What Burns More Calories: Cardio, Intervals, or Weight Training?
Let’s say you want to lose weight, and you want to do so in the fastest way possible. Is it hours on the treadmill? Sprints up a hill? Could it possibly be squats and bench presses? I’m going to guess that you have assumptions on what might be best for you. In today’s royal rumble, I’m going to break down the difference between these three contenders and let you know which will give you the most bang for your buck. The results, which certainly aren’t unanimous, will surprise you…Meet today’s contestants:
Cardio: Pretty much anything with relative low intensity that you can do for a prolonged period of time that elevates your heart rate. Regular aerobics, going for a three mile jog, running on a treadmill for an hour, using the elliptical for twenty minutes, etc.
Interval Training: When you decide to run, bike, use the elliptical, etc. with varying rates of speed and intensity. Sprinting for 30 seconds followed by 90 seconds of jogging, and repeating this cycle for 20-30 minutes.
Weight Training: Whenever you lift weights or do body weight exercises, often times in a cyclical nature.
But first, there’s ONE thing that needs to be made crystal-clear: If you are interested in getting in shape, the MOST important thing you can do for yourself is adjusting your diet. Your diet is responsible for 80-90% of your successes or failures. As I’ve said previously, even if you spend 10 hours a week exercising, that still leaves 168 hours for you to mess things up. If all you care about is losing weight, the fastest path to success is with a superb diet.
Keep your total number of calories under control, cut out the junk food, give up soda, and start eating REAL FOODS: veggies, fruits, and lean meats.
Cardio is the most basic thing you can do when it comes to burning calories. Let’s talk science: if you burn more calories than you consume in a day, you will lose weight. Step on a treadmill, run three miles, and you’ll burn around 300 calories. You don’t need any special weights, have extensive knowledge of any difficult exercises, just a pair of shoes (or a pair of Vibrams) and your legs. This is why the majority of people who start exercising do so by just running a treadmill or elliptical for hours: it’s tough to mess up, and it’s pretty easy to do.
Bodies 2 Envy caters to the individual looking for a friendly non-intimating environment. The studio also offers personal training and diverse fitness group classes catering to all levels of fitness abilities.
Feel free to drop by the club during regular business hours or visit us at our website at www.bodies2envy.com or call at 416-834-1701
Dwight Nelson
Bodies 2 Envy Fitness Studio