Cardio vs Strength Training: Which burns more fat?
84I'll be the first to tell you I love strength training, I love feeling strong and I love the look of sleek muscles. Strength training is important, it builds muscles which prevent injury and keep our bodies healthy. The problem is, strength training has been vastly oversold as a metabolism-boosting calorie burner. It's time for a reality check.
Metabolism 101
Our metabolism is the key to burning fat. To lose weight we need to increase our total calorie burn. To increase our total calorie burn we need to increase one (or more) of the following:
Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, which is essentially the calories you burn at rest. Your BMR is important because it makes up a large percentage of total calorie burn, but unfortunately you can't do much to increase (or decrease) it. Your BMR is mostly determined by your genetic makeup and body weight. The only way to really boost your BMR is to gain a large amount of weight (quite counter productive for our reasons).
Your physical-activity energy expenditure, which is all the activity you do in a day. This not only includes all of your workouts, but also walking your dog, doing the dishes, climbing the stairs, even brushing your teeth- any time your body is active it is adding to your physical-activity energy expenditure. Your physical-activity energy expenditure is the most important part of your total calorie burn because it is the part you can do the most about, all you have to do to increase it is to get up and move!
Your thermic effect of feeding, which is the energy your body expends while digesting food. Your thermis effect of feeding is generally about 10 percent of your daily calorie burn. However this number can be increased by eating small meals several times a day rather than just a few large meals. Stimulating foods such as green tea and chili peppers can also speed your thermic effect of feeding.
Your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which is the extra calories you burn after exercise. Your excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is also known as the "afterburn". The amount of calories you burn post-workout will depend on the type of your workout, if you heart rate is increased during your workout and stay increased your will burn more.
Why Strength Training doesn't burn
The theory behind strength training burning more than cardio comes from the idea that one pound of muscle uses more calories per day than one pound fat does, while this is true, it is not enough to trim you down. Take a look at the numbers:
- 182 calories are burned per day for each pound of kidney your body houses.
- 110 calories are burned per day for each pound of brain that your body houses.
- 6 calories are burned per day for each pound of muscle that your body houses.
- 2 calories are burned per day for each pound of fat that your body houses.
During strength training you burn less calories, and the additional calories you burn due to the gain in muscle in your body is barely enough to make a difference, your time would be much better spend doing cardio where you would burn more calories during the workout (and less after).
Why Cardio does burn
If you're interested in boosting your metabolism to lose weight, aerobic training such as running and walking is a better investment than strength training. All you need to do is look at the numbers to see why:
40 minutes of moderate cardio (running 8:30 pace) vs. 40 minutes of moderate strength training-
Cardio: 522 calories burned during the activity, 30 calories burned in afterburn, 0 calories burned from gained muscle
Strength Training: approximately 136 calories burned during the activity, 20 calories burned in afterburn, 30 calories burned from gained muscle
Cardio leads by 366 calories.
So there it is, if you want to burn more fat do more cardio, the numbers are simple. However, I won't necessarily replace all strength training with cardio, it is good to have a mix of both-this way you will burn fat and build muscle which will keep you strong and healthy and prevent against injury, not to mention provide you with sleek and sexy muscles. It is also important to keep diet in mind, exercise alone won't do it (and neither will diet alone). You need to focus on creating a diet and exercise plan and sticking to it!
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My program 4 times a week is 30minutes cardio then an hour or so of strenght training. After lifting some weights, i will finish the program with a 5minute walk on the thread then staying in the sauna for around 10minutes before taking a bath. Thanks for this information.
Putting the numbers down and calculating the calories burned makes it sound like it works but where are the numbers coming from?
I know from my own experiences that after a good strength building work out of about 30-45 minutes coupled with about 15 minutes of basketball that my muscles are in repair/build mode for at least a good couple of days. Which to me means more than "30 calories burned from gained muscle".
On face value, without a study cited or a book (with studies cited)... cited this article is retardulous.
When I miss a week or so from my workouts my whole body will ache for two to three days after I start back up. And at night I can feel my metabolism working over time my body gets really warm... I mean way more warm than usual. I'll wake up hot when usually I don't. Thats just what I've experienced, though what the hell do I know.
My point here is that I need proof and that comes from A. scientific studies (not anecdotal ones, which my experiences are by the way) or B. physical proof... meaning the person who wrote this article has gotten others to lose fat as easily as they could (assuming that the author has little fat).
