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.
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.
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!
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!