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

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.