Strength Training vs. Cardio: Which Is Best for Losing Weight?

strength training or cardio

Many of us really want to lose weight either for health reasons or just wanting to shed a few pounds and get a fit and lean body for summer. Whatever your reasoning is, losing a healthy amount of weight effectively can have its challenges depending on the person and their habits. Some people on this journey do not know the best and most effective way to lose weight. Is it cardio all the time, or would strength training be the one that shed those pounds off quicker? The truth is, they’re both beneficial for losing weight! Here’s why.

Strength Training

Strength training is just as important as cardio. If you’re trying to lose weight but aren’t seeing any results, strength training may just be what you need to start seeing those results that you’re dying to see. The best part about strength training is that you don’t need to be at the gym all the time, and you can do strength training at home without the weights and machines. Some amazing personal trainers in Orange County, CA, can help you get on the right track and create a custom strength training routine that fits your fitness goals.

Burns More Calories Per Day

Doing strength training helps build your muscles which burns a lot of calories. Even after finishing your workout routine, your body is still burning calories for up to 48 hours. This is what’s known as the afterburn of a great workout! Strength training workouts also help increase your metabolism by 5%! This will help you shed the weight and keep it off.

What Are the Health Benefits?

There are many other benefits that go with strength training besides fat loss. Research tells us that it can also improve your posture, heart health, cholesterol, bone density builds endurance and strength, which can help you prevent injuries. Although, there is one thing that people fear about strength training, and really they shouldn’t because strength training doesn’t make you bulk up. So there’s no need to worry about gaining the muscles of a bodybuilder if that’s not your goal.

Cardio

Cardio is a great way to lose weight, but doing it every day could lead to injury. When doing cardio, you should switch it up in your weekly routine. For example, you could run a few miles per cardio session or perform sprints. Here, you get the most out of your workout routine by incorporating cardio each day.

Burns More Calories Per Day

In general, cardio workouts usually burn more calories than strength training workouts. As mentioned above, strength training increases your metabolism to keep the burn going. In contrast, cardio burns per session and the amount of calories burned depends on how intense the workout session is.

What Are the Health Benefits?

The health benefits of adding cardio to your weekly workout routine are that it improves your immune system, increases the amount of good sleep you get, supports your mental health and gives your brain a boost in its performance.

As you can see, both strength training and cardio workouts are great for weight loss, but they have different effects on losing weight. One burns calories for longer while the other burns more calories quickly but is not long-lasting. Having a balance of both these workout styles and a good healthy diet will get you to lose weight and see results in no time. Getting a personal trainer and nutritional coach in Orange County can also help set you on the right track. Reach out and check out the packages that are available for them. Get started on your weight loss journey today!