Whatever you think of what I wrote about this article, it does conclude well: "You need to focus on creating a diet and exercise plan and sticking to it!"
.... that says it all.
I've found that I look slimmer now that I'm only jogging/walking 3-4 miles a day as opposed to when I used to take Kickboxing and Weights classes. I thought building muscle would be better and don't get me wrong, I loved the toned abs and arms I had, but my size was still the same! I wanted to get a slimmer body, not a big hard body. So I've cut down on my weights and I go jogging every morning instead. This is working out a lot better for me.
I think it really just depends on the body type. I'm sure what works for me won't work for everyone.
Well, I think you're wrong. Go to the gym. You will see at least two type of people: the skinny-fat ones walking one the threadmill, doing aerobic classes or cycling, and the big, muscular and lean ones, lifting heavy-ass weight. Some of them are not that lean, but most of them are. Your metabolism will also increase significantly more than you mentioned, both due to muscle gain and EPOC (excess post workout oxygen consumption).
I do both running and weightlifting, and in periods where I lift more(and do some sprinting), eat more and do less cardio, I am actually leaner and more defined than when Im doing a lot of cardio. Research has also shown that people who do weightlifting and short anaerobic interval training lose more fat than those doing traditional cardio.
Who has the best fat to muscle ratio of a sprinter, low weightclass weightlifter or a pole waulter compared to a 5k runner or a tour de france cyclist?
Read this article which actually contains research and sources, in contradiction to yours which only makes guesses and takes "facts" from nowhere.
Notice how the author has (and less after) in parenthensis following the statement, "your time would be much better spend doing cardio where you would burn more calories during the workout". People burn most of their calories throughout the day while they're doing their daily activities, not during their 1-2 hours of workout. Strength training has been shown to produce the greatest EPOC which is something we benefit from after our workouts so wouldn't it make since to make strength training more of a priority in your exercise routine if your goal is to have an increase metabolism.
Here is a study on strength training and cardio training in regards to EPOC:
Elliot et al. (1988) investigated the difference in EPOC between aerobic cycling (40 minutes at 80% heart rate max), circuit training (4 sets, 8 exercises, 15 reps at 50% 1RM) and heavy resistance training (3 sets, 8 exercises, 3-8 reps at 80-90% 1RM). Heavy resistance training produced the greatest EPOC (10.6 liters, 53 calories) compared with circuit training (10.2 liters, 51 calories) and cycling (6.7 liters, 33.5 calories). In a similar study by Gilette et al. (1994), resistance training (5 sets, 10 exercises, 8-12 reps at 70% 1RM) elicited a significantly greater EPOC response when compared to aerobic exercise (50% VO2 max for 60 minutes)
Full research article can be found here:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-
Am I missing something or is this just copied from an article in Runner's World?
Hey K,
Thanks for the information. I find as I get older and I think wiser that the cardio is definitely better. I look forward to reading more of your work. I have a piece at my starrwriter hub on the health benefits of taking time out to relax. Check it out at starrwriter when you get a chance. Have a great week.
Joe
Both Cardio and strenth training and Cardio have different benefits, but Cardio is definitely the key to losing those pounds. Great job.
I disagree totally, this is flawed logic to say that "If you're interested in boosting your metabolism to lose weight, aerobic training such as running and walking is a better investment than strength training." We know that strength training is absolutely the number one muscle building exercise. Aerobic training on the other hand in the number one muscle WASTING exercise. The less muscle you have, the fewer calories you burn, period. Another point: As is stated, muscle burns 3 times more calories than fat (1 pound muscle = 6 cal burned per day). The average persons body is at least 50% muscle, meaning that a person who weighs 150 pounds has approx 75 pounds of muscle, therefore burns 75 x 6 = 450 cal., a significant amount of calories! Add exercise designed to build even more muscle (strength training, not cardio) and you not only continue to burn more calories, but unlike cardio...you burn more 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The author of this blog needs to go back and do his homework!!
I think it's important to do what you love. This ensures you will actually DO it. I believe both cardio and strength training will give you the best results in terms fat burning and muscle building. So do both, guys!
In my view, this is not an either/or case. Both cardio and strength can and should be done. Weights builds muscles which over time increases total daily energy expenditure. At the same time, weight training also causes issues with blood vessels; post weight cardio mitigates these effects. And how can anyone disagree that having a healthy, strong health is not essential to fitness, regardless of what their goals are?
