Cardio vs Weight Training: Which Burns Fat Best?

If you’re comparing cardio vs weight training for weight loss, then you probably already know the answer. Or at least, you think you do. In this article I’m going to review some great research on weight loss. I will also cover the best methods to implement both styles of training into your fitness routine to help burn fat. At the end of the article I’ll leave you with a weight loss plan that I used to lose over 20 pounds. Keep reading for more.

This first thing you should know about exercising for fat loss is that there is no best way for everyone. There are certainly forms of exercise that burn more calories, in a shorter amounts of time than others. That doesn’t mean that you should do that type of exercise. Each form of exercise yields specific fitness goals, that you may or may not want to achieve.

A large part of losing weight is psychological. You have to have a good fitness and nutrition routine that doesn’t feel like utter misery, when you’re trying to improve your fitness. I could write the best fitness program, and give you all the nutrition advice you need, and you could still fail, if you don’t wan’t to follow through with the program.

If you’re reading this article then you’re no stranger to hard work, and you’re looking for an evidence based answer when comparing cardio vs weight training. Not to worry, I have several interesting studies that will answer this question. Here’s a quick overview below.

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Cardio vs Weight Training: Overview

• Weight training burns more calories than you think
• The highest caloric output (long duration) is usually found during steady state cardio
• WODs and circuit training can have very high caloric output (shorter time frames)
• Recovery cost is generally higher when using weight lifting for fat loss

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As you’ll see in the next section, you can burn a lot of calories very quickly with HITT style training, think functional fitness WODs. While this is scientifically useful to know, we must also consider which methods are best for long term fat loss. We’ll cover that in detail further on. Before we get to the research don’t forget to join the email list below, and I’ll send you my weight loss, and strength training guides for free!

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Cardio vs Weight Training: Caloric Energy Expenditure

Our first study examined the differences in calorie burn between three different types of exercise. The research subjects did each of three different workouts including: a resistance training session using 75% of their 1-repetition maximum (1RM), an endurance cycling session at 70% maximum heart rate, an endurance treadmill session at 70% of max heart rate, and a high-intensity interval training (HIIT workouts) session on a hydraulic resistance system (HRS) that included repeating intervals of 20 seconds at maximum effort followed by 40 seconds of rest. They were measured for calorie burn per minute, and their ratings of perceived exertion.

The hydraulic resistance training actually burned the most calories, averaging 12.62 cal per minute. The weight lifting workout burned 8.83 cal per minute, and the cardiovascular exercise averaged 9.23 cal per minute. Of note, this study did not consider excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

This study demonstrates that HIIT training burns a large number of calories very quickly. Even though the researchers used hydraulic machines, you could substitute any normal high intensity WOD (using large muscle groups) and get the same results. Sub maximal physical activity, without much weight, can burn a lot of calories.

As we mentioned previously, that doesn’t mean that you should just do WODs and traditional functional fitness training as the best weight loss plan. It might be a good plan for you, but as you’ll see, combining WODs, traditional lifting, and steady-state cardio can yield better results.

If you’re looking for a great functional fitness plan for building muscle, and burning some calories, then check out this program.

Exercise Intensity and Overall Calorie Burn

This study examined several relevant papers to see if HIIT style weight lifting burned more calories than traditional lifting. They found that traditional weight training, with normal sets and reps, followed by rest, yielded higher energy expenditure. On the surface this seems to contradict the previous study, but it actually doesn’t when you consider how your metabolic rate changes over time.

If you’ve ever done a WOD or hard HITT training, you know that most of those workouts are short. The vast majority of WODs are between 5-10 minutes in length. You can only maintain this type of high energy output for short periods of time. Even if you go for a long 30 minute WOD, you’ll find that your aerobic energy system contributes the vast majority of energy.

This study did an excellent job of controlling for relative intensity. The subjects did a circuit weight training cardio workout with 10 stations for 20 minutes. They took a break and then ran on a treadmill at the same average heart rate for 20 minutes. Both sessions were 20 minutes of moderate-intensity heart rate exercise.

