The quest for weight loss is a common goal for many people looking to improve their health and well-being. Faced with a multitude of approaches and methods, it is often difficult to know which practices are the most effective. Among the many options available, the choice between cardio exercises and strength training is a central question for those who want to optimize their training program.
This article explores the distinct and complementary benefits between these two practices for weight loss. We'll also look at the most effective sports for burning calories and promoting fat loss, such as the elliptical, body combat, running, swimming and HIIT. Finally, we will provide practical advice for integrating these physical activities into a healthy lifestyle routine, in order to achieve your goals in a sustainable and balanced way.
Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a motivated beginner, this guide will offer you valuable information to maximize your efforts and achieve visible results. Learn how to balance your workout routine and adopt a lifestyle that supports your journey to better health and a slimmer figure.
1. Cardio vs Bodybuilding – Which practice to lose weight?
1.1 The benefits of cardio for weight loss
Cardiovascular exercise is often considered one of the most effective methods for losing weight . Here's why :
↗️Increase in calorie expenditure
Cardiovascular sports sessions, such as running, swimming and the elliptical bike, are known to significantly increase calorie expenditure. By raising your heart rate and using many muscle groups, these activities allow you to burn a large number of calories in a relatively short time. For example, a 30-minute running session can burn between 300 and 500 calories, depending on the intensity and weight of the person.
↘️Creating a calorie deficit
To lose weight, it is crucial to create a calorie deficit, that is, consume fewer calories than you burn. Cardiovascular sports activities are particularly effective for this because they increase daily energy expenditure. Coupled with a balanced diet, they help maintain a constant calorie deficit, thus promoting the loss of body fat.
🫀Improved cardiovascular health
This type of effort not only expends energy in the form of calories; it also contributes to better cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and lungs. Better cardiovascular fitness means your body becomes more efficient at transporting oxygen and nutrients to the muscles during exercise, allowing you to train more intensely and for longer.
⚡After-burning effect
The “after-burn” effect, or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), is another benefit of this type of aerobic effort. After an intense workout, your body continues to expend energy at an increased rate even without movement, further aiding weight loss.
👍🏻Flexibility and accessibility
Cardiovascular workout programs are extremely flexible and can be adapted to almost any fitness level. They can be practiced outdoors (like running or cycling) or indoors (like the elliptical bike or body combat classes). Additionally, they often do not require sophisticated equipment, making it accessible to a wide audience.
🎲Variety of exercises
Aerobic sports activity offers a wide variety of exercises, which helps maintain motivation and avoid boredom. Activities like swimming, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), and even team sports can be incorporated into a workout routine to maintain interest and maximize weight loss and slimming.
1.2 The benefits of strength training for weight loss
Although cardio is often highlighted for losing weight, strength training also plays a crucial and sometimes underestimated role. Here's why incorporating this type of sporting activity into your routine can optimize your weight loss efforts:
👤Increased basal metabolism
One of the major benefits of this strengthening is the increase in basal metabolic rate (BMR). By building muscle mass, your body requires more energy to maintain those muscles, even at rest. Thus, a person with more muscle burns more energy daily, allowing weight loss to be more effective in the long term.
⚡Prolonged after-burn effect
This type of load also benefits from the “after-burn” effect or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). However, this effect can be even more pronounced with intense sessions. After a workout, the body continues to expend energy at an increased rate for several hours, sometimes up to 24-48 hours, which maximizes fat loss.
💪🏻Preservation of muscle mass
When losing weight, it is crucial to preserve muscle mass to avoid a drop in metabolism. Strengthening muscles helps maintain and build muscle, which is essential for healthy, lasting weight loss. By preserving this mass, you avoid the phenomenon of “skinny fat” where the body may appear thin but lack tone and strength.
👍🏻Improved body composition
Doing this muscle strengthening helps sculpt and tone the body, thereby optimizing body composition by reducing fat percentage and increasing muscle mass. A body with good muscle composition appears firmer and more defined, even if the weight on the scale does not decrease drastically.
