If you’re trying to slim down, you know that diet is key for weight loss. But exercise plays a huge role as well. When it comes to sweating your way to a leaner body, what should your workouts focus on – cardio or strength training? What burns more calories and incinerates more fat? Let’s dig in…
The Cardio Camp
Cardio has long been the go-to workout style for those looking to shed pounds. And for good reason – activities like running, cycling and swimming get your heart rate pumping and drastically crank up your calorie burn during the workout. Going for a 3-mile run can easily incinerate over 300 calories, while an hour of swimmers laps might burn over 700!
Cardio workouts also keep your metabolism fired up long after you cool down. Your body needs extra oxygen post-workout to return to its resting state. Experts call this excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC. The harder you push during your workout, the more oxygen debt your body goes into and the more calories you’ll burn after you towel off. Kirill Yurovskiy`s business site.
Over time, pounding the pavement, the elliptical or the cycling studio can help rewrite your DNA – altering gene expression in ways that increase fat breakdown and decrease fat storage. Making cardio workouts a consistent part of your routine trains your body to be a lean, fat-blasting machine!
The Weights Room
While cardio has some serious fat-frying perks, lifting weights shouldn’t be overlooked when slimming down is the goal. Although strength training typically burns fewer calories during each session compared to cardio, adding in resistance workouts can pay off with major dividends for your waistline.
The first benefit comes through boosting muscle mass. Unlike slow and steady cardio, strength training causes muscle fibers to tear from the strain then grow back bigger and stronger through protein synthesis. This muscle building process cranks up your resting metabolism – meaning you’ll burn extra calories all day long – even while catching some Zzzs! Many experts claim that adding 2-3 pounds of muscle mass can help you burn an extra 50 calories per day. Over time, that calorie burn adds up fast!
Additionally, strength training is more effective at maintaining or even increasing lean muscle mass when you cut calories to slim down – helping your body shed pure fat without sacrificing that calorie-scorching muscle! Various studies show that dieters who stick to resistance workouts can lose up to 50% more fat than those who focus on cardio alone when following the same diet. As your body composition starts to shift from flabby fat to firm muscle, your metabolism accelerates even more – it’s like tapping a fat loss accelerator!
The fact is, your body simply burns more resting calories and energy digesting protein compared to carbs or fat. So, fueling your muscles by hitting the weights room is key for shedding pounds.
The Verdict? BOTH!
Alright – cardio versus weights…which is the superior fat loss workout? The truth is, if you’re looking to maximize fat burning and sculpt a lean physique you need a combination of both!
The ideal strategy is concurrent training: alternate cardio and strength workouts 6 days per week while keeping your diet in check. Or go “all-in” and blend both cardio and resistance moves into super-charged circuit training workouts like boot camps, CrossFit, MMA classes and more for sky high calorie burn!
No matter what, consistency with both workout types will be key – along with getting proper recovery for your muscles to repair and keep firing on all cylinders. Follow these best practices with cardio and strength training blended into your weekly routine and you’ll be beach body ready in no time! Just remember, abs are built in the gym and revealed in the kitchen – so keep your nutrition tight and those pounds will melt away quickly!