Should You Focus on Cardio or Strength If You Want to Lose Weight?
And what about the fat-burning zone?
The world of fitness is full of myths and misconceptions. Take, for example, weight loss.
Many people believe that you need to focus on cardio if you want to lose fat. And the more cardio you do, the better.
Other people claim cardio is overrated and even detrimental because it causes you to lose fat and muscle.
Instead, they suggest you need focus on strength training and building muscle. Because muscle, they say, burns more calories than body fat, and when you have more muscle, your body burns more calories at rest.
So who is right? Are cardio lovers or weight lovers correct?
Both are right, and here’s why.
Cardio burns more calories than strength training.
Cardiovascular activities are all activities that elevate your heart rate and keep it elevated during the activity. Cycling, running, swimming, and intense cardio-focused group workout classes are all examples of cardiovascular activities.
Because your heart rate stays elevated throughout the activity, you burn more calories during 1 hour of cardiovascular workouts than during 1 hour of strength training.