🦴Strengthening bones and joints
Sports sessions of this type strengthen not only the muscles but also the bones and joints. By building bone density and strengthening joints, you reduce the risk of injuries and bone diseases like osteoporosis, which is particularly beneficial in the long term for maintaining regular physical activity and losing weight on an ongoing basis.
🎲Flexibility and variety of exercises
To build muscle, there is a huge variety of exercises and modalities (free weights, machines, resistance bands, body weight, etc.), allowing you to target different muscle groups and maintain interest and motivation. This flexibility helps prevent boredom and keeps workouts challenging and effective.
⚖️Better insulin response
Exercising muscles also promotes insulin sensitivity, which helps regulate blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Better insulin management can help control food cravings and optimize utilization of nutrients by the body, thereby supporting efforts to lose weight. Our Absolu+ Fit can also reinforce this effect.
1.3 Comparison and synergy
When we talk about losing weight, the recurring question is often whether it is better to focus on cardio or muscle strengthening. The optimal answer likely lies in a combination of the two, leveraging the unique advantages of each method. Here's a comparison and how these two practices can work synergistically to maximize weight loss.
🆚Comparison of the benefits of these 2 types of sports
Cardio
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Immediate calorie burning: Cardiovascular physical activities, such as running, cycling or swimming, are excellent for burning a large number of calories during exercise.
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Improved cardiovascular endurance: Aerobic sports activity strengthens the heart and lungs, boosting overall endurance and the ability to perform prolonged workouts.
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Rapid reduction of body fat: Sessions of this type of sporting activity, especially when performed at high intensity (like HIIT), are effective in reducing body fat quickly.
Bodybuilding
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Increased basal metabolism: It develops muscle mass, which increases basal metabolism and allows calorie expenditure at rest.
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After-burn effect: After muscle training, the body continues to burn energy at an increased rate, often for 24 to 48 hours.
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Improved body composition: This type of activity sculpts the body, increasing protein mass while reducing fat, which refines and tones the figure.
☯️Synergy between cardio and strength training
Combining cardio and weight training can offer much more convincing results than focusing exclusively on one or the other of these 2 types of sport. Here's how the two can complement each other effectively:
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Maximum Calorie Burning: A workout routine that incorporates both aerobic and muscle training helps maximize calorie expenditure. Cardiovascular physical activity increases caloric expenditure during physical activity, while weight training amplifies it post-exercise.
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Preservation and increase in muscle mass: By integrating muscle work, we ensure that muscle mass is preserved and even increased, which is essential for maintaining a high metabolism and avoiding muscle loss which leads to weight loss. quickly.
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Variety and boredom prevention: Alternating between endurance and strengthening sessions keeps workouts varied and challenging, which helps prevent boredom and keep motivation high over the long term.
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Reduced risk of injury: A combination of both types of exercise helps balance muscle development and cardiovascular fitness, reducing the risk of injuries from overtraining just one type of activity.
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Optimizing Body Composition: By utilizing both aerobic sports activity and muscle building, one can effectively target the reduction of body fat while increasing muscle mass, leading to an overall improvement in body composition and a healthier physique. more athletic and toned.
🗓️Example of combined program
To integrate these two sports practices synergistically, here is an example of a complete weekly program:
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Monday: Strength training (upper body)
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Tuesday: Cardio (running or cycling)
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Wednesday: Strength training (lower body)
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Thursday: Cardio (HIIT)
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Friday: Strength training (whole body, functional exercises)
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Saturday: Cardio (swimming or body combat)
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Sunday: Relaxation or active recovery (yoga or light walking)
2. Sports recommended for losing weight
To support weight loss and lose weight, physical activity, through sport or not, is essential. Certain sports are particularly beneficial for weight loss because of the number of calories they burn and their overall and comprehensive impacts on the body and mind. Here is a selection of sports recommended for losing weight:
2.1 The elliptical bike
🤸🏻Impact on the body: An elliptical bike session can burn between 300 and 600 calories per hour, depending on the intensity of the exercise and the weight of the user. It stimulates the cardiovascular system and promotes significant fat burning.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: The elliptical trainer promotes cardiovascular endurance, strengthens leg and arm muscles, and promotes better coordination. Mentally, it can help reduce stress and anxiety through the release of endorphins.
