Cardio vs. Resistance Training: Which is Better for Weight Loss
It’s clear that both cardio and resistance training help you burn fat and lose excess weight, but which one is more effective? This is something we’re going to investigate in today’s article, so stay tuned!
First thing’s first – it’s a myth that cardio is more effective for weight loss than lifting weights. Weight lifting, or resistance training, will offer so many benefits (beyond merely building your muscles), it makes no sense to avoid it in your exercise routine and just opt for cardio.
Resistance Training
One of the latest available studies on resistance training, involving almost 200 people with type 2 diabetes, set out to investigate the effects of a nine-month long streak of strength training, cardio or both.
The results showed that the “resistance training” group had significant health benefits including normalized blood sugar levels, increased muscle mass and, of course, reduced weight.
Of course, while resistance training was not able to help participants lose as much weight as cardio, it burns more calories in the long run as it builds muscle tissue (which requires more calories to function and maintain).
Weight Lifting And Resistance Training – Is It The Same?
Even though the term “resistance training” may sound a bit intimidating, especially to those who haven’t lifted weights before, it’s not necessarily reserved for body builders, you can engage in resistance training in the comfort of your own home. We can count push ups, pullups, situps and others as resistance training.
The point is, you don’t have to fear or feel uncomfortable on the very mention of resistance training, better yet, embrace it and incorporate it into your weight loss routine.
Supplements For Weight Loss
If we’re talking about a more significant noticeable weight loss, it’s clear you won’t be able to achieve it with exercise alone. You first need to get your diet in order, cut back on fast foods and soft drinks, and try not to eat more calories than you burn.
And if you want to boost your weight loss efforts, you can reach for weight loss supplements. Besides those already well-known ones, you might have heard of fantastic little molecules called peptides. They are not as well known, but the scientific community is going into a frenzy because they offer an effective way of managing weight without the known side effects other medications come with.
One such peptide is cagrilintide – a long-lasting amylin analogue that helps with weight management, appetite suppression, blood glucose management and more. If you want to buy cagrilintide, you’ll probably be able to find it in online pharmacies or turn to your doctor for a prescription.
Strength Training And Cardio Combination
As we already said, it’s best not to look at resistance training and cardio as separate activities – you should use them in combination to help strengthen your body and speed up your weight loss efforts.
But the benefits of these activities goes far beyond mere weight loss – combining weight loss and resistance training will increase longevity, fend off illnesses and make disease symptoms more manageable.
Final Words
It’s a common myth that cardio is a more effective way to lose weight and burn off calories. Even though this might be the case in the short term, over the longer period, with resistance training you will build more muscle which requires more calories to run and maintain.
But, at the end of the day, there is no need to separate these two – better combine these for maximum muscle building, weight loss and cardiovascular benefits.
One more thing you need is consistency, don’t be one of those people who start out enthusiastically but fall flat on their face after a few weeks/months. Make sure you stick to your regime and make steady progression over the upcoming months and years!
