Cardio vs. Strength: The Ultimate Weight Loss Battle

Do you run yourself ragged on the treadmill? Or do you prefer to lug weights around at the gym? The eternal debate about which works best for weight loss is a hot topic. Spoiler alert: you don't have to choose at all. In this blog post, we'll explain why combining cardio and strength training is the golden formula for sustainable weight loss.

The Cardio Camp: Burning Calories in Real Time

Cardio has one major advantage: you burn calories instantly. Hop on your bike, go for a run, or do an hour of aerobics, and you'll see the calorie count tick up. An hour of running easily burns 600 calories. That feels good—you immediately feel like you've accomplished something.

But here's the catch. As soon as you stop moving, your calorie burn stops. Moreover, your body adapts quickly. After a few weeks on the same running route, your body burns fewer calories for the same effort. You become more efficient, which is good for your fitness but less beneficial for your weight loss.

Another disadvantage: too much cardio without strength training can lead to muscle loss. And as we know from my blog about the yo-yo effect, muscle is crucial for a healthy metabolism. Less muscle means a slower metabolism, making weight loss increasingly difficult.

The Strength Camp: Investing in Your Metabolism

Strength training works differently. You burn fewer calories lifting weights than during a cardio session. But what happens afterward makes all the difference. Your body continues to burn extra calories for up to 48 hours after strength training to repair and build muscle. This is called the afterburn effect.

Moreover, strength training helps you build muscle mass. Every kilogram of muscle burns about 13 extra calories daily, even at rest. That may not seem like much, but calculate the benefits: five extra kilos of muscle mass means 65 calories per day, or 23,725 calories per year. That's equivalent to over three kilos of body fat.

Strength training also changes your body shape. You become more toned and firmer, even if the scale doesn't show much difference. Maintain muscle mass When losing weight, you mainly lose fat, not your valuable muscles.

Science Speaks: What Do the Studies Say?

Study after study shows the same thing: the combination of cardio and strength training delivers the best weight loss results. A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology compared three groups: cardio only, strength training only, and a combination. The combination group lost the most body fat and retained the most muscle mass.

Why does this combination work so well? Cardio burns calories immediately and improves your heart and lung function. Strength training protects your muscle mass, increases your resting metabolic rate, and burns calories long-term. Together, they tackle weight loss from two angles.

In practice: how to combine cardio and strength training smartly

You don't have to spend hours at the gym to combine both types of training. Start with two full-body strength training sessions per week. Add two cardio sessions, or combine both into one workout.

An effective method is circuit training, where you alternate strength exercises with short cardio intervals. For example: squats, followed by 30 seconds of jumping rope, then push-ups, followed by another 30 seconds of cycling. This keeps your heart rate high while also working your muscles.

The Milon Circle Happy Bodies is perfect for this. In 35 minutes, you automatically switch between strength and cardio equipment. You get the best of both worlds without having to worry about finding the right balance.

Timing makes the difference

What you do affects your results. Do you do cardio before strength training? Then you might have less energy for your weights. Do you do strength training first? Then your cardio performance might be slightly lower. The solution: split them up over different days, or choose an order that suits your priorities.

For optimal fat loss, fasted cardio works well—a gentle walk or bike ride before breakfast. Your body will then more quickly turn to fat reserves for fuel. But don't force this if you're not feeling well. Listen to your body.

The Forgotten Factor: What You Eat Determines Your Success

Whether you choose cardio, strength training, or both, you'll see little results without the right nutrition. You can't "work away" the wrong foods. An hour of running burns about 600 calories, but a large pizza easily contains 1200 calories. The calculation is quick.

Focus on getting enough protein to fuel your muscles, especially during strength training. Choose complex carbohydrates that will give you energy for your cardio sessions. And don't forget healthy fats – you need them for hormone production and recovery. It's not about eating less, but about eat smarter.

The winner is… both!

The ultimate battle between cardio and strength has no winner—or rather, two winners. For sustainable weight loss, you need both. Cardio for immediate calorie burn and endurance. Strength for muscle preservation and a faster metabolism.

Stop thinking in terms of either/or and go for both/and. The perfect mix depends on your goals, preferences, and available time. Hate running? Choose dancing or swimming. Dread weights? Start with bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups.

The most important thing is that you exercise in a way you can maintain. Because the best workout for weight loss is the workout you actually do. Week in, week out.