Cardio vs Weights. The never-ending debate of which is best for getting you in shape and slimmed down rages on. However, we are here to finally put this all to bed.
For Fat Burning
Cardio
Let’s face it cardio is the ultimate champion when it comes to calorie-burning. The idea of doing as much work as possible in the short time you have, then cardio is your thing. Whether it be steady state cardio (better for high weight loss goals), or HIIT which retains the muscle while stimulating the fat burning enzymes, you can get a serious calorie burn.
Weights
Don’t rule out the weights just yet, however. Lifting weights gives you that awesome after-burn effect, in which your metabolism (the amount of calories you burn at rest) a spike for at least an hour after your workout as your body repairs the muscles. By doing this and building some lean tissue, then you are going to have a much greater metabolism with greater capability to keep the fat off.
For Appetite Suppression
Cardio
I am sure you have felt that after a run many a time. However, it has been shown that after only 15 minutes of a HIIT session appetite can be dramatically suppressed. This is because the blood is being pumped to so many different body parts to fuel your exercise, that it has no time to get to the gut and so puts the brakes on your appetite. Nice.
Weights
Strength training is awesome for short term appetite suppression. Appetite can be significantly suppressed for about an hour after a strength workout. However, this is where it ends because afterwards the body starts to crave the energy it needs to repair and rebuild. This unfortunately can hit women the hardest because they’re wired to keep weight up for pregnancy and lactation.
For Body Re-Shaping
Cardio
It is well recognised that the combination of good nutrition mixed with regular exercise, whether it be cardio or weights, results in dramatic weight loss. However, with cardio alone the majority of that weight can come from muscle as well as fat. This means you will get smaller but your strength, fitness and tone is going to be very poor by the end, due to the heavy loss in muscle.
Weights
With weight training you will be able to properly stimulate, strengthen and define your muscles. This will help to emphasize the natural curves of your body and burn only fat. This will getting you looking super-toned but also feeling like a super strong queen in the gym if you keep progressing with your weights.
The Winner?
Dead Heat
To get the really best results, a combination of cardio and weights is a must to get the best ofboth e worlds when it comes to getting a killer physique