Weightlifting and Weight Loss
Most people believe that doing lots and lots of cardio is the way to lose weight. This idea has become ingrained in the minds of many, especially women, who have spent hours at a time on the treadmill or elliptical as a result.
While cardio is important in many ways, it isn't the only way to lose weight-- or even the best. Weightlifting can be just as important and necessary for losing weight and, more importantly, increasing overall health.
Why do Cardio?
There are many reasons to incorporate cardio into your fitness regimen. Cardio:
Improves heart health
Increases endurance and stamina
Lowers blood pressure
Regulates blood sugar
Helps reduce asthma symptoms and chronic pain
Aids sleep
Manages weight
Helps you outrun your enemies (my personal favorite)
This article is by no means encouraging you to cut cardio out of your routine. For all of the reasons listed above, cardio is beneficial to a well-rounded fitness routine. However, massive amounts of cardio at the expense of weightlifting isn't the best way to lose weight.
Why do Weightlifting?
Weightlifting may be the key ingredient missing in your fitness routine. Not only will it burn calories and fat, it will also increase lean muscle, overall aesthetics, and health. We firmly believe that if you had to choose between cardio and weightlifting, weightlifting is the clear winner. Let's break down why.
1. Weightlifting gets your heart rate up.
A common misconception is that cardio gets your heart rate up and burns calories, but weightlifting doesn't. This couldn't be further from the truth. The key to weightlifting for calorie burn is intensity. Challenging yourself by lifting heavier weight can elevate your heart rate just as much as cardio. (Don't be scared of lifting heavy-- you won't get bulky!) Weightlifting also involves compound movements (like squats and deadlifts) that recruit a lot of muscle fibers and truly challenge the body. Weightlifting in this way is high in intensity, which is a key factor in increasing your heart rate and burning more calories.
2. Weightlifting boosts your metabolism and the calories you burn 24/7.
This is where weightlifting truly shines. As you build more muscle, your metabolism or energy expenditure throughout the day increases. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, so the more muscle you have the more calories you'll burn 24/7. That's great news for weight loss! While it's true that cardio typically burns more calories in a single session than weightlifting, it doesn't increase muscle mass. Increasing the amount of muscle you have comes from weightlifting and contributes to a higher total calorie burn.
3. Weightlifting in intervals can be better than steady state cardio.
Steady state, moderate cardio has traditionally been thought of as the "fat burning zone," but that idea is misleading and doesn't tell the full story. Training in higher intensity intervals burns a higher amount of calories overall than steady state exercise. This applies to cardio and weightlifting. Utilizing high intensity interval training in weightlifting keeps your heart rate elevated and minimizes rest by including supersets and circits (where you perform moves back to back before resting). Weightlifting in this way is better for overall calorie burn than steady state cardio.
4. Weightlifting is better for overall aesthetics.
This is a subjective statement that depends on what your aesthetic goals are, but most people want to lower body fat percentage, increase lean muscle, and look athletic. Weightlifting is the best way to do that. Focusing on just cardio may help you burn calories, but that's about it. It leads to the phenomenon known as "skinny fat," where someone can be thin but still have a relatively high amount of fat for their body and lack of muscle. Weightlifting is a great way to ensure that you are burning calories and gaining muscle, leading you to look strong, lean, and athletic.
5. Weightlifting is necessary for strength, bone density, and overall health.
Besides pure aesthetics and vanity, weightlifting is absolutely vital for many reasons. It increases your strength, which makes you less likely to get injured and is linked to a longer life. It increases bone density, which makes you less susceptible to bone loss and breaks. This is especially important for women, who are higher at risk than men for osteoporosis as they age. It also increases confidence and energy, and puts the focus on what your body is capable of rather than just how it looks. While this article has been about weight loss and aesthetics, overall we are firm believers that health is much more than just weight. For many people, weightlifting is a great way to focus less on the weight of your body and more on the weight you can lift. That's an important shift in perspective.
Conclusion
While cardio is great for many reasons, it is not the only or the best tool for weight loss. Weightlifting elevates your heart rate, burns a higher amount of calories 24/7, increases muscle mass, and offers many health benefits that cardio does not. To reap the full benefits of weight-lifting, utilize supersets, circuits, and high intensity interval training to burn calories and gain muscle. If you had to choose between cardio and weightlifting, grab a dumbbell and get to it.
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Fire + Voice coaches people on-the-go on how to overcome busy days, yo-yo diets, and unsustainable fitness fads in order to stay fit from anywhere in the world-- and live a life of freedom rather than restrictions-- through online personal training, yoga, life coaching, and global retreats. We show our clients how to be fit and free. Most importantly, we give each client the tools they need to reclaim their body and life.