(Mar 15, 2024 04:05 PM)shatter Wrote:  For weight loss, it's weight lifting. Countless numbers of studies have proven that to be the point. Resistance training and diet play a major part.

It's not "my take".

(Mar 15, 2024 04:31 PM)Ultras Wrote:  Weight loss or fat loss? Because the purpose of weightlifting is to gain (muscle) weight and the metabolic increase is minimal in the short term. I think those who aim to lose fat should keep it simple and focus on walking/cycling and eating fewer calories while maintaining a high protein intake to maintain muscle mass, then add some weightlifting later on for muscle gain. A mix is great if you're already somewhat fit, but for anyone carrying around too much fat it's best to get rid of most of that first, or they'll see slow progress in both fat loss and muscle gain and lose motivation. You can still lift of course, but your diet will realistically have to focus on either fat loss or muscle gain.

But almost anything will work if you follow a few basic principles, and it depends on your starting point, lifestyle, mindset etc. which approach is best for you.

(Mar 15, 2024 04:52 PM)Kalvaxas Wrote:  Well, when you do cardio, yes - you're burning possibly a few hundred calories at most. The thing is, when you stop, so does your caloric burn. You're not burning more than your normal metabolic rate. Losing weight isn't a short term aspect to look at. Numbers wise, there's 3500 calories in 1 pound. If you only do cardio, you'd need to do cardio at least 10 days in a row to burn 1 pound (not counting your daily energy expenditure). Weightlifting, for example - You're not burning that much less than what you would be with cardio. Most people looking to lose weight are far from in shape, so asking them to do 30 minutes+ of cardio would more than likely make them give up. Whereas if you ask them to do an hour of weightlifting (with breaks between sets), they're actually burning more than what they would be during cardio, and the metabolic burn is continuous as well, over the course of days.

It's easy to say 60 minutes of cardio will burn more than 60 minutes of weightlifting. This is technically true, but it's not practical. Especially for someone super out of shape looking to lose weight. Both physically and mentally, they'd give up.

(Mar 15, 2024 09:07 PM)Ultras Wrote:  I personally think you're vastly overestimating the calorie burn during weightlifting and the metabolic increase, at least given the context of a beginner looking to lose fat and see progress. Per kg of muscle you gain, you don't increase your BMR a whole lot as far as I know. If you compare a bodybuilder or gym bro to an average person, yes, there's a difference, but how much higher BMR can the average person get per month or even per year? I agree that adding muscle to increase your BMR long term is great if lifting is and will be a part of your life, but you have to be a pretty big dude for it to make a significant difference, and let's not forget the ladies, they may have to give up looking like a lady at all if they are to increase their BMR by building muscle. I don't think that's realistic or most people's goals when losing fat.

It's extremely easy to burn hundreds of calories from cardio throughout the day, certainly if you have a lot to carry around. Going for an hour long walk will be more efficient for the average Joe and all but the extremely obese or old can do that. If you work from home or watch a lot of TV (like obese people often do), a small exercise bike will easily burn a couple thousand calories per workday at a low-moderate intensity and resistance, or upwards of a thousand during a 2 hour long movie. There's no need to put anyone on a high intensity program to see good results.

Even if we compare just an hour of low intensity cardio to an hour of weightlifting and accounting for the afterburn, I think cardio is better for beginners and average people looking to lose fat without making the gym or exercise in general their life.

(Mar 15, 2024 04:05 PM)shatter Wrote:  For weight loss, it's weight lifting. Countless numbers of studies have proven that to be the point. Resistance training and diet play a major part.

It's not "my take".

(Mar 16, 2024 05:42 AM)Komodo Wrote:  Either works.

If you’re eating correctly and do some sort of exercise that puts you in the calorie defect you need to lose weight it’s a win.