Cardio vs. strength training

Weight loss is among the most common goals reported by gym users. However, the question remains: What's the best and most efficient way to accomplish it?

Should you spend the majority of time in the gym doing cardio, or should you take up strength training? Which will help you lose weight faster?

Before answering these questions, it's important to fully understand your weight loss goal. Are you hoping to simply see the number on the scale go down? If so, cardio is probably the most straightforward way to go.

But are you OK losing muscle to reach a specific number on the scale? Most people would say "no," which leads us to a more focused goal: fat loss.

Cardio: Burns calories — and muscle

Compared to basic strength training, cardio will often burn more calories minute-by-minute. Cardio also has a number of other benefits, including improved energy, heart health, endurance and stress relief.

However, spending all your time doing cardio won’t do a whole lot for your muscles. In fact, long bouts of cardio activity have been shown to increase the risk your body will turn to your hard-earned muscle for fuel instead of carbohydrates and fats, which are your body's preferred sources.

When it comes to fat loss, muscle is very important because it is “metabolically active.” This means that calories are required to maintain muscle throughout every day, even on the days you don’t exercise. The more muscle you build, the more calories you will burn, making strength training key to your effort to lose fat while saving muscle.

Strength training: Long-lasting benefits

While strength training may not burn as many calories during the workout session as cardio, the post-exercise calorie-burning effect of strength training will be significantly higher than that of a straight cardio session.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, studies have shown that your metabolism can be elevated for approximately 36 to 48 hours after an intense weight-training session. So, even while you’re at home, watching TV, you’ll be burning extra calories at rest during the days following your strength-training workouts.

A healthy balance is essential

However, don’t take this as an omen to ditch the treadmill. When designing your workout program with a focus on fat loss, some cardiovascular exercise is good — especially if you have a tough time cutting calories.

A healthy balance of moderate strength training and cardio will be the quickest and most efficient path to losing the right kind of weight and keeping it off long-term.

Cliff Bardelli is a personal trainer at the Sewall Healthy Living Center at Sharp Coronado Hospital. He holds a bachelor’s of science in kinesiology and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.