Strength training burns more calories than cardio.

Great info. I like to blend the two together, but I always feel like I burn more fat doing cardio.

Yes you can burn fat doing cardio DURING your workout while strength training won't make you burn fat during the workout however since our muscles tear out after each session so our body uses up more calories to repair muscles that can turn means burning more fat even as long as 48 hours after your last workout. The big difference is in the post workout burn.

Good stuff!

You are also building your metabolism and making it much faster when you are building muscle.

Well that's if you are building muscle which is practically impossible to do on calorie deficit (there are some exceptions). And in truth a pound of muscle only burns about 6 calories per day.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9688626

Cardio burns more WHILE you're doing it, if you're pushing yourself... However, CIRCUIT TRAINING really pushes you... I burn about 800 in an hour of circuit training, and I continuously burn and up my motabolism in the process.

Hate to tell you that unless you're well over 200lbs, that the 800 calories is exaggerated. It's probably more likely in the range of 450 calories, about the same as a very heavy weight lifting session. Understand that when you circuit train, because of short recovery rest times, resistance is not going to be at 85% of one rep max.


A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
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A 45-minute strength training session followed by a 10-15 minute cardio workout (65%-75% of MHR) will burn more calories than a 60-minute cardio workout!

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/01/what-burns-more-calories-cardio-intervals-or-weight-training/

I think there's quite a few people viewing this in the wrong sense.
If you are looking at "now", then cardio is obviously going to have the more immediate result.

Much like any other goal, it's a marathon and not a sprint.
Doing strength training is going to build lean muscle, and lean muscle is going to burn more fat over the long term, practically making your body a fat burning machine even during downtime.

So, in other words, despite what your HRM is saying, this guy isn't too far off.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I love how you put your credentials in every forum post and also TWICE in your profile.

How frickin' irritating..............

Now it's only showing ONCE in my profile:laugh:


A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

you don't need to burn a lot of calories to lose weight
you just need to eat less aka....at a deficit

I don't do cardio because it serves no purpose to me. Being strong and more muscular is far more useful in my life and line of work.

the site gives you a calorie goal, stay under it = weightloss
unless you are going over in calories by 1000 you don't need to burn 1000 calories

if you run because you love it, cool......but instead of running for an hour you could just eat less......

seems to me people focus too much on burning calories and less on managing diet.........diet is forever.......but at some point our lifting and running days will be over

Cardio works the most important muscle of them all, your heart. I don't understand how anyone can't find it useful

you don't need to burn a lot of calories to lose weight
you just need to eat less aka....at a deficit

I don't do cardio because it serves no purpose to me. Being strong and more muscular is far more useful in my life and line of work.

the site gives you a calorie goal, stay under it = weightloss
unless you are going over in calories by 1000 you don't need to burn 1000 calories

if you run because you love it, cool......but instead of running for an hour you could just eat less......

seems to me people focus too much on burning calories and less on managing diet.........diet is forever.......but at some point our lifting and running days will be over

Cardio works the most important muscle of them all, your heart. I don't understand how anyone can't find it useful

my resting heart rate is in the 50's.....it doesn't need any work. Your heart runs all the time. Your muscles don't.

Well each to their own. My husband loved to lift heavy and ignore cardio. He is a former professional athlete. Then one day he started getting chest pains. His blood pressure was through the roof. He didn't even know he had high blood pressure. Now he is on medication. He continues to lift heavy and hard but he throws a jog in there or HIIT too and is gradually weening himself off the medication. Now he realizes a strong heart is more important than the size of his biceps. I think the article the OP posted talks about the benefit of combining strength training and cardio. I think a lot of people think it has to be one or the other but they really work best together.

you don't need to burn a lot of calories to lose weight
you just need to eat less aka....at a deficit

I don't do cardio because it serves no purpose to me. Being strong and more muscular is far more useful in my life and line of work.

the site gives you a calorie goal, stay under it = weightloss
unless you are going over in calories by 1000 you don't need to burn 1000 calories

if you run because you love it, cool......but instead of running for an hour you could just eat less......

seems to me people focus too much on burning calories and less on managing diet.........diet is forever.......but at some point our lifting and running days will be over

Cardio works the most important muscle of them all, your heart. I don't understand how anyone can't find it useful

my resting heart rate is in the 50's.....it doesn't need any work. Your heart runs all the time. Your muscles don't.

Well each to their own. My husband loved to lift heavy and ignore cardio. He is a former professional athlete. Then one day he started getting chest pains. His blood pressure was through the roof. He didn't even know he had high blood pressure. Now he is on medication. He continues to lift heavy and hard but he throws a jog in there or HIIT too and is gradually weening himself off the medication. Now he realizes a strong heart is more important than the size of his biceps. I think the article the OP posted talks about the benefit of combining strength training and cardio. I think a lot of people think it has to be one or the other but they really work best together.

just because you don't do cardio doesn't mean you have a weak heart
mine works better than average and my blood pressure is perfect

I'm not bashing cardio......I just have no use for it. I lift weights 30-45 min 3 times a week and have done that for a year with no cardio. I don't care about burning calories...... Eating less is easier than running around

you don't need to burn a lot of calories to lose weight
you just need to eat less aka....at a deficit

I don't do cardio because it serves no purpose to me. Being strong and more muscular is far more useful in my life and line of work.

the site gives you a calorie goal, stay under it = weightloss
unless you are going over in calories by 1000 you don't need to burn 1000 calories

if you run because you love it, cool......but instead of running for an hour you could just eat less......

seems to me people focus too much on burning calories and less on managing diet.........diet is forever.......but at some point our lifting and running days will be over

Cardio works the most important muscle of them all, your heart. I don't understand how anyone can't find it useful

my resting heart rate is in the 50's.....it doesn't need any work. Your heart runs all the time. Your muscles don't.

Well each to their own. My husband loved to lift heavy and ignore cardio. He is a former professional athlete. Then one day he started getting chest pains. His blood pressure was through the roof. He didn't even know he had high blood pressure. Now he is on medication. He continues to lift heavy and hard but he throws a jog in there or HIIT too and is gradually weening himself off the medication. Now he realizes a strong heart is more important than the size of his biceps. I think the article the OP posted talks about the benefit of combining strength training and cardio. I think a lot of people think it has to be one or the other but they really work best together.

just because you don't do cardio doesn't mean you have a weak heart
mine works better than average and my blood pressure is perfect

I'm not bashing cardio......I just have no use for it. I lift weights 30-45 min 3 times a week and have done that for a year with no cardio. I don't care about burning calories...... Eating less is easier than running around

Its great that you found what works for you. I'm not saying you skipping cardio would mean you had a weak heart, I'm saying some folks could take care of theirs better.

Just wondering would you be better to do maybe 20-30mins of cardio before you do any strength training ? When I went to my classes she always said you get rid of fat faster that way ??