Breaking the Fat Loss Myth: Cardio Not Superior to Weights for Fat Loss

Key Takeaways Breaking the Fat Loss Myth

• The fat loss myth that cardio is the best way to lose fat was debunked. Cardio isn’t the only way to lose fat—resistance training works just as well.
• Cardio is king for heart health, but lifting weights has unique benefits, such as lean muscle mass retention.
• The best approach? Do both. A mix of cardio and resistance training gives you the best results.

The Truth About the “Fat Loss Myth”

Cardiovascular exercise has been promoted as the gold standard for fat loss for decades. While cardio burns more calories per session, fat loss is ultimately about sustaining a calorie deficit, and multiple exercise strategies can achieve this.

You’ve probably heard it a million times—”If you want to lose fat, you gotta do cardio.” Treadmills, spin bikes, endless miles on the pavement. Meanwhile, weightlifting? That’s for building muscle, not burning fat, right? Well, that’s one of the biggest fat-burning myths out there. Science tells a different story.

A recent randomized controlled trial by Lee et al. (2024), published in the European Heart Journal, looked at three exercise styles—cardio, resistance training, and a combination of both—to see which one actually helped people lose fat. Guess what? All three worked. That’s right, even resistance training alone led to just as much fat loss as cardio.¹

So if you hate running, good news—you don’t have to do it to lose weight. But before you throw your running shoes in the trash, let’s dive into why both cardio and weightlifting have a place in your routine.

Is Cardio Really Better for Fat Loss?

Let’s be honest—cardio is great for burning calories. You jump on a treadmill, get your heart pumping, and boom—you’re burning some serious calories. Studies show that moderate-intensity cardio, like jogging or cycling, maximizes fat oxidation (a fancy way of saying “fat burning”) at certain intensities.² That’s why people think of cardio as the go-to fat loss tool. The logic is simple: Burn more calories = lose more fat.

But that’s only half the story.

1. 1. Cardio vs. Strength Training: The Metabolism Factor

Here’s what most people miss—resistance training keeps your metabolism revved up long after you stop exercising. Think of it like this:

• Cardio burns more calories during your workout and improves heart health, but it’s not effective for building muscle.^3,4
• Strength training helps build muscle, so you keep burning calories, especially when you are reducing your calories to lose fat.⁵

That’s because lifting weights builds muscle, and muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does.

2. The Fat Storage Problem: Why Visceral Fat Matters

Not all fat is created equal. The fat you see? That’s subcutaneous fat. The dangerous stuff? That’s visceral fat—the kind that wraps around your organs and increases your risk of disease. Now, here’s where cardio takes the lead.

A 2011 meta-analysis found that aerobic exercise is particularly good at shrinking visceral fat, even if total body weight doesn’t change much.⁵ In fact, high-intensity interval training (HIIT)—a form of cardio—was especially effective at reducing belly fat in overweight individuals.⁵

So, if your goal is to burn fat around your midsection and improve heart health, cardio should be part of your plan.

So, Should You Skip Cardio? Not So Fast.

Alright, let’s say you hate cardio. Can you just lift weights and call it a day? Technically, yes. A study by Hernández-Reyes et al. (2019) showed that people who lifted weights preserved more muscle while losing weight but didn’t necessarily lose more fat than those who did cardio.⁵

Here’s the kicker—the best results came from combining both.

• Cardio is better for heart health and burns more calories during a workout.
• Strength training prevents muscle loss when reducing calories.^6,7

Together, they create the ultimate fat-burning machine.

If you’ve ever lost weight through just cardio, you might’ve noticed you felt smaller but also weaker. That’s because, without strength training, you lose muscle along with fat. And trust me, you don’t want that.

The Truth About Fat Loss and Cardiovascular Health: Results of the CardioRACE trial

The CardioRACE trial gave us some surprising insights:

• Both aerobic and resistance training led to fat loss.
• Aerobic exercise was the best for heart health.
• Resistance training alone didn’t significantly improve cardiovascular markers.

So what does this mean for you? If fat loss is your goal, both cardio and resistance training work. But if you also care about your heart health, cardio is non-negotiable.

Cardio is King for Heart Health

The study found that both aerobic and combination training significantly improved cardiovascular health, while resistance training alone didn’t move the needle much. This reinforces a crucial point: If you want to keep your heart healthy, aerobic exercise is a must.

Fat Loss: Resistance Training vs. Cardio

Now, onto the study’s most surprising finding—all exercise groups lost the same amount of fat.

• Resistance training: −0.9% body fat.
• Aerobic training: −1.0% body fat.
• Combination training: −1.0% body fat.

This completely crushes the fat loss myth that cardio is the only way to burn fat. If you’ve been avoiding the weights because you think they won’t help you lean out, it’s time to rethink your approach.

The Best Way to Burn Fat (Without Wasting Your Time)

Now that we’ve busted the fat loss myth let’s talk about strategy.

If You Want to Lose Fat Without Spending Hours in the Gym:

• 3–4 days of resistance training (compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and presses)
• 2–3 days of cardio (moderate-intensity or HIIT)
• Prioritize protein and stay in a calorie deficit

If You Want to Keep It Simple and Get the Best of Both Worlds:

• Do HIIT workouts (this combines strength and cardio in one)
• Focus on full-body strength workouts (to burn more calories and build muscle)
• Don’t overthink it—just stay consistent

Final Thoughts: Stop Believing the Fat Burning Myths

• Fat Loss Myth #1: You need to do cardio to lose fat.
• Fat Loss Myth #2: Lifting weights makes you bulky and doesn’t burn fat.
• Fat Loss Myth #3: One type of exercise is better than the other.

Here’s the truth: Cardio and resistance training both help with fat loss, but in different ways. If you want the best results, use both to your advantage. So, the next time someone tells you, “Cardio is the only way to burn fat,” you’ll know better. Lift weights. Do some cardio. And most importantly, stick to a plan that you actually enjoy.

References

1               Lee, D. C., Brellenthin, A. G., Lanningham-Foster, L. M., Kohut, M. L. & Li, Y. Aerobic, resistance, or combined exercise training and cardiovascular risk profile in overweight or obese adults: the CardioRACE trial. Eur Heart J 45, 1127-1142 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehad827

2               Ghanbari–Niaki, A. & Zarekookandeh, N. Maximal Lipid Oxidation (Fatmax) in Physical Exercise and Training: A Review and Update. Annals of Applied Sport Science 4, 1-10 (2016). https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.aassjournal.4.3.1

3               Ho, S., Dhaliwal, S. S., Hills, A. P. & Pal, S. The Effect of 12 Weeks of Aerobic, Resistance or Combination Exercise Training on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Overweight and Obese in a Randomized Trial. BMC Public Health 12 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-704

4               Muhammad, M., Rusdiawan, A., Irsyada, M., Subagio, I. & Wismanadi, H. The Effect of Cardio and Tabata Training Methods in Reducing Body Fat and Increasing Maximum Aerobic Capacity in Obese Students. Jurnal Sportif Jurnal Penelitian Pembelajaran 9, 465-482 (2023). https://doi.org/10.29407/js_unpgri.v9i3.21051

5               Hernández-Reyes, A. et al. Changes in Body Composition With a Hypocaloric Diet Combined With Sedentary, Moderate and High-Intense Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial. BMC Women S Health 19 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-019-0864-5

6               Schumann, M. et al. Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine 52, 601-612 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01587-7

7               Verheggen, R. J. H. M. et al. A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis on the Effects of Exercise Training Versus Hypocaloric Diet: Distinct Effects on Body Weight and Visceral Adipose Tissue. Obesity Reviews 17, 664-690 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12406