Lift Weights
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about exercising to lose weight?
The answer, of course, is some form of cardio.1Whether it be out in nature, on a piece of equipment at the gym, or alongside others in a fitness class, cardio is the type of exercise you associate with having to do when you want to slim down. Be truthful and admit that instead of being a lying liar by trying to claim you were going to say something different in a pitiful attempt to make me look bad for guessing correctly!
Now, as much as I’d like to credit my omniscience for knowing what you were going to say, your response was pretty much expected because not much, if any, thought is ever given to strength training as a physical activity that benefits weight management. That, however, shouldn’t be the case.
Technically, cardio is defined as exercise that’s performed nonstop over an extended period of time at an intensity that raises respiration and elevates the heart rate to at least 50 percent of its maximum level. The continuous use of the muscles to move and support the body and the demand placed on the heart and lungs to provide the oxygen that’s necessary to sustain activity all contribute to cardio having a higher immediate energy expenditure than resistance training for the same duration.2That difference is largely due to the intermittent work that’s involved with strength training, as there’s a lot of resting between sets and exercises. But even though cardio results in the burning of more calories during a workout, weightlifting burns more calories in the hours well after because of the energy that’s needed by the body to repair damaged muscles. The calories burned during the workout and those burned during the +24-hour recovery process can add up to increased calorie burn over time and increased fat loss.3For even more calorie burning, the weight used should be heavy and the movements of choice should be compound exercises that recruit several muscle groups simultaneously. Incorporating both of those suggestions into your workout will help place a greater energy demand on the body during and after.
That’s one of the reasons why you should strength train while trying to lose weight. Another is that when you lose weight, you also lose muscle. On account of muscle being a tissue that helps the body burn calories at rest, the loss of muscle can slow down the metabolism and result in weight rebound and even more being gained when you end calorie restriction and return to a higher intake of food. Resistance training can help prevent that from happening, especially when paired with a high protein diet.
Glossary: calories, cardio, diet, exercise, exercise equipment, gym, intensity, metabolism, muscle, muscle group, workout
- Just The Tip #4441 - May 5, 2026
- Just The Tip #400 - May 4, 2026
- Just The Tip #3017 - April 30, 2026
