Is Aerobics Better Than Resistance Training?
If your fitness goal is to reach a healthy weight, and you’re considering trying a retro aerobics class, you might be wondering whether it’s better to focus on aerobics or resistance training.
Recent studies have suggested that aerobics is better than resistance training if your goal is to achieve a healthy weight. However, it’s better to incorporate both aerobics and resistance training into your fitness routine. Here’s why.
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Studies show that aerobics is more effective than resistance training for weight loss
Resistance training, or strength training with weights, has become very popular in the fitness industry – and many trainers will tell you to focus on resistance training and reduce aerobic activity if you want to lose weight.
However, a study performed by Duke University found that aerobic activity is a better exercise for burning fat when compared to only focusing on resistance training or using a combination of the two for weight loss.
The Duke study analyzed changes in body composition by comparing three methods of exercise:-
1. Aerobic activity
2. Resistance training
3. A combination of aerobic activity and resistance training
The study went on for 8 months and found that aerobic activity is the most efficient way to reduce body fat. The people in the study who did solely aerobic activity lost more weight than the other groups, even though they spent the least amount of time training.
The participants who only did resistance exercises had longer training sessions but didn’t lose any weight. Interestingly, the group who did a combination of aerobic activity and resistance training got a mixed bag: they increased lean muscle mass but didn’t have any better reduction in body fat or overall weight than the aerobics-only group.
So don’t let anyone tell you that your favourite dance aerobics class won’t burn calories or help you lose weight: it absolutely will!
But before you swear off doing weights forever, there are still a few more things we need to talk about!
What is aerobic activity?
Aerobic activity is another term for cardiovascular activity, commonly known as “cardio”.
Activities such as:
Retro aerobics style workouts, like you’ll find here on The Aerobics Channel
Brisk walking
Jogging or running
Cycling
Swimming
Cardio kickboxing
Zumba
Jazzercise
SoulCycle or spin class
are great examples of aerobic activity.
Aerobic means “with oxygen”. It’s named for the way in which your body creates energy to perform cardio exercise.
To be in the aerobic zone, you should be working out between 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. This is a moderate to vigorous intensity – you should be breathing faster, but not feel out of breath.
In fact, you should be able to continue a short conversation while you’re in the aerobic zone.
Aerobic activity burns off glucose (i.e. sugar) or fat by using oxygen to create energy. The longer you exercise, the more calories you will burn.
Weight loss occurs when the amount of calories your body burns is greater than the number of calories you eat. This is called being in a “caloric deficit”.
Aerobic activity is important because it:
improves your cardiovascular health (your heart)
improves your respiratory health (your lungs)
improves your musculoskeletal system (your muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments)
lowers your blood pressure
helps you get a better night’s sleep
increases your caloric burn
helps you maintain a healthy weight
improves your mental health, boosts your mood and increases your focus
regulates your blood sugar
Aerobics works for weight loss and fat burning because it:
burns calories than a greater rate than your body does at rest
increases your overall calorie deficit, so you don’t have to cut so many calories out of your diet to lose weight
is okay to do most days of the week – you don’t need to rest for long periods like you do between strength training sessions
is sustainable for a long period of time – you can do it for at least 40 minutes, and the longer you’re burning calories at a higher rate, the more you’ll burn
Why you should still do a combination of resistance training and aerobics exercise even if your goal is to lose weight
Just because aerobic activity is more efficient at burning fat and calories does NOT mean you should be ignoring your strength training!
Resistance training is also known as strength training. These are any exercises designed to improve the strength and function of your muscles by contracting your muscles against weight or force (i.e. resistance).
Some examples of forms of strength training include:
Lifting weights (dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells e.g. - this is what many of us think of when we think of resistance training)
Pilates
Yoga
Body Barre
Callanetics
Les Mills’ Body Pump
Calisthenics (body weight)
The floor work in our Aerobics Channel workouts
Resistance training is important, even for us cardio bunnies, because it:
strengthens your muscles so you have the strength to get through daily tasks
supports your muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons, reducing your risk of injury and falls
promotes better balance, stability and mobility
gives you a lean, long and toned look
maintains your bone and muscle density as you age
improves glucose control
increases your performance during aerobic or other activity
Resistance training works for weight control because:-
it increases your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), meaning that your body burns more calories at rest in order to maintain lean muscle mass
you will continue to burn calories after your workout, known as Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC – giving you a post-workout metabolism boost
it gives you a lean, toned look after weight loss
No matter your fitness goal, it’s important not to neglect either aerobic activity or resistance training, because aside from any aesthetic related goals, both forms of activity have incredible benefits for your health.
