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Should those trying to lose body fat concentrate on working out on the treadmill or forget about the cardio portion and head straight for the gym?
While it may seem like an obvious choice at first, efficient fat loss requires more than a comparison of the calories burned through exercise alone. Although cardio can help burn up some extra calories, strength training helps retain muscle while burning calories.
Depending on your objectives, physical condition, nutrition, recovery time and regularity of training, one method may be more effective than the other. Rather than comparing the two forms of exercise, it is best to evaluate what each can offer in terms of fat loss.
1.How Does Fat Loss Really Work?
Fat Loss and Weight Loss Do Not Mean the Same
Having a lower weight on the scale does not necessarily mean that all those lost pounds come from the body fat.
Body weight consists of fat, muscle mass, water, glycogen, bones, and other tissues, which means that body weight can change rather significantly over several days while body fat may stay almost the same.
For example, reduction of carbohydrates leads to depletion of glycogen and associated with it water content. Intense workout, consumption of salted foods, or dehydration can cause increase in scale weight.
In this context, fat loss is estimated based on different criteria like waist size, exercise results, photos of progress, and average body weight for several weeks.
Energy Deficit Is the Key Factor of Fat Loss
Fat loss is impossible without energy deficit over certain period of time. In other words, the organism should consume more energy than it gets from eating and drinking.
For example, a person maintains their weight by consuming 2,400 calories daily. In case if their average intake is 2,050 calories, there is a deficit of about 350 calories daily.
2. Cardio versus Strength Workouts for Fat Loss
Cardio Burns Calories Through Increased Activity
There are many types of cardiovascular activities including running, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, and rowing.
The most important thing about these forms of physical activity for fat burning is that they boost energy expenditure while you’re actively moving.
In a 30-minute period, walking briskly at average speed for someone weighing 70 kg (154 lbs) will probably require 120–180 calories, while jogging for the same period will consume 220-350 calories. The numbers can vary widely depending on speed, incline, fitness level, body weight and efficiency of exercising.
However, in terms of calorie burn alone, cardio will look good.
But energy expenditure during a single session is just one piece of the puzzle.
Strength Training Preserves Muscle Mass
Squats, deadlifts, pressing, rowing, lunges and machines are examples of resistance training workouts.
During a training session, the calorie expenditure isn’t as high as in a cardio session performed for the same time frame.
However, the loss of 10 pounds from your body mass does not mean the loss of fat and retention of most muscle tissue. The same body weight may represent two very different body compositions in two individuals.
Thus, strength training becomes especially important for those who need to become lean rather than simply lighter.So, Which One Is Better?
Here is a practical comparison:
| Factor | Cardio | Strength Training |
| Calories burned during exercise | Often higher | Moderate |
| Cardiovascular fitness | High benefit | Some benefit |
| Muscle preservation | Limited alone | High benefit |
| Strength development | Limited | High benefit |
| Body composition | Helpful | Helpful |
| Long-term fat-loss value | High | High |
There is no universal winner.
Cardio is an efficient way to increase activity and energy expenditure. Strength training becomes especially important when preserving muscle and strength is a priority.
For many people, combining the two is more practical than choosing only one.
3. How to Combine Cardio and Strength Training for Better Fat Loss
Structure Your Week Based on Regular Strength Exercises
One way to begin is with 2–3 strength exercises each week, targeting muscles such as the legs, hips, back, chest, shoulders, and abdomen.
The following example could be considered:
- Monday: Whole body strength training
- Tuesday: 30–45 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise
- Wednesday: Rest day or gentle walking
- Thursday: Whole body strength training
- Friday: 20–30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
- Saturday: Strength exercises or fun activities
- Sunday: Rest day
Activity guidelines generally recommend around 150 to 300 minutes per week of aerobic physical activity of moderate intensity, along with muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week.
This is helpful for your health but does not constitute a strict guideline that you need to follow in order to lose body fat.
Cardio or Strength First?
This depends on your priorities if you do them in one training.
Strength training before cardio makes perfect sense if your priority is preserving strength and muscles. After a hard cardio training, you will feel tired and won’t be able to lift heavy weights, squat, press, etc.
However, if you want to improve your endurance (running, cycling), doing cardio first makes more sense.
The key point here is obvious: do your priority training when you feel freshest.
Daily Movement Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
Workout routine isn’t the only source of energy expenses for the day.
Walking around at work, using stairs, house cleaning, being on your feet, etc. It all belongs to NEAT – non-exercise activity thermogenesis.
It becomes particularly significant during fat loss period. People train for an hour and sit almost the rest of the day.
4. Cardio vs. Strength Training: What Is the Best Fat-Loss Strategy?
The cardio exercises are likely to have a high energy expenditure compared to strength exercises during a single session, though strength exercises are just as vital for maintaining lean muscle, staying strong, and having good body composition.
Instead of making a choice between the two, the best fat-burning regimen is one that incorporates both forms of exercises in addition to nutrition and recovery. Cardio burns more energy, strength exercises help retain lean muscle mass, and nutrition provides a calorie deficit for fat burning.
The optimal fat-burning regimen isn’t the exercise which has the highest energy expenditure per single session, but rather it is the combination of exercise, nutrition, and recovery.
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