➕Additional benefits: This device is accessible to everyone, even beginners or people with joint problems, as it reduces the risk of injury thanks to its low impact. Additionally, it can be used at home or in the gym, providing great flexibility.
2.2 Body combat
🤸🏻Impact on the body: A body combat session can consume up to 750 calories per hour. Fast, powerful movements work many muscle groups and significantly increase energy expenditure, thus promoting effective fat loss.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: Body combat strengthens muscles, allows for better endurance, coordination, and flexibility. Mentally, it helps channel energy, boost concentration and reduce stress by releasing endorphins.
➕Additional benefits: It is a fun and motivating activity that also helps develop self-defense skills. Group classes strengthen the feeling of belonging and motivation thanks to the energy of the group.
2.3 Running
🤸🏻Impact on the body: One hour of running can burn between 600 and 1000 calories, depending on the intensity and weight of the runner. Running strongly stimulates the cardiovascular system and is very effective for burning fat.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: Running improves cardiovascular endurance, strengthens leg muscles and helps maintain good bone density. Mentally, it promotes the release of endorphins, which reduces stress and promotes a positive mood.
➕Additional benefits: Running is flexible and can be done almost anywhere, without expensive equipment. It also offers the opportunity to participate in races and marathons, which can be an additional source of motivation. If you don't like running, walking for at least an hour a day will already be a big step forward in achieving your goals.
2.4 Swimming
🤸🏻Impact on the body: One hour of swimming can burn between 400 and 700 calories, depending on the intensity and swimming style. Water provides natural resistance, which helps tone muscles and increase calorie expenditure.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: Swimming helps with better cardiovascular capacity, strengthens all muscle groups, and is particularly beneficial for the joints because it reduces the stress placed on them. It allows you to maintain good physical condition. Mentally, this water sport can have a calming effect and reduce anxiety.
➕Additional benefits: It is a low-impact sports activity ideal for people with joint pain or injuries. It also allows you to work all muscle groups in a balanced way.
2.5 HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
🤸🏻Impact on the body: HIIT can burn up to 600 calories in a short half hour session. It strongly stimulates the metabolism, not only during sporting activity but also for several hours afterwards, thanks to the "after-burn" effect.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: HIIT allows for better cardiovascular condition, increases muscular strength and endurance. Mentally, it can boost concentration and reduce stress through the release of endorphins.
➕Additional Benefits: HIIT is very effective for people with a busy schedule because it allows you to complete a full workout in a short time. It can be adapted to all levels and does not necessarily require equipment.
2.6 Jumping rope
🤸🏻Impact on the body: A rope skipping session can burn between 500 and 700 calories per hour. It is an excellent cardiovascular sport activity that helps burn fat and tone the lower body and the upper body too: the muscles of the legs, arms and trunk.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: Jumping rope works on coordination, agility, and endurance. Mentally, it can increase concentration and reduce stress by stimulating the production of endorphins.
➕Additional Benefits: It is easy to incorporate into a daily routine, inexpensive and can be practiced almost anywhere. It is also ideal for interval training and can be easily combined with other types of physical activities.
2.7 CrossFit
🤸🏻Impact on the body: A CrossFit session can burn between 500 and 700 calories per hour. It helps with strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, while promoting significant fat burning.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: CrossFit develops agility, coordination, power and flexibility. On a mental level, it boosts self-confidence, resilience and community spirit through group sessions.
➕Additional benefits: CrossFit is very varied, which avoids monotony and keeps motivation high. The sports sessions are suitable for all levels and progress is rapid thanks to the intensity of the physical activity.
2.8 Cycling
🚴🏻What is cycling? Cycling can be done outdoors on the road or in the mountains, or indoors on a stationary bike. It involves cycling for varying distances and at different intensities.
🤸🏻Impact on the body: An hour of cycling can burn between 400 and 1000 calories, depending on the intensity and terrain. Cycling is great for burning calories, strengthening leg muscles and boosting cardiovascular fitness.
