Happy Happy Hump Day!
Mid-Week it is and the sun is shining! J
I wanted to share something with you all that I read this morning on facebook. It's basically an explanation of the breakdown of caloric burn
for cardio vs. heavy lifting. I’m not 100% sure how accurate it all is, but it
falls in line with other things I’ve read and heard about heavy lifting. At times I wonder when I’m finished with my
weight training if I’ve had a good enough calorie burn. I always feel like I give my all but also
worry is it enough to keep progressing?
Reading this helped my motivation A LOT this morning!!
I will try to push even harder and will
continue to try and increase my weights every week!
I hope this helps shed some light on weight
training for anyone who may still be a bit apprehensive.
I absolutely LOVE IT! Give it a try!!
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE: Cardio burns more calories while you’re doing it. You’re not going to burn a calorie after you finish. Weight lifting burns less calories than cardio, but your body will burn so many damn calories afterwards. And guess what? Since you’re tearing muscle fibers while lifting, your body is going to use energy to repair them. That energy will come from glucose and glycogen, but it was also come from fat.
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE #2: YOU WILL LOSE MORE FAT BY LIFTING WEIGHTS THAN YOU WILL DOING CARDIO. PERIOD. END OF STORY."
An increased metabolic rate after exercise is crucial for fat loss because it allows for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) to occur. EPOC takes place because your body needs energy to repair your muscles after you’ve challenged them. Studies show that a well-designed strength training program can elevate your EPOC or metabolism for up to 38 hours after the workout. Cardio does little to nothing to elevate your EPOC. Lifting heavy vs lifting moderate weight is much better for fat loss because it increases EPOC much more because it is a lot more stress on your body.
A study from the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that individuals who dieted and lifted heavy weights lost the same amount of WEIGHT as individuals who dieted and just did cardio. But the weight lost from the weight lifters was primarily fat, while the weight lost by cardio queens was fat AND muscle. Basically cardio only burns calories while you’re doing it. Sure, you can go ahead and do 3 hours of cardio and burn a ton of calories, but that puts so much stress on your body that your body releases cortisol which results in fat retention, and why muscle is very easily lost amongst people who do hours and hours of cardio.
You may burn more calories during your 1-hour cardio session than you would lifting weights for an hour, but the second you hop off the treadmill your body stops burning calories. Weight lifting is the opposite. Though you may not burn a ton of calories while doing it, once you complete your workout, your body is a fat burning machine. The effect is magnified when you increase the weight, as explained in a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Women who lifted more weight for fewer reps (85 percent of their max load for 8 reps) burned nearly twice as many calories during the two hours after their workout than when they did more reps with a lighter weight (45 percent of their max load for 15 reps).
A study from the University of Alabama in Birmingham showed that individuals who dieted and lifted heavy weights lost the same amount of WEIGHT as individuals who dieted and just did cardio. But the weight lost from the weight lifters was primarily fat, while the weight lost by cardio queens was fat AND muscle. Basically cardio only burns calories while you’re doing it. Sure, you can go ahead and do 3 hours of cardio and burn a ton of calories, but that puts so much stress on your body that your body releases cortisol which results in fat retention, and why muscle is very easily lost amongst people who do hours and hours of cardio.
You may burn more calories during your 1-hour cardio session than you would lifting weights for an hour, but the second you hop off the treadmill your body stops burning calories. Weight lifting is the opposite. Though you may not burn a ton of calories while doing it, once you complete your workout, your body is a fat burning machine. The effect is magnified when you increase the weight, as explained in a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Women who lifted more weight for fewer reps (85 percent of their max load for 8 reps) burned nearly twice as many calories during the two hours after their workout than when they did more reps with a lighter weight (45 percent of their max load for 15 reps).
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE: Cardio burns more calories while you’re doing it. You’re not going to burn a calorie after you finish. Weight lifting burns less calories than cardio, but your body will burn so many damn calories afterwards. And guess what? Since you’re tearing muscle fibers while lifting, your body is going to use energy to repair them. That energy will come from glucose and glycogen, but it was also come from fat.
TAKE AWAY MESSAGE #2: YOU WILL LOSE MORE FAT BY LIFTING WEIGHTS THAN YOU WILL DOING CARDIO. PERIOD. END OF STORY."
Have a fantastic day!!
Stephanie
