Should You Do Cardio or Lift Weights for Weight Loss?

In this post, you’ll learn whether cardio or lifting weights can help you with weight loss.

Losing weight isn’t easy. 

And anybody that tells you otherwise is either lying or has an amazing metabolism. 

How does aging impact weight loss?

Losing weight at any age is tough enough.

But once you reach the big 3-0 everything becomes much more of a challenge. 

When you were younger and in your early twenties, you could likely spend all weekend partying. 

You could binge drink, eat junk food, and barely exercise. And still maintain your abs and perfect cardio conditioning. 

But as the years went by, you likely noticed more aches, pains, and niggles that you hadn’t experienced before. 

Worse, your 32-inch waist jeans that once needed a belt, starts to feel tighter and tighter with each passing year. 

By the time you hit 30, you’ll likely have found it much harder to lose weight.

It is much easier to gain weight, and it much harder to get fit and recover after a strenuous workout. 

If you are looking to lose weight in your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, or beyond, it pays to train smart. 

Here’s a look at whether you should be focussing on cardio or weight training to shed those stubborn pounds. 

Can cardio help with weight and fat loss?

As we grow older, our metabolisms slow down, testosterone reduces, and find ourselves more susceptible to weight gain. 

To make matters worse, we also struggle to lose weight as easily as we did decades ago. 

As a result of this, we need to know how to exercise and what to do. 

Cardiovascular exercise can speed up weight loss. Here a few ways cardio can burn fat.

It’s less intense 

As we age, we need to adapt our training and switch up the way we exercise. 

We need to be smarter with our training to reduce the risk of injury. Because of that, cardio is ideal. 

Cardio is less intense than resistance training and helps with weight loss. It also reduces your risk of injury. 

Great for the heart 

Heart disease is the biggest killer in the modern world. This is why we need to do everything we can to look after our hearts. 

Cardio exercise is perfect for weight loss because it boosts your heart rate.

True, cardio conditions can affect anybody. But the older you are, the more susceptible to heart conditions you become. 

By focusing on cardio you are helping to strengthen the heart and reduce your risk of cardiovascular issues. 

Better for the joints 

Now, some forms of cardio are bad for the joints. 

For example, trail running. But for the most part, if you are struggling with joint issues, cardio is the route to go for weight loss. 

Many forms of cardio are low impact. This means that joints such as the wrists, ankles, hips, and knees are not negatively impacted as you train. 

Cycling, for example, is great for people with ankle issues as your ankles do not absorb any impact. 

Swimming is another prime example of a low impact cardiovascular activity. 

Can weight training help with weight and fat loss?

Weight training is still very beneficial for individuals that are looking to shed weight. Here’s a look at how: 

Burns calories 

To lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit. This basically means that you need to burn off more calories than you consume. 

Lifting weight is a very effective form of training. It especially helps you to burn calories.

Weight training can be beneficial for anybody trying to lose weight, regardless of their age. 

Muscle burns calories 

Even if you aren’t looking to bulk up and build muscle, even the slightest increase in lean muscle mass can be beneficial for losing weight. 

This is because muscle requires more calories to be maintained than fat.

The more lean muscle you build, the harder your metabolism works to burn calories to maintain the muscle. 

Which is better for weight loss: cardio or weights training?

A combination of cardio exercises and weights training for weight loss is ideal. 

Both forms of training play a critical role to increase metabolism and activate fat loss.

The key is to be smart about your training. Pick a routine that can incorporate both cardio and weights.

You can enjoy impressive rates of weight loss if you adopt cardio and weight training as part of your routine.