ocean. I swam about 20-30 hours a week. I did LOTS of cardio but guess what — my body never lost a pound! My body adapted to that cardio very quickly. Just ask yourself - are you REALLY going to be doing 3 hours of cardio a day for the rest of your life to keep the same weight?
Resistance Training for Long-Term Fat Loss
Building muscle is one of the best long-term strategies to long-term fat loss. When we build muscle, we increase our metabolic rate and burn more calories at rest. Not only that, having muscles prevents injuries, protects our joints and increases our quality of life. You don’t need to be lifting like a bodybuilder to have benefits — you just need some progressive loading that’s done safely. However, building muscle and strength is something that requires patience to see over time - which means you have to trust the process!
Some clients panic because when they start lifting, they gain muscle and fat and the scale goes up. THAT IS OKAY! It’s very hard to gain muscle without fat. Also diet is key — it doesn’t matter cardio or resistance training, a proper balanced nutrition will always have a huge impact on what happens to your body.
When starting your resistance training regiment, complex multi-joint resistance exercises are the way to go. These are movements like deadlifts, squats, overhead presses - as they use many joints at once and recruit more muscle movement. This increase in muscle movement will increase caloric expenditure as well. Muscles use around 7 to 13 calories per pound of muscle while fat only uses 2 to 5 calories per pound of muscle. Of course, everyone is different but the point is - the more muscles you have, the more calories you burn doing anything!
If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle and need a little help with your resistance training, reach out to me at happyhelen@gmail.com today!