Cardio vs weights: Which is better for weight loss?

Which is better for weight loss, cardio or weights? This is often debated in weight-loss circles.

It becomes a contentious issue because our body compositions are different and exercise, in general, affects them in different ways.

Of course, weight loss is achieved by a combination of diet and the choice of exercise done, to burn excess calories.

Our focus today is specifically on cardio and weight training. One person may lose a considerable amount of weight through cardio training – running, cycling, swimming, aerobics exercises and high-intensity interval training – while another may lose a considerable amount with weight training – like free weights, machines or functional training.

Cardio training is a form of training that makes your cardiovascular system (your heart and lungs) fitter. It helps to boost fitness by conditioning your heart and lungs and is also referred to as aerobic exercise.

People turn to cardio training for its fat-burning advantages. The latest, most effective way of utilising cardio for weight loss is high-intensity interval training. This is called HIIT. The latest exercise buzz word simply means you alternate slow and fast movements during exercise.

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For example, if you are running, you alternate between jogging and sprinting during the workout. The same can also be done on a spinning bike. This type of training accelerates fat burning.

Weight training is physical training that requires lifting external weights, such as dumbbells, barbells or weighted machines. It utilises gravity and requires one’s muscles to engage and contract in order to oppose the force generated by the weight.

Our bodies are also a type of weight because lifting one’s body during exercise can also be referred to as weight training. Weight training also burns calories and fat, but the advantage it has over cardio training is that it also helps to tone, strengthen and build muscles.

The truth is, when it comes to weight loss, the best way to maximise the effect of exercise is to follow a programme that combines both cardio and weight training.

Info

Beginners cardio training:

• Brisk walking
• Jumping jacks
• Dance class
• Stationary bike

Intermediate cardio:

• Jogging
• Jump rope
• Jump squats
• Step class
• Running up/ down stairs
• Spinning class

Advanced cardio:

• Road/trail running
• Box jumps
• Kick-boxing class
• Sprinting stairs
• Mountain biking

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Beginners’ weight training:

• Dumbbell curls
• Barbell bent over rows
• Walking lunges

Intermediate weight:

• Weighted forward and backwards lunges
• Assisted pull-ups
• Medicine ball slams

Advanced weight:

• Dumbbell split squats
• Barbell overhead lunges
• Kettle bell overhead swings
• Pull-ups

Letshego is a qualified biokineticist and co-founder of PopUpGym. Follow her on Instagram: @letshego.zulu Twitter: @letshegom Facebook: Letshego Zulu

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