Lets talk about the great debate of which is a more effective exercise for losing weight, running or weight training.
Before we start lets differentiate ‘losing weight’ and ‘burning body fat’
You see both running and weight training play an important role in how we lose weight, what kind of weight we lose, and also how we maintain that weight loss.
All weight loss occurs through caloric burn, so to lose weight or get thinner in body, we must burn more calories then we consume.
If you’re curious how many calories you’re burning without exercise, and then how many you need to burn to get to your desired weight loss goal, be sure to read my blog
CALCULATE YOUR BMR AND CALORIES
So, which is better for burning calories during your workout running or strength training?
As far as burning calories goes, during your exercise, running definitely has the upper hand.
How many calories you burn is based on your weight and how fast you’re running, but for example, a 140 pound person running a 10 minute mile will burn on average 640 calories in 60 minutes.
When it comes to weight training we do burn calories, a 140 pound person will on average burn around 250 calories during a 60 minute workout. If you were to participate in the popular style of fitness referred to as High Intensity Interval Training ‘HIIT’ which is a high intensity weight training program, that same 140 pound person would burn on average around 400 calories in a 60 minute workout.
As we can see, during the 60 minute workout, we will burn more calories running at a good pace then we will strength training and this is why we seem to get skinnier from running.
Weight training builds muscle, and in order for the body to maintain muscle tissue it must burn calories. As a result, weight training will lead to us burning more calories throughout the day. Muscle will also help you keep the weight from coming back because that muscle will always need energy ‘calories’ to sustain its current size.
All in all, do both, or incorporate a HIIT High Intensity Interval Training program, which includes weight training at a high intensity and fast pace, helping you to achieve both results in one.
Running will help you burn more calories to help you lose weight, and strength training will build the muscle you need to keep the body fat from coming back!
Everything we’ve talked about here also revolves around your nutrition plan. It’s the combination of both your fitness and your meal plan that will help you achieve the desired success you’re looking for!
If you’re looking to learn more about food and what to eat, be sure to download my free e-book The Power Of Food!
You can download it to the right of this page.
