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Is this true?

63hanson
63hanson Posts: 154 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I toured a gym this weekend and the trainer who gave the tour told me that when you lift weights you continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours after, but if you do cardio you stop burning calories when you stop. Now I know your body always burns some calories, so I assume he means you continue burning more calories after lifting as opposed to cardio.

Is this true?

Thanks:)

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    63hanson wrote: »
    I toured a gym this weekend and the trainer who gave the tour told me that when you lift weights you continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours after, but if you do cardio you stop burning calories when you stop. Now I know your body always burns some calories, so I assume he means you continue burning more calories after lifting as opposed to cardio.

    Is this true?

    Thanks:)

    To an extent, yes...it's called epoc, but people tend to exaggerate this benefit.
  • z4oslo
    z4oslo Posts: 229 Member
    https://www.runnersworld.com/peak-performance/march-14-the-afterburn-exists-and-it-can-be-very-significant
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    I tested this on my body over a very long period of time time, with HRMS, and scale etc, and found it to not be true for me. or if it was true, it wasn't enough to register on any of my data sheets. And actually when i did cardio, i burned more in on a daily basis just because i had better cardio endurance and tended to be up and active more than when i just weight lift and i'm lazy and sit around.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    The body's metabolism is the best calorie burner around. What is true, is that the maintenance it takes to store fat is much less of an energy expenditure than the energy expenditure it takes to support muscle. Build muscle.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    63hanson wrote: »
    I toured a gym this weekend and the trainer who gave the tour told me that when you lift weights you continue to burn calories for up to 48 hours after, but if you do cardio you stop burning calories when you stop. Now I know your body always burns some calories, so I assume he means you continue burning more calories after lifting as opposed to cardio.

    You lose fat only on days that you're in a calorie deficit.. regardless of what exercises you do. With that in mind, i would choose exercises based on fitness goals, not fat loss goals. Strength training is important for fitness, so even though it doesn't usually burn as many calories as cardio, you still want to do it.

    A good strength program for your age group is New Rules of Lifting for Life. Or work with a good trainer. I wouldn't necessarily exclude that trainer for what he said. Sometimes it's what some people need to hear to make strength training seem appealing. Google "choosing a personal trainer" for what to look for in a good trainer. :+1:
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    More than you thought you ever wanted to know about EPOC: https://bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/research-review-effects-of-exercise-intensity-and-duration-on-the-excess-post-exercise-oxygen-consumption.html/
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