Exercising to Maximize Fat Loss

Doing something active several times every week is a huge component of your new, healthy lifestyle. The question still remains – which is better, cardio or strength training? To answer that question, I’d like to compare a microwave to a crock pot.

Microwaves heat up really quickly, but cool down just as fast. Compare that to a crock pot, which takes longer to heat up, it stays hot longer, and takes much longer to cool down.

Think of doing cardio as your body’s microwave – your body will heat up pretty quickly (which means you are burning calories), but when you hop off the treadmill or the elliptical, you’re essentially done burning calories. Compare that to strength training where you might not burn as many calories during the workout, but when you build muscle, you are going to burn more calories all day long, not just while you are exercising.

So to answer the question: which is better, cardio or strength training? The short answer is: you need both. My basic recommendations for a well-balanced exercise program would be this:

Take your body weight, and spend that amount of time (in minutes) doing something active every week. For example, if you weigh 250 pounds, you would spend at least 250 minutes doing something active every week. If you just want to improve your appearance, focus more on strength training – if you want to improve your health, focus more on doing cardio. Either way, make sure you are doing a little of both to balance your exercise program and maximize your fat loss.