You Don't Have to Do Cardio to Lose Weight (But There's a Catch)

You Don't Have to Do Cardio to Lose Weight (But There's a Catch)

When you think of exercises specifically aimed at weight loss, you probably imagine spending long hours on the treadmill or elliptical trainer. And while it's true that steady-state cardio will likely help you lose weight, experts say it's completely unnecessary if your main goal is fat loss. In fact, you can lose weight by lifting weights. (Yes, really. Just look at these weightlifting body transformations.)

However, that doesn't mean you should never do cardio. Here's why you might want to prioritize strength training if shedding pounds is on your to-do list—but you can't give up heavy breathing forever.

Why you don't need special cardio sessions to lose weight

“Cardio is one of the least effective fitness modalities for weight loss,” explains Jillian Michaels, health and fitness expert and creator of the My Fitness by Jillian Michaels app. That's because you lose weight by burning more calories than you eat, and to many people's surprise, strength training is actually better at that than steady-state cardio.

The reasons for this are pretty simple. First, strength training changes your body composition. "Resistance training will help you build more muscle, which will increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories," explains Betina Gozo, a Nike Master Trainer who focuses on strength training. The more calories your body burns on its own, the easier it is to lose weight. In other words, if you want to lose weight, building muscle is a good thing. (Here's all the science on building muscle and burning fat.)

Second, resistance training in a circuit often burns more calories than plain old cardio, especially when performed with compound movements like squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, cleans, presses, and more, according to Jennifer Novak, CSCS, a strength and conditioning training specialist and owner of PEAK Symmetry Performance Strategies. “When more joints are involved in a movement, more muscles have to be recruited to perform it,” she explains. That means – yes – more calories burned.

There is also the “afterburn effect” that comes with higher intensity resistance training. "If you're just doing cardio, you're working at an aerobic pace and only burning calories for as long as you're exercising," says Gozo. With high-intensity circuit resistance training, you'll continue to burn calories for the rest of the day, she adds. Of course, you can definitely get that afterburn effect from HIIT, but for the muscle-building benefits, you'll want to incorporate resistance in the form of weights, kettlebells, or bodyweight levers.

“But all of that is irrelevant if you don’t pay attention to what you eat,” adds Michaels. Remember the saying, “Abs are made in the kitchen?” Well, it's true. With a coordinated nutrition plan and strength-based exercise routine, you will most likely see the weight loss changes you desire.

The no-cardio catch

Now, even though cardio isn't necessary for weight loss, that doesn't mean cardio is ~generally~ unnecessary. The American Heart Association currently recommends 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise per week (spread over five days) OR 75 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular exercise per week (spread over three days) plus two resistance training sessions for optimal heart health. (Only about 23 percent of Americans meet these requirements, however.) That's because getting your heart rate up is still crucial to keeping your heart healthy.

The thing is: strength training, when done strategically, can definitely get your heart rate high enough to count as vigorous cardiovascular exercise. (Here's an introduction to using heart rate zones to train for maximum training benefits.) "Compound movements are a great way to increase your heart rate when strength training," explains Gozo. Because you're working multiple muscles at once, your heart rate will increase. (If you've ever heard your heartbeat in your ears after doing a few heavy deadlifts, you know exactly what she's talking about.) Plus, by minimizing the rest you take between sets, adding heavier weights, and/or increasing your tempo, you can increase your heart rate.

Get the best of both worlds

So how do fitness professionals recommend balancing strength and cardio training when you're trying to lose weight? “I would only recommend cardio on days off,” says Michaels. "For example, if you lift weights four times a week and want to sweat one or two more workouts—but still want to give your muscles proper recovery time—this is when cardio would be fine."

Want to make sure you get the recommended amount of cardio without ever stepping foot on the treadmill? Strength training in circuits, she explains. "Move from one exercise to the next in quick succession to keep your heart rate up. I personally also add a HIIT interval to each circuit for that extra intensity."

It's also a good idea to choose your weights strategically. "Try to incorporate weights and resistance that will actually challenge you on your last few reps, otherwise you may not get the full benefits," says Gozo. "You never want the weights to be easy to move for more than 15 reps. You want the 'resistance' to be there to create change."

The only cardio caveat?If you're training for something sport-specific (such as a half marathon or triathlon), you'll need to do specific cardio workouts, says Michaels.

Still, Michaels is fully behind the idea of ​​focusing most of your effort on shorter, resistance-based workouts rather than long cardio sessions. “Study after study has shown us that higher intensity, shorter duration workouts are most effective for overall fitness, cardiovascular health, bone density, muscle retention, metabolism and more.” Would you like to try this type of training? Check out this kettlebell cardio workout.