As a personal trainer, I’m often asked about the age-old debate between cardio and resistance training when it comes to burning fat. While some swear by one over the other, research suggests that neither approach is superior in terms of fat loss – but both can be effective depending on your goals and preferences.
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition compared aerobic exercise, resistance-based training, and concurrent training (combining both) on body fat loss. The study found that while aerobic and concurrent training offered greater fat loss on average, strength exercise could also be just as effective at reducing body fat percentage.
The review looked at individuals who were considered “metabolically healthy” and assessed duration, timing, and workload matching between the three exercise variables. For studies lasting 10 weeks or more, aerobic training outperformed resistance training for reducing body mass and fat mass. However, concurrent training reduced significantly more fat mass than just resistance training.
Conversely, in studies shorter than 10 weeks, when workloads were matched, similar fat loss was observed regardless of whether the training was done on the same day or different days. This means that combining both cardio and resistance training may not be as effective for short-term fat loss, but it can still have benefits.
The study concluded that there were no significant differences in body fat percentage between exercise modes, but aerobic and concurrent training were more effective than resistance training alone in reducing absolute fat mass.
As a trainer, my focus is on overall body composition, including lean muscle mass and body fat percentage. I prioritize resistance training as it helps build lean muscle tissue, which is more metabolically active than fat mass. This means that with more muscle, you’ll burn more calories at rest – even when not exercising.
Remember, building or maintaining muscle takes energy, so it’s essential to include resistance training in your exercise regimen to support bone health and joint preservation as well as boost daily calorie burn. A balanced approach that incorporates both cardio and resistance training is key, along with a healthy diet, lifestyle, sleep, stress management, and overall wellness.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/workouts/forget-running-new-study-shows-lifting-weights-could-burn-body-fat-as-much-as-cardio