Everyone knows that cardio is a great way to burn calories and work your cardiovascular system, but many people prefer to lift weights for fat loss. The question of which one is better has been debated for years now - some say you can't beat the calorie-burning power of cardio. In contrast, others argue that weight lifting builds muscle and increases metabolism.
Getting fit and achieving your goals are about more than just burning calories. When working out at an all women's gym like MPower Fitness, are several factors to consider when choosing between cardio and weights for fat loss, including
- Which you prefer or already enjoy doing,
- Your long-term fitness goals,
- How much time do you have available in a typical week to exercise,
- Whether lifting heavier weights is essential to you (and if so, what your current capabilities are),
- the types of foods that make up your diet on average, etc.
The body needs energy for all of its functions: breathing, digesting food, etc. This is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR), and it stays pretty much constant at around 40% of your total daily calories burned.
The other 60% comes from physical activity such as walking upstairs or weightlifting training - this is termed non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). So what exactly does NEAT entail?
The answer lies in how many extra calories you're burning doing things like fidgeting, pacing back and forth while on the phone, standing instead of sitting down during a meeting…etc.
Weightlifting training benefits
Weightlifting is known to be an excellent way to build muscle and burn fat, and knowing the benefits of weightlifting can help you decide if it’s a good option for your fitness goals.
Improves fat loss and metabolism
A study conducted by Canadian researchers found that weightlifting is a more effective way to burn fat and maintain muscle mass.
Weight training can be an excellent addition for those looking to lose weight as it builds lean muscle, which speeds up metabolism, so the body burns more calories throughout the day.
Builds muscle
Strength training is known to help stimulate muscle growth, which ultimately leads to the loss of fat. Weightlifting can be an excellent option for those looking to build lean muscles as it increases strength and makes your body look toned, so you have a more slender physique.
Reduce stress levels
When you lift weights that are beyond your usual capacity, your body releases cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and it can increase the amount of fat you hold.
Improves and protects bone health
Weightlifting exercises strengthen your bones and protect them from osteoporosis. With additional bone mass, your risk of bone fractures reduces.
Improve sleep quality
When you lift weights, your muscles break down and rebuild, which improves their function. Since weightlifting tires the muscle and increases the amount of time it needs to rest, your body responds by increasing its rate and depth of sleep.
Improving sleep quality can have a profound effect on your health, wellbeing, and fitness goals. This is because good-quality slumber allows your body to rejuvenate itself to prepare for the next day's activities. Furthermore, research has shown that lack of sleep slows metabolism by up to 14%.
Cardio benefits you need to know
Cardio exercises are known to be excellent for your heart and lungs. When it comes to losing extra weight, cardio exercises provide many benefits. It helps you burn calories and manage your weight better than any other form of exercise, including resistance training (weights). When it comes to losing fat around the waistline, cardio is efficient for this goal as well.
Besides heart health, there are several known benefits associated with cardio exercises:
Regulates your appetite
When your body is in an active state (exercise), it has better appetite control. It will make you eat less food, meaning that more calories are burned than consumed. This can help with weight loss and controlling your weight.
Increases your metabolic rate for a long time after exercising is finished. This can significantly impact you losing fat and maintaining it once the desired goal has been reached.
Boosts heart health
Cardio exercises are known to improve the health of your heart. So if you switch from weight to cardio, there's a good chance that it will lead to a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and other related illnesses or conditions. In addition, this reduces stress on your body and reduces problems later in life caused by poor dieting habits today.
Coupled with healthy eating, cardiovascular exercise can help create an extremely successful weight loss regime over time if done correctly. Whether you're looking at quick results for weight loss purposes alone or long-term goals of improved fitness levels and overall wellness.
Both types of activities have unique benefits, which may be better suited towards specific goals than others, depending on your current state of health and how much experience you have with each activity.
Helps with fat loss
Cardio exercises are beneficial in more ways than one; they can help you lose weight fast and improve your overall health. Cardiovascular exercise is known to stimulate the body's production of something called "growth hormone," which has been linked with burning fat loss and muscle mass-building effects for an improved fitness level over time.
HIIT - (High-Intensity Interval Training) HIIT is a form of cardiovascular exercise that has been shown to improve heart health, burn calories and help with weight loss. At MPowerFitness, we create exercise programs with HIIT to help athletes and competitive bodybuilders lose weight and maintain a trim and toned physique.
It involves alternating between periods of high intensity (such as sprinting) and low intensity (such as walking). These workouts are great for people who like variety in their routines or those who don't want to spend too much time getting sweaty.
LISS - (Low-Intensity Steady State) LISS is a form of cardiovascular exercise that requires you to keep your heart rate elevated to be considered beneficial. This type of exercise is known to burn calories and help with weight loss.
If you go to an all women's gym, this kind of routine is perfect for people who want a low-impact workout that doesn't include the risk of injury from high-intensity activities such as HIIT workouts because there isn't much variety involved in this type of cardio routine.
Improves brain power
Cardio exercises can also improve your brainpower. Studies have found that when people start a cardio routine, their mental capacity increases in the long run because it's easier for them to recall information and make decisions quickly. This is particularly true if you push yourself during exercise sessions by increasing the intensity or time spent working out each day.
Protects the immune system
Getting regular cardiovascular exercise is linked to a higher resistance against various types of illnesses and conditions. It also increases your level of good cholesterol (HDL), which helps protect the immune system by reducing inflammation in the body.
It helps regulate blood pressure.
Cardio activities can help reduce blood pressure by lowering the number of stress hormones in your body. For example, regular cardiovascular exercise has been shown to decrease resting heart rate and overall cortisol levels, a hormone known for causing high blood pressure when present in excess amounts over time.
The Takeaway
There are many benefits associated with both types of activity, making it essential to pick an option based on personal goals or limitations. For example, while cardio can be an excellent choice for people looking to burn fat and improve overall health, weight training is still necessary.
At M-Power Fitness, we have an excellent professional fitness team to help you with all your workout needs. Whether it's cardio or weight training, we can help get you started on a path to better health and wellness, so feel free to give us a call today!