When it comes to losing weight, the first thought that everyone deals with is: “Is cardio or weight training better for weight loss?”
Hearing that cardio burns more calories than weight training in a shorter amount of time is all most people need to jump on the treadmill and disregard the weights rack. Something you may not realise is both styles have their place in your routine — you can use both cardio and lifting weights to lose weight.
It has been proven that cardio has many benefits when it comes to fat loss, but it is also important to understand the advantages that the weight training programme can have in your weight loss journey.
Many of us are not aware that muscles raise our Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Basically, fat takes no energy to sit on our body. Once it’s there, it will always be there until you start using it as an energy source. But with muscles, the case is different.
According to experts, cardio is a great way to burn calories. But once you are done with cardio, weight training keeps your metabolism up even after an hour after you are done. Also, the muscles that you build helps you burn calories just by staying there in your body.
It is all based on the process called Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EOPC). After weight training, the body still needs oxygen at a higher rate which helps you burn more calories. It has been seen that weight training has led to an increase of 9 per cent in the resting metabolic rate. The effects in women are less as compared to men. Resting metabolism burns almost 140 calories per day in men and 50 calories per day in women.
If weight loss is your goal, then cardio can be a great stepping stone for increasing your fitness levels and burning calories quickly. However, in order to achieve a toned, sculpted look, adding resistance training to your routine is important.
The number of calories one burn during an exercise depends on their body size, the type of exercise they are doing and for how long they are doing it. Also, weight training is typically more effective in burning calories after a workout. Even when you do nothing, you can burn calories every day, because of the muscles that are resting in your body. It is important to remember that when it comes to weight loss, exercise is just one piece of the puzzle, eating habits and lifestyle factors can also contribute to your weight-loss goals. Learn to create a balance in life to live it to the fullest.
Words: Mahesh Kurhade
Certified personal trainer, Certified contest preparation coach, Fitness model, National level men’s physique athlete and Mechanical engineer
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