There was a study released recently which compared cardio, strength training and a combination of both together.
I believe this is the first study to have compared these three types of exercise for their effects on fat loss.
The results?
Those who only strength trained lost more body fat and maintained more muscle than those in the cardio only group.
And even a little more than those in the combined group! (This is interesting to note – more work doesn’t always equate to more results).
Remember that while, at least for the short time, you’ll burn more calories during a cardio workout than a strength workout, cardio actually teaches your body to become more efficient with its caloric expenditure over time. This is the opposite of what we’re looking for when fat loss is the goal!
Now. Cardio does of course have its place and certainly can be great for us. If your aim is solely to build stamina or endurance, then a cardio workout would be your best bet.
So, if you’re looking for fat loss then there is now research to show what I’ve said for years – strength training is superior.
Gaining strength and muscle is without a doubt the most effective route to fat loss. Not only this, but possessing a good amount of muscle is shown to be overall positive for our health and longevity.
Likewise, strength training improves our cardio fitness more than you’d expect. I often say that strength work seems to transfer into other activities really well, yet the same doesn’t seem to be true very often the other way around.
So, if you’re trying to lose some body fat, strength training deserves to take up the majority of your exercise time.
Want to see what strength training can do for you between now and Christmas?
I’d love to show you, send me a message and we’ll figure out the best way to approach it together.