Many people want to lose a few pounds . That means not only eating a little less , but often also exercising a little more. However, that can be more hassle than it seems. Because which sport should you choose? Are you going for a run, as almost everyone seems to be doing? Or are there more suitable options?
The main dichotomy that is made
here is: do you choose strength
training or cardio ? Today we list
the advantages of both methods. And of course we are happy to give you
some advice on the best way to actually lose weight with it!
Difference strength training and
cardio
To begin with, let's define clearly
what types of sports we are actually talking about. Cardio - short for
cardiovascular training - is an endurance sport that improves your fitness . It is therefore about
training in which you move at a reasonable intensity for a long time. Consider,
for example, running, cycling , swimming , but also
team sports such as football.
Strength training focuses, as the
name implies, rather on your muscles . By performing exercises
with increasingly heavier weights, you force your body to build more
and more muscle mass . A
workout does not have to take as long here, and you are not constantly moving . It is mainly about giving
your muscles the most efficient growth stimulus possible.
But which of the two is best for
weight loss, strength training or cardio?
Cardio for weight loss
When people want to lose weight,
they usually opt for cardio. The reason for that is clear. With
cardio you are moving more intensively, so you burn more energy during
training . This way you quickly create an energy deficit that forces
your body to burn fat .
However, it is important that you
keep watching your food in addition to cardio. You burn about 500 calories per hour . If you eat a cheese sandwich and a Mars to replenish
your energy, you have already made up for that shortage.
Cardio is healthy
Incidentally, burning calories is
not the only reason to choose cardio. This training form also has the
necessary benefits for your health. As mentioned, you improve your fitness
thanks to endurance sports. In other words, your heart muscle is being
trained to work harder and more efficiently.
Not only good if you want to be
able to run for an hour. Cardio also keeps your heart and blood vessels
stronger and healthier in general. This reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in
old age, for example.
Strength training to lose
weight
But cardio isn't the only option. Strength
training is also often used to lose weight, and that is not without reason. Well,
during the training sessions you do indeed burn fewer calories with this. However,
strength training has an advantage that cardio lacks: the afterburn phenomenon.
This works as follows: during a
workout with weights, your muscles are slightly damaged. It is precisely
by restoring them that you become stronger. But that recovery takes a
while, and it takes energy. That means that you burn extra calories for up
to two days after the workout.
Furthermore, the built-up muscle
tissue is also good for your fat burning . Muscles
burn calories, even if you don't do anything else. This applies to every
day - even if you don't train. Ultimately, that adds up!
Strength training is also
healthy!
In addition, strength training is
not only healthy for your muscles. Supportive tissue also becomes
stronger, such as tendons and ligaments. That means that not only will you
get bigger biceps , but your
body will also be less prone to injury in general.
Strength training is also good for
the strength of your bones. From research shows that even moderately
intense strength training prevents osteoporosis in later life. And that
effect will always remain, whatever age you start!
But… there is a difference
What is the best option for you,
strength training or cardio? In principle, you can lose weight with both . There
is, however, a big difference, which emerged from a study at Penn State
University, for example. A group of strength athletes who lost ten kilos
actually lost ten kilos of fat. A group of cardio athletes, on the other
hand, lost four kilos of fat and no less than six kilos of muscle mass.
That has an effect on how you actually
look after that weight loss . It
is precisely this subcutaneous muscle tissue that ensures that you feel tight
in your skin. By also dieting away a lot of muscle tissue, you quickly get
the effect that you are thin, but still a bit 'flabby'.
Strength training or cardio?
For that reason, we always
recommend that you train with weights when losing weight. That does not
necessarily have to be very fanatic or very intensive! With two full-body
training sessions per week you can already combat muscle loss. You can
even do a lot of strength training at home, as long as you only have a set of
weights.
Does that mean you can't do cardio? It
is not like that. The dichotomy between strength training or cardio is not
as absolute as it is sometimes presented. You can still run for half an
hour twice a week. You do not lose a significant amount of muscle with
that, and it is good for heart and blood vessels.
So feel free to combine cardio and strength training , so you can benefit from both!
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