✅Other physical and mental benefits: Cycling promotes good endurance, strengthens the lower limbs, and is gentle on the joints. Mentally, it offers a feeling of freedom and can reduce stress and anxiety.
➕Additional Benefits: Cycling can be an enjoyable social activity when done in a group. It is also environmentally friendly and can serve as a convenient and economical means of transportation.
3. Integrate these sports into a healthy lifestyle routine
3.1 Establish a balanced program
🎯Define clear and achievable goals
Identify your personal goals, whether it is losing weight, improving your physical condition, or strengthening your muscles. Clear goals help you stay motivated and measure your progress every day. Don't hesitate to identify these reasons why you are gaining weight.
🎲Vary physical activities
Incorporate a variety of sports to challenge different muscle groups and avoid monotony. For example, combine elliptical cycling, running, swimming, HIIT, and body combat sessions in your weekly routine, with different activities each day so you don't get bored and manage to be regular.
🗓️Plan regular sports sessions
Create a realistic and adapted training schedule, based on your available times during the day. Try to exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week, including 30-minute to one-hour workouts. Being consistent is key. For Sunday athletes, we explain how to burn calories without doing sport.
☯️Combine cardio and strength training
To lose weight optimally and tone your muscles, alternate between cardiovascular sports and muscle work sessions. Intense sporting activity will burn calories quickly, while muscular sporting activity will increase muscle mass and boost metabolism.
3.2 Balance diet and hydration
🍽️Adopt a balanced diet
Supplement your sports routine with a nutrient-rich diet. Focus on lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. A balanced diet supports your physical efforts and improves recovery. Discover these 10 foods to absolutely avoid if you want to lose weight.
💧Adequate hydration
Drink enough water throughout the day, especially before, during and after sporting activity. Hydration is essential to maintain optimal performance and prevent injury. With Elixir Détox , you can hydrate yourself while detoxifying and draining your body.
🍴Management of pre and post-workout meals
Consume complex carbohydrates and proteins before physical activity to provide energy. After training, eat protein and carbohydrates to promote muscle recovery and replenish glycogen stores. So see how you can replace your everyday foods.
3.3 Promote recovery and mental health
🛏️Include rest days
Rest is crucial to allow your body to recover and strengthen itself. Integrate at least one or two days of complete rest per week, or active recovery days with gentle activities like yoga or walking.
📈Monitoring progress and adjustments
Keep a journal of your physical activities and adjust your program based on your progress and how you feel. Use fitness apps or smartwatches to track your performance. If you do not observe any weight loss, we will explain the possible reasons to you.
🫂Social support and motivation
Join fitness groups, find a workout buddy, or hire a personal trainer. Social support can greatly improve your motivation and make your workouts more enjoyable.
♎Balance between training and mental well-being
Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing to manage stress. Good mental balance is essential to maintain a regular and sustainable training routine.
Losing weight effectively and sustainably requires a balanced approach that combines both cardio and strength training exercises. Aerobic sports activity, with its cardiovascular benefits and its ability to burn calories quickly, constitutes an essential basis for any routine with the objective of losing weight. However, muscle work plays a crucial role in increasing muscle mass and boosting metabolism, which allows you to continue to expend energy, even when resting.
Sports such as the elliptical trainer, body combat, running, swimming and HIIT are particularly effective for burning fat and improving overall fitness. Each of these sports offers unique benefits, both physically and mentally, and can be incorporated into a weekly routine to maximize results.
Finally, adopting a healthy lifestyle routine goes beyond physical activity. A balanced program, including a nutritious diet, quality sleep and positive lifestyle habits, is essential to support your efforts and achieve your goals and lose weight. By adopting a holistic approach and remaining consistent in your efforts, you can transform your lifestyle and achieve better health and lasting well-being.
Your weight loss journey is a personal and unique journey. By combining the right types of sports activities with a healthy lifestyle routine, including dietary supplements , you can not only achieve your goals, but also significantly improve your quality of life. Adopt these strategies, stay motivated and enjoy the benefits of a more active and balanced life.