Many people believe that the best way to lose weight is to do cardio. However, this is not always the case.

In fact, lifting weights can actually be better for fat loss. This is because when you have more muscle, your body burns more calories at rest compared to someone who has less muscle.

Burn Calories

Cardio, or aerobic exercise, is any movement that gets your heart rate up and keeps it elevated for the duration of your workout. This can include jogging, cycling, swimming and Zumba classes.

Weight training, on the other hand, is a form of anaerobic exercise that involves lifting free weights or machine weights to build muscle mass. These movements require your body to break down glucose for energy without using oxygen, which means they burn more calories.

To maximize the number of calories burned during your workout, experts recommend completing strength training first and then cardio. According to an American Council on Exercise study, exercising this way will burn more calories because your heart rate stays higher for a longer period of time. This can result in burning more fat as well as losing weight.

Burn Fat

Cardio workouts burn a lot of calories during your workout. The longer your workout and the higher your intensity, the more calories you will burn. This can help you get into a calorie deficit and lose weight.

However, cardio can also burn muscle. If you do too much cardio and have low levels of muscle to begin with, it will be hard to see any changes in body composition.

Weight training will help you lose fat, as well as build muscle. Muscle helps you look leaner and also burns more calories at rest than fat does. When paired with a proper diet that has you in a calorie deficit, it is the best way to see the numbers on the scale decrease. In fact, ACE (American Council on Exercise) studies show that you burn more calories during your next cardio session if you lift first.

Build Muscle

Weight lifting, or resistance training, helps build muscle. It increases the amount of lean muscle mass in your body, which speeds up your resting metabolic rate. This means that you burn more calories all day long, even while sitting at work or lying down to sleep.

In addition, your bones are stronger when you lift weights. This helps prevent osteoporosis, and it also reduces your risk of knee or shoulder injuries and arthritis.

Cardio, or cardiovascular training, is an aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for the duration of your workout. It uses oxygen to break down glucose for energy, and it’s an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But cardio alone won’t help you lose fat. You need to prioritize weights in your workout routine to get the best results.

Build Strength

Cardio, or aerobic exercise, increases your heart rate and keeps it elevated for the duration of a workout. It uses oxygen to turn glucose into energy.

While it can burn calories, you won’t lose weight without a diet that has you in a caloric deficit. Weight lifting can help you reshape your body and look leaner.

When done correctly, lifting weights can boost your metabolism, burn calories and build muscle all at the same time. To maximize the calorie burn of your workout, ACE recommends you start with weights and then do cardio. This ensures that your glycogen reserves are emptied before you begin your cardio session, which allows you to burn more fat. This is also ideal if your goal is endurance.