They burned 168 calories during the circuit training workout, and 244 calories on the treadmill. Moreover, they all rated the circuit training as more strenuous even though the average heart rate was within the aerobic zone. As a side note, I would guess that they had higher levels of lactate in their blood during circuit training. This means that they were likely using both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

Again, we are left with a somewhat contradictory conclusion. It’s important to remember that workout durations matter. You can kill it for 4 minutes on Fran, but try doing that for 20min, at the same output. This brings up the important point of overall energy expenditure, and program sustainability. In the next section we’ll talk about combining different types of training to maximize fat loss.

Training Tips for Fat Loss

It’s clear that losing weight is about a caloric deficit. Don’t listen to Instagram personal trainers. There is no secret diet that will allow you to lose body fat without being in a caloric deficit. This means we must consider a fitness program that accomplishes our goals of being fit, strong, and puts us in a caloric deficit.

If you read my 20 pound weight loss plan you see that I had a pretty simple plan. First, I followed my Functional Fitness Weight Loss Program. I tracked my food, and built in a lot of zone 2 cardio, with a fair amount of high intensity anaerobic exercises. Here are the reasons that program works so well.

First, my functional fitness programming included heavy compound lifts, and WODs for each training day. These two components help maintain lean muscle mass and strength. After all, who wants to be weak and skinny? The only drawback to these two components is that they are harder to recover from. You can only do so much lifting volume before your recovery crashes and burns.

That’s why I included a lot of cycling at lower intensities, otherwise known as Zone 2 cardio. This is an intensity level where you can still carry on a conversation during exercise. Zone 2 cardio is a great way to build your aerobic base, while burning calories. It’s also very easy to recover from because it doesn’t incur any real damage to your muscle tissue. This type of exercise is also great for your heart health and has the added benefit of running on body fat. Here’s an awesome video about zone 2 and VO2 max training.

The last piece of the puzzle is tracking your food. You don’t have to be crazy about it. Eating a balanced diet of nutritious foods, with the right macronutrient split, is crucial to your success. I highly encourage you to read the full article about this weight loss program, where I cover all the details and metrics. In the next section, I’ll cover some great fitness programs you can use for muscle gain or weight loss.

Finding Your Next Fitness Program

In this section I’ll list several different programs that you can use to change your body composition. Some programs will be 4 days per week, others are 5, and one is 6 days per week. I encourage you to check out each program to see which one fits your needs.

Remember you can burn significant calories with functional training, traditional lifting, and aerobic exercise. Each of these programs places emphasis on different aspects of that triad. If you really like lifting you can follow a heavy lifting program. If you like to train for strength and endurance, there’s a great 8 week option there as well.

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• The 8 Week Functional Bodybuilding Hybrid Program (Most popular training program)
• 8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Plan (Best program for strength and endurance)
• 10 Week Functional Power Building Program (Best program for strength and anaerobic power)
• 12 Week Advanced Functional Bodybuilding Hybrid Program (For advanced lifters)

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I’m often asked how to modify my programs to fit schedules, or certain athletic needs. Rest assured that you can modify any of my programs, and still make progress. Check out this article where I cover that topic in detail so you can create a program that best fits your schedule, and individual requirements.

If you want the most detailed version of my programs, with things like coaches notes, percentages, and specific warm ups, then you should check out my premium programs. They are designed to provide the same info I would give to an athlete I was coaching in person. Here’s my most popular program below.

Final Thoughts

Let’s take a quick second to review the key points when comparing cardio vs weight training. For short durations, functional fitness style, high intensity training, will burn the most calories. For longer durations, traditional strength training can actually burn quite a lot of energy. However, traditional steady state aerobic training will yield the most calorie burn, with the lowest recovery cost.

I’ve provided several different programs to help you gain fitness, or lose weight. Your nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, but it must be appropriate and consistent to help you maintain lean body mass, while dropping weight.

If you have any questions or comments, put them in the comments section below, and I’ll get you an answer. Now get training, and don’t forget to join the email list below, so you don’t miss any more awesome articles.

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We are not affiliated with any other company or entity including CrossFit Inc. Each workout plan is entirely owned by Tier Three Tactical and we recommend that you exercise under the supervision of a professional coach. It’s also recommended that you seek medical clearance from a licensed medical doctor before starting any fitness program.