What it comes down to is where you are compared to where you want to be in terms of body fat comp. A person with low body fat would not need to do as much cardio compared to someone with 20%, 30%, or more body fat comp. Interestingly, in all the major bodybuilding magazines, I read that many of the top bodybuilders regard cardio as very essential to their training regimen.
The Author needs to check his/her sources.
I love cardio exercises because I notices muscles are more relaxed. I seem to be able to work out longer than strengh training. I also seem to sleep more comfortably all night. My motivation level is so high to exercise now. I can't wait until I finish my shift at work. I am eager to go to a nearby ymca. The cardio section is my third home comparing to my townhouse,and my job!
This article is a joke. Women are made to believe they should look like models who aren’t healthy at all without any muscle or definition. The muscular definition which actually supports you through your day to day movements.YOU NEED BOTH CARDIO and STRENGTH TRAINING WITHOUT A DOUBT! HOW MAN MILLIONS OF STUDIES HAVE TO BE DONE ON THE SUBJECT FOR ONE TO Appreciate THIS BASIC CONCEPT! WHICH I GUESS IS NOT THAT BASIC FOR SOME.I am so sorry I happened upon this clearly un educated post. Burning calories is not the end all be all to weight loss you can cut what you eat and lose weight and look like a lose bag of skin if that is your objective but I dont know many people who set out to accomplish looking 10-15 years older than they are. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cardio-vs-s there and learn. Hopefully you will gain a deeper understanding of what it is your body needs and why.WOMEN ARE HELD BACK BY OTHER UN EDUCATED WOMEN WHO PUSH BAD INFO AND STEROTYPES! Beyonce, Gwen Stephani, Janet Jackson, Halle Barry and a Whole host of other amazing bodies all do cardio and intense weight lifting workouts. If you want to truly change your body embrace a complete system, cardio, strength and proper nutrition to achieve it.Sorry for being so hard but after talking about this with my dingbat friend all am I am a little flustered.
Oh while you at it go to www.BodyForLife.com and look at the before and after pictures of thousands of people.
You can always tell the people who use cardio to lose weight without strength training they always look loose and soft flabby like. I have proven this to quite a few of my friends using weight loss magazines and articles.
All I know is Firm denotes youth and flabby does flabby and soft to age.
Kia hit the nail on the head. If you wanna look like Richard Simmons do just cardio.
You will basically be a skinny fat person you will be thin but have no shape and flabby skin. You have to build muscle by weight training! You have to do cardio to be fit and also you have to eat right. All 3 components!!!!!
Thats the formula leave out a component and you will not look your best!
The article is wrong.
Go look up EPOC and you will see that high intensity training results in a prolonged afterburn effect following exercise.
You need strength training because of the protein you burn during cardio. You burn glucose, fat and protein. If you don't do strength training, it's likely that your muscle mass will decrease. If you look toned, isn't that also better? ;)
I like your hub.Strength training is essential for fitness ,but other forms of exercises are also must as per requirement.
you are wrong yes cardio burns more calories but not after a work out weight lifting burns calories during and after exersices i my self was over weight by 100 lbs and i ran and ran and only lost 20 lbs in 2 months then i tried weight lifting that by far blew cardio out of the water i lost 45lbs in 2 months do the math there. that after burn u feel meens ur still burning calories plus the more muscle u gain the higher ur resting metabolism is trust me
Great job on this hub. I learned a lot--thanks !
This article is atrocious!
The amount of calories burned after a weight training session is relative to WHAT weight training routine you've just finished.
Do your "numbers" express which calories are being burned during cardio? Is it fat? Sugar? Protein?
Being able to be an effective fat burning machine with an increased RMR can only be achieved with an appropriate level of lean body mass! Your cardio article is doing more harm than good.
i want to see some scientific backing to this. This article is funny. Ever looked at metabolic rate during exercise. Your after burn calculations, where did you get those? This article should be burned, as a matter of fact my screen almost cracked reading this. what are your certs and training experience?
Eric Magarov
Advanced Fitness Studios, lead trainer
NASM-CPT
This is a completely ridiculous article. Cardio might burn more fat at the time of the exercise but it can also eat away muscle after it goes through the fat. With strength training and good protein to carb diet you will build muscle and lose fat even hours after you're done with your strength training workout. Now I think cardio training is important but it should not be the main focus, nothing makes you feel better than taking a bike ride or a jog, it clears the mind and makes you generally feel good. Around 95 percent of my workouts consist of strength training/powerlifting, i throw in cardio here and there to clear my head. I have 6 percent body fat and am in great health. Personally to me strength training is where its at, but if you can't stand the thought of lifting weights then get out there and ride a bike its better than sitting on the computer and reading this stupid article.
