Cardio or Strength Training Which Fat Burning More Effective
When it comes to exercise, it will be broadly divided into cardio and strength training, both of which are good for improving physical and mental health. But for fat burning, which exercise is more effective?
First of all, cardio is a kind of exercise that can enhance cardio-respiratory function. It helps improve the heart’s ability to pump blood and the ability of the lungs and heart to deliver oxygen throughout the body. There are many forms of cardio, such as running, brisk walking, jumping rope, cycling, hiking, swimming, rowing, dancing, climbing stairs, or participating in sports such as field hockey, soccer, tennis, skating, or basketball.
Strength training is the use of resistance to build muscle strength and endurance, hence the name resistance training. Strength training includes lifting weights or performing repetitions on weightlifting equipment, using resistance bands, push-ups, squats, etc.
The Fat Burning Effect Of Cardio & Strength Training
1、Cardio
If your main goal is to lose weight, you need to burn more calories and increase muscle mass. The role of cardio is to burn calories. The more you exercise, the more calories you will burn. If you want to lose weight, you should do cardio at least 5 days a week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours and 10 minutes). This is a difficult goal for most people to achieve. But doing any exercise is better than doing nothing, so every minute counts as long as you’re moving.
If you feel like you’re too busy to exercise, then you can use pieces of your time to do so. For example, climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator, ride a bike to and from work or walk two more stops to take the bus, and so on. In fact, in addition to deliberate exercise and movement, any physical activity you do every day can burn calories.
There is a term called NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), which refers to “non-exercise activity thermogenesis”. Examples include doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, walking the dog, and even playing a musical instrument. If you can increase the time of NEAT, even if you do not participate in more physical activity, your metabolism will increase, thus burning more fat.
2、Strength Training
Strength training can keep the weight off by building muscle tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. More muscle also helps your body burn off excess fat, which is important if you want to lose weight and keep your stamina up. So, building muscle through strength training speeds up your metabolism, and the faster your body burns calories.
If you want to lose weight consistently, you have to burn off more calories than you take in each day. To maximize the benefits of strength training, you should try to do some kind of strength training three to five times a week for a total duration of about two hours.
Unlike cardio, you don’t need to strength train every day, and you should take at least one day off after every two days of training. For example, if you strength train on Monday and Tuesday, you need to take a day off on Wednesday and then train again on Thursday and Friday.
Examples of Workouts That Combine Cardio and Strength Training
The best time to exercise should be based on your daily schedule and, most importantly, the ability to stick to it relatively easily over time.
Here is a sample schedule that includes both strength training and cardio
- Monday: 30 minutes of walking throughout the day and 30 minutes of another aerobic exercise of your choice.
- Tuesday: 30 minutes of walking and 30 minutes of strength training throughout the day.
- Wednesday: One hour of tennis, racketball, or basketball.
- Thursday: 30 minutes of strength training, alternating between push-ups, squats, and sit-ups, followed by 30 minutes of yoga.
- Friday: One hour of walking or jogging throughout the day.
- Saturday: One hour of strength training, followed by 30 minutes of some type of cardio.
- Sunday: A day off, or 30 minutes of walking throughout the day.
Whether it’s cardio or strength training, the main purpose of your exercise, other than weight loss, is to get your body moving, increase your heart rate, and ultimately improve your cardio, as well as build muscle strength and brain health.
Conclusion
By using a combination of cardio or strength training, cardio to fat burning, strength training to shape, and supplementing it with a healthy and balanced diet, you will see a change in your body shape much sooner.