TN Health Desk • 06 Feb 2025
Cardio vs Weightlifting: Which Is Better For Weight Loss?
Experts recommend doing 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity a day, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity
For those wanting to lose weight, there are so many ways to do so. While some believe in extreme dieting or exercise, experts always say a balance between diet and working out always does the trick. Cardio and resistance training weightlifting are popular workouts, but knowing which may help you accomplish your goals more efficiently can be hard.
Experts say for a healthy weight loss, you need to create a calorie deficit – which means you need to shed more calories than you consume. And so, when evaluating cardio versus strength training in terms of calorie burn, there are many things you should consider.
Cardio helps lose more calories
According to studies, you would burn more calories doing cardio than weight training for the same amount of effort. 1
On the other hand, by lifting weights, you would burn around 110 calories. Also, the more you weigh, the more calories you will burn.
Also, experts recommend doing 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity a day, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity - or a combination of the two for adequate weight loss. But most people do not get that much exercise.
How does weightlifting change your body composition?
Trainers believe that even though a single weight-training session would not burn as many calories as a cardio session, you can still get rid of more calories overall.
Resistance and weight training are more effective than cardio as they help build lean muscle and the muscle mass burns more calories at rest than other tissues, including fat.
Muscle building helps increase the resting metabolism rate as well. 2
According to experts, weight training does not need to be intense and short but regular bursts of low-intensity weight training offer the same strength and muscle-building effects as less frequent, but more strenuous workouts.
What are the benefits of both?
While cardio exercises, which include aerobic activities - have long been praised for making your heart stronger, lowering blood pressure, and burning calories, they also help lower stress, improve sleeping habits, and reduce joint stiffness. 3
Weightlifting on the other hand, apart from building muscle, helps boost your metabolism and bone density.
Ways to make the most of your exercise programme
Whatever form of exercise you choose, experts recommend following a few important tips that would help make sure that you maximize the effectiveness of your workout:
- Always take 5-10 minutes to warm up and cool down by doing stretches
- Make gradual increases in physical activity
- Rest between strenuous workouts
- Stop exercising if you feel faint or ill
- Do not rush to lift heavy weights
- Be careful when exercising in hot, humid conditions as this can lead to severe dehydration
- Stop exercising if signs of overheating occur – like headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps, or heart palpitations
- Wear clothes and shoes that are suitable for the type of physical activity
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