Now that the author of this article understands they were taking rubbish wouldn't it be best to delete it?
hummm... what about the fact that strength training increases your metabolism for up to 24 hours post workout? Sure cardio burns more during but when it comes to fat burn... and not being "skinny fat" strength training is vital. Of course even better is a workout program that combines both cardio and strength training for ultimate fat burn
There is the hunger issue. My experience is that weight work makes me much hungrier than cardio. So with the latter I can burn calories without the urge to replace them at the rate I would after intense muscle use. For weight loss, cardio wins.
this article is crap. strength training will continue to burn more the better u get at it. week 1 will burn a certain amount but imagine week 32!! ull turn into a carlorie burning machine!!
cardio training will actually decrease metabolism.
this article is rediculous, unsupported, and inaccurate.
multiple studies (look on any credible research based website-something that ends in .org, or a journal) show that resistance training and interval training (high intensity mixed with short rest periods) are far superior to Cardio for losing weight, especially fat weight.
This article must have been written by someone with terrible knowledge of exercise physiology, or a treadmill salesperson
who ever wrote this actical needs to stop. you are a fool
Being BIG does not look nice and there is nothing SEXY ABOUT IT... i dont care what condition u are in. Stop making excuses why your looking like this and do something about it. Small changes can make a big difference in your life. Noone has to look like a celebrity, but get yourself down to a healthier weight by joining a gym, riding a bike or get some exercise home videos.
Losing weight is a very difficult thing for some people, and i understand that, but you must be content and make daily exercise apart of your life, just like washing your ass or brushing your teeth every single morning. This is very important to your health if you gave a damn about yourself.
Its easy to do bad... and hard to do good. Thats the way of life. A good cardio exercise and good eating habits along with strength training for your upper and lower body to give it some definition will help you.
YOU MUST DO STRENGTH TRAINING to be strong. Your body will have more definition to it .. be more lean.. sculpt...and sexy..your metaboliz.. will be sky high and your body like a calorie burning machines with that lean muscle.
Cardio is good for a piece of mind i think and slimming. If you are overweight Cardio does help to slim you down a bit, but also you want some muscle TONE to keep the body lean in the process of losing the weight. YOU DO NOT WANT A FLABBY BODY. I REPEAT YOU DO NOT WANT A SLOPPY FLABBY BODY... SO DO YOUR GOT DARN WEIGHT TRAINING. IT WILL BE ALL WORTH IT IN THE END.. CHECK OUT ANGELA BASSETT.. PERFECT EXAMPLE...
This article is ridiculous. For years I was just running and working out on treadmills etc. However, at that time I didn't incorporate strength training. I was weak, skinny fat. Meaning I was thin, but fat underneath. If you don't build muscle you have fat. You have two options. You can have muscle underneath your skin or fat. Yeah, cardio is important for immidiate fat loss, but for the long haul strenght training and proper diet and incorporating cardio is the most important.
Was this article written by Ally McBeal or a marathon runner? It has to be one or the other. I've been a trainer for 5 years and have done massive amounts of research and real life application. Strength training is more beneficial than steady state cardio. And whoever is doing strength training workouts that only burn 136 calories needs to speed it up ALOT. I have a revolutionary idea, its called cross training.
I am trying to understand why someone would ever write an article about something they do not completely understand. I can list a few reasons why Weight Training BEATS Cardio any-day!
1) cardio burns muscle after about 20 mins of moderate to hard intensities, which will decrease your basal metabolic rate.
2) the after burn of cardio only lasts about 30 minutes after the activity, whereas, the after burn of weight training last about 24-72 hours (depending on the person) this is the period when your body is repairing itself through rest. By this ALONE weight training is much more beneficial for burning fat.
3) NOT TO MENTION --- a pound of lean muscle mass burns 30-40 cals a day and Fat is at about 8-10 cals a day. SO, if you are weight training and building muscle you will increase you basal metabolic rate.
CARDIO is great, but in ADDITION to weight training. If you only have time for one --- CHOOSE THE IRON!!!
