For many of us, figuring out a workout routine that fits into a busy schedule can be a challenge—and even then it can be tough to stick with it. It’s inevitable that we’ll have days where we have to skimp on our regular routines and can only squeeze in a quick sweat sesh—which oftentimes means choosing between cardio or weight training. If you don’t have time for both, and want to get the quickest, most efficient calorie burn, which should you choose?
There’s no clear-cut answer, because both cardio and weight training play important roles in improving our physical well-being, NiCole R. Keith, Ph.D., FACSM, an exercise physiologist and research scientist at the Indiana University Center for Aging Research, tells SELF. Pairing them together is ultimately the best way to get stronger and fitter. It’s also essential to make time for both cardio and strength training if weight loss if your goal and you want to focus on burning maximum calories—though, each type of training burns calories in a slightly different way. Here’s what you need to know when picking and choosing your crunch-time workout.
In the moment, cardio burns more calories. But weight training keeps the burn going for longer.
If you were to hook yourself up to a metabolic monitor and measure your energy expenditure, cardio initially is going to burn more calories, Keith says. Generally speaking, many people are able to push themselves harder, therefore exerting more energy, during a cardio workout than when they’re lifting weights. This can translate to more calories burned during said cardio session—like a speed run—than a lifting session of the same duration.
But resistance training builds muscle, and muscle burns calories, Keith says. “Muscle is metabolically active, meaning that the more of it you have on your body the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day even when you’re not exercising,” Nick Clayton, M.S., M.B.A., personal training program manager at the National Strength and Conditioning Association, tells SELF. Experts know that lean muscle mass requires more energy to maintain itself than fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories it needs (and therefore, burns) every day, though the exact number is hotly debated.
There are a few things you can do to maximize the caloric burn of each type of workout.
The exercise you do, intensity, duration, and your weight, body composition, and age are just some of the things that can alter how much energy you expend during a workout. While exact caloric burn varies from person to person (and is tough to measure accurately unless you’re in a lab setting), there are some things everyone can do to up the ante. Clayton recommends opting for compound movements—such as squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell work—over isolated movements like bicep curls or crunches, because you’ll employ more muscles at once, which increases exertion and burns more calories.
Experts typically tout interval circuits—specifically high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that include cardio and strength moves—as the most effective and efficient way to torch cals and lose weight. It’s an efficient way to tax your cardiovascular system and build lean muscle all at once. (Try Tabata for a quick, super-efficient version.) The more intense your workout, the bigger impact it has on afterburn. Just make sure to only take on what your body can handle. “For people who can tolerate it, it’s a great, efficient way to burn calories,” Keith says, “but if you have lower back, knee, or hip problems, HIIT can exacerbate them.”
No matter how many calories you’re burning, you need to also limit your caloric intake if you want to lose weight.
You have to watch your caloric intake, which may mean eating fewer calories than normal. This also means being aware that burning calories during a workout doesn’t buy you extra calories. “People are giving themselves permission to eat more because they work out,” Keith says. If you’re just eating back what you burned (or then some), then you’re not going to see changes. Even if you’re not exercising, you need to eat less if you want to lose weight. Just make sure you’re cutting calories safely.
The most important thing to remember? “Find a routine that works over the long term,” Clayton says. An extreme diet and insanely hard training program will leave you burnt out, unhealthy, and unmotivated. A smart combo of cardio, strength training, and healthy eating is as close to a magical weight-loss bullet as you’ll ever get.