Fitness
Cardio vs Weight Lifting: Which One is the best?
Here is your complete guide to Cardio vs Weight Lifting
Introduction to Cardio vs Weight Lifting
Many people who have decided to lose weight are confronted with a difficult decision: should they do cardio or lift weights? . So Cardio vs Weight Lifting: what is better? Cardio vs Weight Lifting: what you should practice? Here you will find your ultimate guide about Cardio vs Weight Lifting.
They’re the two most popular types of workouts, but deciding which is a better use of your time can be difficult.
This article explains the differences between cardio and weight training for weight loss
Cardio burns more calories per session than weight training.
Many scientists have conducted studies to determine how many calories people burn while engaging in various activities.
According to this study, you can estimate how many calories you will burn during various types of exercise, such as cardio and weight training, by using your body weight.
The more you weigh, the more calories you burn for most activities.
If you weigh 160 pounds (73 kg), jogging at a moderate pace for 30 minutes will burn about 250 calories.
If you ran at a faster pace of 6 miles per hour for 30 minutes, you would burn approximately 365 calories.
Weight training for the same amount of time, on the other hand, may only burn around 130-220 calories.
In general, cardio will burn more calories per session than weight training for the same amount of effort.
Weight training allows you to burn more calories each day.
Although a weight-training workout does not typically burn as many calories as a cardio workout, it does have additional advantages.
Weight training, for example, is more effective than cardio in terms of muscle building, and muscle burns more calories at rest than other tissues, including fat.
As a result, it is widely assumed that building muscle is the key to increasing your resting metabolism — that is, the number of calories you burn while at rest.
During 24 weeks of weight training, one study measured participants’ resting metabolic rates.
Weight training resulted in a 9% increase in resting metabolic rate in men. Women experienced a 4% increase.
While this may sound appealing, consider how many calories it contains.
Resting metabolism increased by about 140 calories per day for men. It was only around 50 calories per day for women.
Thus, weight training and gaining a little muscle will not increase your metabolism dramatically, but it may increase it slightly.
However, weight training has additional calorie-burning benefits.
Specifically, research has shown that a weight training session burns more calories in the hours following than a cardio workout.
In fact, resting metabolism has been reported to remain elevated for up to 38 hours after weight training, whereas no such increase has been reported with cardio.
This means that the calorie-burning benefits of weights do not stop when you exercise. You may continue to burn calories for hours or days afterward.
A more intense workout will increase the number of calories you burn afterward for most types of exercise.
High-intensity interval training has the same benefits as cardio but takes less time.
Despite the fact that cardio and weight training are two of the most popular workouts, there are other options.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT), which involves short bursts of very intense exercise followed by low-intensity recovery periods, is one of these.
A HIIT workout will typically last 10-30 minutes.
Sprinting, biking, jump roping, and other body-weight exercises can all be combined with HIIT.
HIIT could help you burn more calories.
Some studies have directly compared the effects of cardio, weight training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
In one study, the calories burned during 30 minutes of HIIT, weight training, running, and biking were all compared.
Researchers discovered that HIIT burned 25-30% more calories than other types of exercise.
HIIT and traditional cardio may have similar weight-loss effects.
A study of over 400 overweight and obese adults discovered that HIIT and traditional cardio both reduced body fat and waist circumference to comparable degrees.
Furthermore, other research has shown that HIIT-style workouts may burn roughly the same number of calories as traditional cardio, though this depends on exercise intensity.
According to some research, if you weigh about 160 pounds, you can burn about 300 calories in 30 minutes of cardio or HIIT (73 kg)
One of the potential advantages of HIIT is that it allows you to spend less time exercising.
Using a Variety of Exercise Methods Could Be Beneficial
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is a large and well-respected organization that provides exercise advice.
It has made evidence-based weight-loss recommendations.
How Much Exercise Should You Get Per Week?
According to the ACSM, less than 150 minutes per week of moderate or vigorous physical activity, such as cardio, is probably insufficient for weight loss.
It does, however, state that more than 150 minutes per week of this type of physical activity is sufficient to help most people lose weight.
Furthermore, studies show that people lose more body weight when they engage in more physical activity.
Which Exercises Should You Perform?
Interestingly, according to ACSM’s review of the research, weight training is not very effective for weight loss.
However, keep in mind that even if your weight does not change, your body composition may improve.
Weight training, for example, can result in an increase in muscle and a decrease in fat.
If your muscle and fat mass change by the same amount, the scale may remain unchanged, even if you have become healthier.
One large study of 119 overweight or obese adults puts everything in perspective when it comes to exercise and weight loss. Participants were divided into three groups for exercise: cardio, weights, or cardio plus weights.
Those who did cardio and cardio with weights lost the most weight and fat after eight months.
Meanwhile, the weight training and cardio-plus-weight training groups gained the most muscle.
Overall, the cardio-plus-weights group experienced the greatest changes in body composition. They lost fat and muscle while losing weight.
This means that a program that incorporates both cardio and weight training may be the best option for improving your body composition.
Diet and exercise are both important for long-term success.
Most people understand that regular exercise and a nutritious diet are essential for good health.
To promote weight loss, all major health organizations recommend that you change both your diet and your exercise routine.
Committing to the best exercise program is not enough; you must also pay attention to your diet in order to maximize your progress.
According to research, the ideal program for long-term weight loss includes a moderate reduction in calorie intake as well as a good exercise program.
While many people understand the importance of a healthy diet for weight loss, some go too far and claim that diet is the only thing that matters.
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However, it’s important to remember that exercise also helps.
A scientific review involving over 400 people compared the weight loss effects of diet and exercise to the effects of dietary changes alone.