Joe Smith Smith 1 Guerrero 1 Writing 101S
November 26, 2014

You have been doing countless amounts of cardio and you have lost a few pounds, but now you have hit a plateau. You started counting calories, you have changed your diet, and yet you have nothing to show for it. However, have you thought incorporating strength training? “In order to burn fat one needs to do strenuous amounts of aerobic exercise.” Although aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, does take part in burning fat and helping meet weight loss goals, the above statement is a common misconception. Aerobic exercise is a method of conditioning the cardio respiratory system by using activities that create an increased demand for oxygen over an extended period of time (Gladwin 501). If you want to burn the most fat, a combination of strength training (i.e.; using one’s body weight, free weights, or machines to improve muscular strength) and aerobic exercise will be the best choice. “…Muscle burns more calories than fat. Muscle also takes less space- that’s why a muscular person can weigh more but wear a smaller size” (Reno 88). So, if muscle burns more calories than fat this means strength training combined with cardio will have you burning excess fat faster than either one alone. Throughout time I have heard some fitness related myths: “Strength training will make me look like a bodybuilder” or “Cardio alone will burn off the pounds I have to lose.” From my experience, I can tell you that cardio alone will not burn off the excess fat. When I started working out I started out only doing cardio. I was ecstatic after losing the first 20 pounds, but after the first 20 my body hit a plateau. After doing some research I decided to add strength training to my workout regimen. Once I began to weight train my body shrank and another 10 pounds came off. To my surprise, my body was not of bodybuilder’s; the myth ended there. Strength training can help you achieve different goals. You can choose to transform your body, lose fat, and/or build muscle. Cardio alone will help but it will only take you so far. Let me explain, there are different types
Smith 2 of strength training that aid in losing fat. For instance, weight lifting or doing body weight exercises with short resting periods in between. The shorter the resting period, the better the cardio effect will be. In addition to using old school weight lifting as a means to lose fat there are several other strength training techniques that have become more popular over the years. A few examples of these popular workouts are: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Tabata Intervals, and Crossfit.
HIIT is a specialized form of interval training that involves short intervals of maximum intensity exercise separated by longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercise…HIIT trains both your anaerobic and aerobic energy systems (Anderson). Anaerobic: requiring no oxygen; usually short-spurt, high energy activities (Gladwin 501). The great thing about HIIT is that you are burning fat without losing muscle mass and you are doing it all in a short workout. A HIIT workout can be as short as 15 to 20 minutes. Another form of High Intensity Interval Training is Tabata Intervals. Developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata for Olympic athletes…The 20 seconds/10 seconds rest pattern has been shown to tax both aerobic and anaerobic pathways… (Smith). Our next training method is Crossfit. Crossfit can be defined as a strength and conditioning system that is designed to promote both broad and targeted physical fitness. The system combines wide variety of exercises to ensure that a total fitness level is achieved, ensuring balance in the body. This is obtained through a combination of workouts in weightlifting, sprinting, distance running, and gymnastics (Stewart). Next you have circuit training, which is one of my favorite methods. There was a point in time when I would do circuit training around my neighborhood. I would start by running every few meters to do some strength training exercises (i.e., pushups, squats, lunges, and abs exercises). Every time I stopped, which was four to five times, I’d do 15 to 20 repetitions for each exercise. I loved it and saw a huge difference in muscle definition and fat loss in just a month’s time. Besides having different methods of strength training that help with fat loss, there are also many benefits to it. It is common sense when you strength train or weight lift you will gain muscle which leads to getting toned. On
Smith 3 the other hand, when you are overweight and trying to lose fat, weight training will help los inches off your body. An article on Bodybuilding.com “The Benefits of strength training,” also lists a few of the benefits: reduced stress, lower risk of diabetes, decreased risk of developing osteoporosis, improves overall body flexibility, and the likelihood of injury is also decreased. Strength training can boost your metabolism, improve your posture, and increase your strength, power, and endurance. It also helps you burn more calories at rest. One study published in the journal “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” stated that an intense 45 minute exercise session (cardio or strength training) boosted participant’s post exercise calorie burn to 14 hours after the workout was over ( Nichols). In the meantime, even though I encourage the use of strength training when trying to lose fat. Strength training will make you gain weight. By gaining weight I am referring to muscle mass. The more muscle you have the more fat your body will burn. Your body works harder to maintain a pound of muscle this in turn increases your metabolism and helps your body melt off fat. Nonetheless, if your intention is to reduce fat an exceptional plan would include weight training and cardio. Doing one without the other will hinder your results. Adding strength training will not only help reduce fat, but it will give you a lean physique.

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Works Cited
Anderson, Dean. “High IntensityInterval Training.” Sparkpeople.com. Sparkpeople Inc., 1 Jan. 2014. Wed.23 Nov.2014
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