Which Burns Fat Better: Cardio or Weight Training?

Which Burns Fat Better: Cardio or Weight Training?

People all around the world are trying to lose weight the fastest way they can. However, most people wind up questioning why they are unable to lose weight despite hitting the treadmill. Bogging this regimen down is the belief that weight training helps burn the fat faster than cardio.

So, which is true? In this age of excess information, we at Fitbase have weeded out the baseless myths in this blog surrounding both cardio and weight training when it comes to weight loss.

Understanding the Difference

Understanding the Difference

As soon as weight loss is popped by, cardio is the first thing that pops up. That is how tuned we have become to assuming that trotting on the treadmill leads to weight loss. What propelled cardio or cardiovascular conditioning is that the aerobic regimen makes one use more oxygen.

This increased oxygen usage improves your heart health and makes you much more agile. One of the many regimens in cardio is running on a treadmill. There are many other cardio activities, such as elliptical workouts, similar to running on the treadmill.


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However, working on an elliptical allows you to move your arms. Weight training is an anaerobic regimen. This is the primary distinctive factor when compared to cardio. What it means is that the fitness freaks use significantly less oxygen when compared to cardio. As the name implies, weight training is all about lifting heavy weights, ranging from dumbbells or kettlebells.

What is beneficial with anaerobic is that they encourage the faster breakdown of glucose without oxygen. The advantage here is that the fitness aspirants burn more energy in a short time. But yet, people opt for cardio. Let’s understand why. 

Why Cardio

Why Cardio

Cardio’s primary advantage is that your heart becomes strong. As a result, the heart, the engine for endurance, will beat better and stave off unwanted cardiovascular problems. This is primarily due to how fast the faster heartbeats when you run. This increased pulse rate demands more oxygen, and that ultimately betters heart health and blood oxygenation.

This is quite beneficial for the body as the blood circulation is better, and this helps you pull on longer workouts. In addition, this enhanced blood circulation and breathing betterment allow you to amass more stamina. 

Cardio’s Calorie Burn

Cardio’s Calorie Burn

Cardio burns the calories as long as you keep running. And the heavier you are, the more calories you burn. However, the calorie burn is decided by the duration of the session. To reach fitness goals, one has to engage in prolonged cardio sessions.

These sessions are pretty monotonous, and they tend to become boring. This is where Fitbase App comes in. The intuitive interface of the app enables you to connect with your friends and make workouts more fun. 


Also Read: 9 Benefits Will Make You Want Exercise Physically


Although 2012 study from Duke University and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute states that cardio melts fat faster than weight training. However, weight training is also sought after by most people. Let’s look at why that is so. 

Why Weight Training

Why Weight Training

Weight training is about helping you mold that fatty mass into muscle mass. Every time you lift a heavyweight, your body burns calories to lift them. However, what sets weight training apart from cardio is that the body doesn’t shed as much weight as we want. And that is a good thing as the body uses the unwanted mass to turn into muscle.  

This is a shortcut for the people who want to bulk up. They no longer have to spend time to become lean. However, one should not jump the routine and fast-forward to extremely heavyweights. This only produces counterproductive results. 

Weight Training’s Calorie Burn

Weight Training’s Calorie Burn

Unlike cardio, a weight training regimen has a longer calorie burn. While cardio sessions burn the calories only when one works out, weight training burns the calories even when one is not working out. This is because the muscles remain in flux and take up a significant amount of energy to relax. This calorie consumption produces better results than cardio.

Additionally, weight training is not as monotonous as cardio. As one builds more stamina, he can go for heavier weights and more prolonged bouts of lifting. This progression is quite encouraging, and the benefits are also long-term. 

Which to Choose?

Workouts Challenging and Exciting


This is a crossroads situation as both regimens are too good to pass. Why not choose both? Yes, a mixed regimen keeps the workouts challenging and exciting. Instead of boring oneself on long, tedious sessions of either one regimen, choose both.

You get better cardiac health and improved blood circulation with cardio. And, with weight training, you become fab from flab. This improved strength and agility are equally good, and one should not choose between the two. 


Also Read: Losing Peace Instead of Weight? Here’s Why


To help get the best of both worlds, we have developed the Fitbase smartphone app, which is compatible with both iOS and Android. This app allows you to work out with your fellow friends or in a solo mode under the supervision of fitness coaches existing on the app.

The app keeps track of calories expended and allows you to regulate workout sessions better. As the app enables you to control your calorie intake, a better you is a dream waiting to be achieved. So, install Fitbase and become fit from fat.

Download on Google Play  Download on iOS App Store


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