Aerobic activity is important for heart health, and fat burning … and is often a very enjoyable form of exercise, if you find a form of cardio that’s fun for you! Resistance training is important for building strength for everyday life, improving your performance during your aerobic activity, and preventing falls and injuries.
How to add both aerobic activity and resistance training to your fitness routine
Aim to include some form of strength training into your fitness routine two to four times a week, for at least 15 to up to 60 minutes per session. If your fitness goal is to lose weight, make sure you build up to 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity at least three times a week.
♥ Sample Fitness Routine with Aerobic Activity & Resistance Training ♥
MONDAY: 20 minutes of resistance trainingTUESDAY: 30 minutes of aerobic activity
WEDNESDAY: 20 minutes of resistance training
WEDNESDAY: Rest
THURSDAY: 30 minutes of aerobic activity
FRIDAY: 20 minutes of resistance training
SATURDAY: 30 minutes of aerobic activity
SUNDAY: Rest
** This is a suggested program only and may not suit your fitness level or needs. If you’re a beginner or in recovery make sure to talk to your doctor first before beginning this program.
The most important factor to consider when adding an exercise to your fitness routine
The most important thing to remember if you’re considering adding a new exercise to your routine is, of course:
do you enjoy it?
The best form of exercise to do for weight loss is the exercise you enjoy doing most, because you’re more likely to stick with it long term. Consistency is what gets results!
We recommend you find one or more forms of aerobic activity you enjoy, and one or more forms of resistance training you enjoy, and combine the two to form the perfect program for you!
♥ Examples of Aerobic Activity ♥
♥Retro aerobics style workouts, like you’ll find here on The Aerobics Channel♥ Brisk walking
♥ Jogging or running
♥ Cycling
♥ Swimming
♥ Cardio kickboxing (e.g. Tae Bo)
♥ Zumba
♥ Jazzercise
♥ SoulCycle or spin class
♥ Examples of Resistance Training ♥
♥ Lifting weights (dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells e.g. - this is what many of us think of when we think of resistance training)♥ Pilates
♥ Yoga
♥ Body Barre
♥ Callanetics
♥ Les Mills’ Body Pump
♥ Calisthenics (body weight)
♥ The floor work in our Aerobics Channel workouts
At the end of the day, a workout you enjoy, even if it burns less calories, is going to be more sustainable, and therefore get you better results, in the long term.
One last reminder about weight loss
Here at The Aerobics Channel we intentionally don’t talk much about weight loss. However, we know it’s an important fitness goal for a lot of our guests, and weight loss can be a positive body image experience when it’s approached with mindfulness and self love.
We hope that when you discover how good it feels to live a healthy and active lifestyle, you’ll make the shift from focusing on weight loss to feeling joy.
It’s important to move your body with love and joy, and to do so because it’s good for you, rather than trying to punish yourself or “burn off your food” with a workout.
Remember you’re a wonderful, worthy person whether you lose weight or not, and you deserve to enjoy your life and your workouts!
Conclusion
Although resistance training is very popular for fat loss programs, aerobic activity is important – and more effective – than resistance training for losing weight.
For optimum health, we recommend incorporating a blend of cardio and resistance training into your fitness routine, choosing a modality from each you enjoy.
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P.S. If you want to incorporate more aerobic activity into your fitness routine, we invite you to try our complete collection of workouts. We’ve made them purposely affordable - it’s less than the cost of a cup of coffee a day for unlimited access to our entire collection of workout videos. Our video store is like the Netflix of aerobics - an ever-growing collection of retro 1980s aesthetic workouts that you can do from the comfort of your own living room. And we’ll even give you a 3-day FREE trial so you can try it risk-free. It’s win-win! CLICK HERE to learn more.
Rhiannon Day
Aerobics Instructor, Host & Founder
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