Cardio or Weight Training For Fat Loss
In this video, I break down the commonly debated topic of cardio vs weights, specifically for losing fat.
There are timestamps below as well for fast navigation. If you’d rather read, there’s a breakdown of the video below it.
If you like the video, please make sure to subscribe! If you have any questions, leave a comment here or on YouTube and I’ll respond to you!
⏱ Timestamps ⏱
0:24 – Cardio For Fat Loss Pros and Cons
1:07 – Best Forms of Cardio For Fat Loss
1:24 – My Fat Loss Cardio Routine
1:39 – Common Misconception When it Comes to Weight Training For Fat Loss
1:55 – Weight Training For Fat Loss Pros and Cons
2:16 – Best Forms of Weight Training For Fat Loss
2:46 – Study on How Those Who Lift Heavy Burn More Calories (links below)
3:14 – The Answer on Cardio vs Weight Training For Fat Loss
3:19 – Study on How People Who Did BOTH Cardio and Weight Training is Best For Fat Loss (links below)
3:45 – Recap and My Overall Recommendations and Routine
CARDIO For Fat Loss PROS
- Increasing cardiovascular health
- Cardio alone doesn’t guarantee weight loss at all. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25353081 – Overall, women did not lose body weight or fat mass)
- Progressing in other things other than lifting weights (i.e., your mile time or # of miles ran) is good for overall motivation and happiness.
CARDIO For Fat Loss CONS
- Some people wind up fatter than before (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23470300 – The presentations provide evidence that some individuals adopt compensatory behaviors, that is, increased energy intake and/or reduced activity, that offset the exercise energy expenditure and limit weight loss.)
- this (^) is because it’s too easy to eat back the calories you burn (a protein bar, and a banana and some nuts)
- This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat those foods – rather just to make a point that cardio (on it’s own) does not burn many calories.
- No amount of cardio will save you if you’re overeating already. It may help, but not as much as you think.
Best forms of Cardio for Fat Loss:
- High-intensity interval training
- Long-distance cardio or LISS
I do 3 LISS cardio sessions per week and 1 HIIT totaling to 2hrs per week dedicated to only cardio while cutting.
Weight Training For Fat Loss Common Thinking:
Weight Training For Fat Loss PROS
- speed up fat loss
- preserve or build muscle
Weight Training For Fat Loss CONS
- weight lifting alone is a bad way to lose weight
This study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23019316) had 3 groups of people do different styles of workouts. The 1st group did only weight training. The 2nd only did aerobic training (cardio) and the 3rd did both.
The 2nd group lost the most weight but the 3rd group lost the most fat and gained muscle.
What group would you rather be apart of?
Best forms of weight training for fat loss:
- Heavy weight lifting (70-85% of your 1RM)
- Compound lifts (because they expend more energy to perform)
- This is due to the very nature of compound lifts which are lifts that require multiple muscle groups to perform (i.e., squat, deadlift, bench, OHP, etc.)
- This study found that men that trained with heavy weights burned more calories than men who trained with lighter weights.
- Think about it. Do you think a leg extension burns more calories than heavy squats? Not really.
- Not only that, but compound lifts help build more muscle.
Studies From Video:
Cardio alone doesn’t guarantee weight loss
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25353081
Some people wind up fatter than before they started
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23470300
Those who lift heavy burn more calories
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19729520
Those who do both cardio and weight training lose more fat and build more muscle.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23019316
Let me know if you have any questions!
Cheers,
Christian Pinedo
