A Combination of Cardio & Strength for Weight Loss

Strength training plays an important role in boosting the weight loss process as it leads to faster fat loss, improved metabolism, and better muscle mass. Along with making a healthy diet a part of your routine, the right way to go towards your weight loss goals is making a program that consists of both strength and cardio training.

Strength training could manifest itself in the way of several exercises. Some of these include lifting weights (obviously), resistance bands, squats, pushups, pullups, weight machines, and hip hinge. It comes with benefits like increased bone density and lowered osteoporosis, besides weight management and upping the metabolism rates.

Note: Some other forms of this training are isometric exercise, plyometric, Parkour, gymnastics, circuit training, Yoga, Pilates, and SuperSlow. The best thing is that one can keep working out without going to the gym.

As a special case, here’s how you can tone your arms without using any equipment over an extended period of time.

The Effective Combination- Cardio and Strength

Cardio and strength training for weight loss

Strength training focuses on building muscles. Lean muscles keep burning fat even when the body is at rest. The point to notice here is that no matter how strong or defined a muscle is, it will not show any result as they are hidden under layers of fat. Both males and females should also add cardio to make the most of their weight loss efforts.

A cardiovascular exercise or cardio helps in melting away the fat that is hiding the muscles. When its sessions are combined with lifting weights, the duo helps in maximizing the rate at which the calories are burnt. Ultimately since the body is using more energy than it is consuming, it leads to weight loss. This is just why you had started in the first place.

Tip: We recommend you consulting a qualified fitness professional or expert to get a personalized plan for strength training exercises. If you don’t know one, you can ask for the services of a virtual fitness expert, right from your smartphone, anywhere and anytime.

Does Strength Training Work for All?

If a person is not suffering from any type of injury, sicknesses, or other limiting issues, strength training is a wonderful tool. With the proper combination of cardio and this training, women can tone their muscles and increase definition. It also lowers the risk of osteoporosis, a health concern that affects eight million women in the United States alone!

Also read: What makes Online Personal Training the way to go for Virtual Fitness at Home in 2020+?

How often should you do strength training?

When targeting weight loss, one should focus on a personalized program with a specific number of sets, repetitions, and weight rather than adding a lot of bulk. When going for them, it is better to do 1-3 sets of an exercise with at least 12-15 repetitions.

By the end of your session, your muscles should be tired and you would be finding it hard to complete. This is primarily because a lower number of repetitions will lead to bulky muscles while lesser repetition will make no impact. Every move with the weights should be slow and controlled.

Also read: Here are some tips for shorter and better workouts that you can follow, even from the comfort of your home!

A Combination of Cardio & Strength for Weight Loss

There is a difference in the definition of an appropriate cardio plan to follow depending upon a person’s ability. The right approach to follow is that people who do not have a good exercising base should complete a low-intensity workout for 30 mins whereas people with a strong base should use interval training (periods of different work intensities) for 30 mins.

We also recommend checking with a fitness expert to know how you may add cardio exercise to other weight training schedule for a faster weight loss experience. This would help if you are suffering from obesity, excessive belly fat, a slower metabolism, or a combination of these ailments.