Thanks,
Jessica Jordan
Owner of OCTrainer.net
B.S. Kinesiology : Exercise Science
I do both. I can't see how one can achieve complete fitness without both. I strength train to improve my overall condition and I do cardio mainly for my heart and lungs. I surf and you need to be strong and fit for that. I'm not a trainer or a doctor but I know this is what works best for me.
This claim about Cv activity being better than RT is absolute non sence. RT increase metobloic rate better in the long term providing better oportunites for weight loss maintenace and over all muscluar strength. Also if more Kcal is needed to be burnt why dont you try plyometric strength training or weight bearing circit training this incorporates CV fitness at the same time. This type of work out will beat the treadmill or a stroll down the street any time. So keep pumping iron. In health Gabrielle Accredited sports scientist and Dietician
Wow alot of input on this one ! I would like to state one fact .
Muscle requires more calories to maintain it . It requires more not only in use but when resting . There fore your body burns more not doing a thing if you have high muscle mass .
Muscle is also leaner . Firmer ....tighter .
Women do need a complete workout plan ...if they lift weights they will NOT look like a body builder . They will look firmer , tighter and toned .A complete plan is strength training , flexability training , cardio training , functional training and balance training .;)
The truth is that even though cardio burns more calories while you are doing the actual exercise, strength training with weights is the better long-term value. Why? Because strength training not only increases metabolically active (meaning it burns fat and calories) lean muscle tissue, strength training increases metabolic burn for HOURS after you have exercised.
So in the long run, strength training is the best option for increased muscularity, muscle toning, fat burning and utilization of glycogen (the sugar that food turns into after being eaten that the body uses for energy).
The author is half right but left out vital information.
Signed,
Master Fitness Trainer
Deborrah Cooper
I don't know about aerobics but I have never seen a heavy runner but I have seen heavy weight lifter. I am talking about people from both groups that have been doing them for years.
Either things have changed within the past two years of this article or the writer doesn't know much. Cardio does help, but not as much as strength training. When you are weight lifting, you burn more calories and even after you stop working out; they burn for another 36 hours and on top of that.. You are gaining muscles and your body will be more tone and slim. Unlike cardio, you stop burning calories when you stop cardio. Yes, it does help you slim down, but I say you need strenght training as well. Eating healthy is definitely a must!
Not sure why all the heat on this, except most seems to be from Personal Trainers who have a vested interest in weight loss through weight lifting rather then cardio. I mean do you really need a personal trainer to tell you to get on a treadmill? Lot's of calls for research supporting this but didn't see any refutations other then "In my experience..." or "Everyone knows....". As for other research, all the research I have read shows moderate benefits to cardio, and many of the research to the contrary is a misunderstanding of what the conclusion actually states (e.g. EPOC findings directly contradict many of the things cited here with actual EPOC benefit being on the order of 30 minutes). Best thing is to actually read the conclusions of the researcher without bias and not reading the headlines first (as they are often wrong). Use Google Scholar instead of Google to find your source data.
I agree cardio is important for calorie burn. On the other hand not everyone can run @ an 8.3 pace for such a long time. Cardio should be recognized to keep your heart strong. Strength training is def.important because if you don't use it you lose it.The key is reducing calories combined with cardio/strength training. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 cal. Reducing 500 cal/day just from food alone can burn 1lb. of fat a week. Add cardio & strength training will burn additional calories. This person's info. is not very realistic.Gradual small steps to add eveyday is better. Cardio is a great start but combined with eveything else is more ergogenic! www.SmallStep.Gov is a good place to visit for little ways to incorporate better health into your life without realizing it.
I agree with many of the posters about how flawed this logic is. I've been doing distance running for years, have a 17:30 5k PR and a 1:24 1/2 marathon PR, so I've done the whole distance thing. The problem with cardio, is it doesn't cause the body to produce nearly as much HGH (Human Growth Hormone) as strength training, which has been show to rip through fat as well as slow the effects of aging. Strength training produces 8x the HGH of cardio. I'm not saying cardio is bad, I still love to run, but for maximum well being, one should strive to do both.
Stacie Naczelnik says:
3 years ago
I like this Hub. I once had a roommate who told me, quite matter of factly, that if you only have time for one kind of exercise, do strength training because it will burn more calories in the long run than cardio. I have since learned that isn't true, so kudos for spreading the word. I definitely do more cardio than strength training, but know that strength training is also very important for overall health.