Comparing Cardio with Weight Lifting

There are many ways in reducing fat in our body. These practices are also observed by those who wanted to reduce weight as these practices are often geared towards the excess weight caused by fat.

But there are two types of exercises that have been preferred by many: cardio and weight lifting exercises. Some would prefer the former type of exercise over the other because of their efficiency while there are those who prefer the latter because of its ease and continuous effect in reducing weight and removing fat in the body.

To understand how they address fat, you have to look at the source – calories. Calories are building blocks of fat and a good source of energy besides protein. In fact, when we do something that requires energy, calories are burned. Calories could be found in most food with varying levels. If we eat too much food with a high level of calorie, fat will be lodged in our body since we didn’t use the excess calorie. As we continue to eat without burning calories, we become fat.

The easiest way to burn calories is to exercise. Weight lifting and cardio exercises are among the most popular ways of burning calories in our body.

Cardio Exercises Explained

Cardio exercises refer to specific physical activities that will increase your heart rate to a significant but a safe level. Cardio exercises such as jogging, walking, hiking, cycling or any exercise that will increase your heart rate could be considered as a cardio exercise.

The reason why cardio exercises could reduce calories in your body is through blood flow. Since your heart rate has significantly increased, the blood pumping in your heart has also increased. As a result, the action will also increase the circulation of the blood in your body. To push the blood to go through in your body faster, energy is required and the energy that comes from calories is used. Through consistent cardio exercises, you’ll be able to burn a good amount of calories and also reduce the fat in your body significantly.

Cardio exercises will only work if they are done regularly and at a consistent level. Burning calories in your body should be continuous and skipping on your exercises is very bad for your body. Once you shed those calories but acquired them again, shedding them the second time will be a lot harder.

Weight Lifting to Reduce Fat

Weight lifters are known to have a very small amount of fat in their body. They were able to achieve this because of their rigorous practice that consists mostly of weight lifting. They target specific points in their body, and through the development of muscles; they burn calories in their body.

The key in understanding the relationship of weight lifting in reducing fat in the body is through the development of muscles. Maintaining the muscles in your body will require a great amount of calories. If you have a good amount of muscles in your body, you are burning a lot of calories. 10 pounds of muscles in your body will require 50 calories daily even if you do anything. That amount will increase significantly if you exercise.

The danger of weight lifting to burning fat is in the abuse of the exercise. No one should do weight lifting exercises everyday. The muscles should be given time to recuperate and be ready for the next set of exercises. If the muscles are exercised everyday, muscles could be destroyed which will result to significant injuries.

Calorie Deficiency

Even a good amount of exercise through weight lifting and cardio will mean nothing if you stick to your regular food intake. Remember that you are aiming to burn as many calories as you can. Burning 3000 calories a day will be nothing if your food intake will also consist of food with calories that would have the same amount. You should aim for reducing your calorie intake significantly so that you could reach to a point of calorie deficiency. In this state, proteins will take over as a source of energy. That is why weight lifters have to take a lot of protein shakes since this will be their main source of energy instead of fat inducing calories.

In whatever exercise regime you choose, be sure to complement them with the right diet. Cardio could regularly burn calories in your body but they have to be done consistently for better effects. Weight lifting on the other hand could also burn calories even though the body is at rest but continuous exercise could lead to torn muscles. As much as possible calculate the amount of calories that comes with your food intake so that you’ll know the level of exercise that you have to do to burn those calories.