Cardio vs weightlifting for fat loss: which is more effective?

One of the most common reasons people have for starting their fitness journey is because they want to lose weight to change how their body looks and improve their health. There are two key exercise strategies that are applied to reach this goal: cardiovascular exercise (cardio) and resistance training in the form of weightlifting (lifting).

Cardio and lifting are both great forms of exercise and have a variety of benefits but they both contribute differently to fat loss. In this blog, we will compare these two in terms of their impact on weight loss to help you understand them better.

Calorie Burn

Fat is simply stored energy that the body has yet to use, so when discussing fat loss we need to talk about burning calories. For your body to burn fat, you need to be burning more energy than you're consuming so that your body turns to the stored energy it has (fat) instead.

Cardio: Cardio exercises such as running, cycling, swimming and aerobics are excellent for burning calories. They elevate your heart rate and increase energy expenditure, which helps in creating a calorie deficit — a crucial factor in fat loss.

Lifting: Weightlifting also burns calories but not as significantly as cardio, especially in just a single session.

On average one hour of lifting weights can burn 300 calories whereas one hour of running can burn up to 600 calories. This will vary by a person's weight, age and strength levels, but it clearly shows that cardio is the front-runner for burning calories.

Metabolic Effects

Your metabolism is essentially the process of the body breaking down food and converting it into energy. Your metabolism is heavily influenced by your lifestyle, and exercise plays a role in this.

Cardio: Cardio workouts primarily focus on burning calories during the workout itself. While some forms of cardio, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can boost your metabolism for a short period of time after the workout, the overall effect on your resting metabolic rate is usually temporary.

Lifting: Resistance training, on the other hand, contributes to an increase in lean muscle mass. Having more muscle increases how many calories your body burns in a resting state since muscle requires more energy than fat to sustain itself.

This means that having more muscle can boost your basal metabolic rate (BMR) in the long term. Having a higher metabolic rate makes losing fat significantly easier since your body burns more calories meaning you can eat more food while still losing weight in comparison to someone with less muscle mass.

Body Composition

Cardio: Cardio exercises are effective for burning fat and can lead to overall weight loss, including both fat and muscle mass. However, depending solely on cardio for weight loss might result in some muscle loss, which could be counterproductive in the long run.

Lifting: Resistance training supports fat loss while preserving and building muscle mass. This can lead to improved body composition, making you look leaner and more toned even if the scale does not show a significant decrease in weight.

Summary

Both cardio and weightlifting have their place in a well-rounded fitness routine. For weight loss specifically, combining both approaches will allow you to reach your goals the fastest. Cardio aids in burning calories and improving cardiovascular health, while lifting helps maintain or increase muscle mass, which in turn supports long-term weight management and overall body composition.

For the best results, consider incorporating a mix of cardio and weightlifting exercises into your schedule while also prioritising a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.