New Research Suggests Strength Training Beats Out Cardio for Burning Fat and Building Muscle

A NOTE FROM MICHAEL: I recently came across this article at INSIDER that features fellow personal trainer Melissa Boyd and new research conducted by Stanford University. This new study supports what I have been thinking and telling my clients all along.

Here are three key takeaways:
1. Strength training can help you burn fat by increasing your muscle mass to boost metabolism.
2. You won't get bulky by lifting weights. It can help build a lean, athletic physique, a trainer says. 
3. You can also get the benefits of strength training with bodyweight exercise, pilates, and barre.

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It's a myth that cardio is the best way to burn body fat. Resistance training — such as lifting weights or doing push-ups, pull-ups or lunges — can lead to better results for building muscle and reducing body fat, according to Melissa Boyd, certified personal trainer and head coach at Tempo.

"The benefits of strength training just make everything in your life easier," she told Insider.

New research also backs up the benefits of strength training for dat loss, muscle gain, and overall health. People who strength trained lost more body fat and had better blood sugar control than those who did cardio or a combination of the two, according to a small study published this month in the journal Diabetologia. And you don't need to just lift weights, Boyd said. Adding resistance to your workouts, from bodyweight exercises like squats and push-ups to classes like barre or pilates, can pay off whether you want to build muscle, lose weight, or just get healthier. 

Strength training is key for building muscle and burning fat 

In the latest study comparing strength training and cardio, researchers from Stanford University looked at nearly 200 people with type 2 diabetes who underwent a nine-month exercise routine of strength training, cardio, or both. They found that the strength training group saw more benefits by doing exercises like shoulder presses and leg presses three times a week than the group that worked out on the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike. Specifically, the strength training group had more stable blood sugar levels, and also gained muscle while losing fat (known as body recomposition). 

While the most recent study was specific to people with type 2 diabetes, it adds to a growing body of research that strength training can help people who want to lose weight.

To lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, which means burning off more calories than you take in. While strength training may not burn as many calories in a workout as some types of cardio, it can help you burn more calories overall because it builds muscle tissue, which uses more energy to maintain.

"What we're really looking for is lean muscle, which is going to make your metabolism work a little faster," Boyd said. 

It's a myth that lifting weights makes you bulky

One of the biggest misunderstandings about strength training is that it can cause you to gain weight or "bulk up." While building muscle can cause the number on the scale to go up, that's not a bad thing, according to Boyd. You can actually look leaner and get healthier even if you aren't losing weight, since more muscle can create a more athletic physique, she said. 

"I think it gives people a healthier idea of what weight should look like when they see their body looking stronger and leaner but the weight maybe goes up," Boyd said.  "They realize maybe that number isn't something they should live and die by, which I see a lot, especially with women." 

It's also a misconception that strength training will automatically make your muscles huge — muscle and strength takes a lot of time and effort to build, and doesn't happen overnight or by accident. 

"Strength training isn't just picking up a crazy heavy weight and muscles popping out of your body," Boyd said. 

You don't have to lift weights to do strength training

The term "strength training" itself can be intimidating for people who haven't lifted weights before, and referring to "resistance training" instead can seem more approachable, according to Boyd. She said one strategy to get people excited about strength training is to make it more than just lifting weight. This can be achieved by incorporating interesting equipment like sandbags (which can be tossed, swung around, or carried) to keep things fun. 

"I really snuck it in, and what I noticed was that people wanted more of it. They got addicted to the challenge and it was encouraging, instead of thinking about getting bulky," Boyd said. 

Combining strength workouts with cardio can help you live longer

Exercise is about more than how you look, and while strength training has major health benefits, your best bet is to do a little of everything, Boyd said. 

"Cardio and strength training work together for longevity. You want to have muscle, to be strong and have strong bones, but you also want your lungs and heart working properly as well, and a body that moves well," she said. 

Evidence suggests a combination of strength training and cardio exercise is the best way to stave off early death and chronic illnesses that often accompany aging.  As a bonus, you'll also find that the more you try different exercises, the better you'll be able to move and enjoy fitness, regardless of what kind of workouts are your favorite. 

"Strength training makes cardio easier, and cardio makes strength training easier. They work together," Boyd said. "It's about finding what makes you comfortable and then allowing you to see how good it feels to get stronger."