What type of exercise is most effective for weight loss - strength training or cardio?

In my usual "answer-a-question-with-another-question" style, let me ask you: what's the best tool to fix a car - a wrench or a screwdriver?

They're both tools and they each have their intended function. Sooner or later, you'll need to use both - and a whole lot more. Some tools can serve multiple purposes... you can pound a nail with a wrench, for example, but if you do this too often, you ruin the ability of the wrench to perform its intended function.

Back to the realm of fitness, what's better: a low carb diet or a low fat diet? Free weights or machines? Yoga or powerlifting?

All are just tools, right?

Now if I was put in a corner and HAD to choose between resistance training and traditional 'cardio,' I'd go with the weights all the way... it's the more versatile tool between the two. You can get all the 'cardio' you need DURING a resistance workout by manipulating the training intensity and rest intervals.

Definitely strength training. That is how you lose the inches and drop sizes. I try to not let my clients weight in. We take measurements and I explain that they will be adding muscle and losing fat, but that muscle is more dense than fat. Muscle will also raise their resting metabolic rate which is important and muscle will help preserve or increase bone density.

They are always amazed when they lose inches and a pants size without dropping a pound!

If it's the weight they want to decrease (they want to see a smaller number on the scale) i think cardio training (especially interval) is the more immediate response. But for the longer term, i believe strength training combined with cardio is more effective!

Cardiovascular training and strength training are separate components that both need to be utilized in any program. People's goals are always to lose weight, I think as Health and Fitness Professionals we have to keep our eyes on the prize: facilitating healthy living choices including food choices, balanced nutrition, and exercise that targeting cardiovascular health, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. If all of these variables are incorporated, weight loss will come, and last. We need to shift our clients perspective from now-now-now-to slow and steady wins the race.
To really answer your question-the majority of our daily caloric burn is through our RMR(resting metabolic rate), 60-75%. Dietary intake(paying careful attention to what you eat AND when you eat it), and maintaining lean muscles mass are key.

Oh, that is such a great question!

If you only had to do one, choose strength training as muscle burns fat. Ideally, though, you would do both strength training and cardio. Be sure that both types of exercises are included, as well as flexibility, to ensure a well-rounded weight loss program.

My suggestion is that cardio be done 4-5 days per week, strength training 2-3 days per week, and flexibility included in your cool down after each session.

I have been using Circuit Training for a long time because it works wonders for all areas of cardio, strenght, and endurance. I timed and combined upper and lower body exercises with timed series of cardio boosts and then a short rest. While they are resting I include stretches. Other times I do more intervals with strenght series, always including the flexibility. You can get very creative with these. They are fun and effective

It is important to have a well balanced workout combining cardio and strength training. Cardio at least 5 days a week with strenght training 3 days a week.

I suggest cardio intervals which means short quick bursts increasing your speed and intensity for a short period of time. Intervals have been proven to jump start the fat burn for max. effect. Also try something new and take in a cardio class at your gym, classes can be the best way to learn exercises and get motivated.

Kettlebell workout will kill two birds with one stone and burn a whole lot both during and, most especially, after.

Neither strength training nor cardio in and of themselves are effective tools for weight loss. Weight loss is about causing a caloric deficit. Strength training is about fortifying your body, and cardio is about fortifying your heart and vascular system. Use cardio and strength training as a foundation to self care, and self responsibility around quality of nutrition, not as a tool for weight loss because studies show it is not the key.

Weight loss will come from reviewing and altering your diet/nutrition. Making sure you put good quality food into your body, i.e meat, vegetables, healthy fats; not packaged/processed food (frozen dinners, cereal, etc.) As Danielle noted, strength training and cardiovascular activities will create a good foundation to improving self-care. Being active and including physical activity in your daily life is a great aspect to incorporate; remember it is about making a positive lifestyle change.

Really both because they work together along with watching what the "energy" intake is (nutritionally dense food vs junk). Resistance training helps build muscle and gets you body to be more like a "furnance" when you do your cardio activity. If time is an issue circuit training or intervals of cardio & strength in a workout session can accomplish that. Creativity it's the mother of invention!

Both cardio and weight training are needed. Challenging yourself in each workout and changing it up regularly are keys. Too many people stick with the same routine and wonder why nothing changes.

I am going to go with strength training first, because we all know that muscle will help you burn more fat. After that HIIT is what I prefer for cardio over anything else, mostly because I lack time. But of the greatest importance is ones diet as always.

As everyone has already said, a combination of the two is the best prescription, but, if I had to choose one, I would say strength training, because of the longterm effects, the addition of muscle, which burns more calories than fat, and the fact that you continue to burn calories well after the workout because of the healing process the muscles encounter.

I'm a CrossFit owner and strength coach, so I move heavy loads as much as possible. Strength training is vitally important for the development and maintenance of health and fitness.

"Cardio" is highly over-rated & an old concept that was brought in years ago based off studies done at the time. The studies however have proven to be wrong. Anyone who's a trainer shld know that cardio is NOT the best way to obtain wt loss goals. MUSCLE MUSCLE MUSCLE is the ONLY way to increase metabolism! In fact all trainers shld b hip to the fact that long duration/ steady state cardio decreases muscle mass therefore decreasing metabolism. Building Muscle through High Intensity Workouts...High Intensity meaning: Brief activity causing a failure of the involved musculature w/in only 1-4 minutes, is the MOST effective & efficient way to wt loss while not including nutrition into this question b/c all in all in boils down to what you are feeding your body.

Here's a tip to get a lot of peoples panties in a bunch...A reduction of body fat is almost entirely a dietary issue; yet the general population REFUSES to give up the notion of exercising for fat loss.

Trainers are not responsible for wt/fat loss that depends on the client's discipline to clean eating, but we are able to aid them in increased muscle mass which aids in increased calorie burning while inactive!

For a total physical program, both cardio and resistance training is needed along with doing other healthy lifestyle choices.

It's just best to work on all health and motor skill related components of physical fitness. Balance is the key.

The one that they do consistently and enjoy. With that being said metabolic strenght circuits and high intensity intervals combined is the best way that I know of.

Cardio burns more calories while you are working out. Lifting weights burns more calories over the next 48 hours. The trouble is you can't do 5 squats and expect to burn more calories over the than cardio. The key is to hit high intensity (high heart rate) often throughout a workout. This helps the body practice tapping into different energy systems. If they only raise their HR to 60-70% maximum they don't use significantly different energy systems than they do during their daily activity.