Keeping all other factors constant, adding exercise (or more of it) to your lifestyle increases your energy expenditure — making achieving the calorie deficit necessary for weight loss easier. But as you’ve probably already suspected, not all exercises are equal in their ability to elicit fat loss. 

And since it’s only human nature to do things that maximise results with minimum effort, this raises the question, “Which is better for weight loss: cardio or strength training?”

Which burns more calories: cardio or strength training?

When tackling that question, the most logical place to start would be to examine each activity’s calorie burn. But before we get to that, let’s clarify the terms “cardio” and “strength training” so everyone’s on the same page:

Cardio: Shorthand for cardiovascular training. Encompasses all physical activities that depend primarily on your body’s aerobic energy system (a process that uses oxygen to generate adenosine triphosphate or ATP, cells’ primary energy source). Examples include running, walking, swimming, cycling, and hiking. 

Strength training: Also known as resistance training. Refers to any exercise involving using weights or resistance to build muscle strength. Examples include weightlifting, yoga, Pilates, barre, and calisthenics.

Alright. So, which burns more calories: cardio or strength training? According to the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities, which provides a standardised way of assessing different activities’ energy expenditure, cardio wins — hands-down. 

Just take a look at the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) values for the following:

Body weight resistance exercises (e.g., squat, lunge, push-up), general: 3.0

Resistance (weight) training, multiple exercises, 8-15 reps at varied resistance: 3.5 

Running, 6.9 to 7.7 km/h: 7.8

Bicycling, general: 7.0

Wait, wait. What do the MET values even mean? A MET is a ratio of your working metabolic rate relative to your resting metabolic rate; 1 MET is the energy you spend sitting at rest (i.e., your resting or basal metabolic rate).

This means an activity with a MET value of 5 means you’re burning 5 times the energy than you would if you were sitting still. 

Let’s now calculate the difference in calorie burn between the cardio and strength training examples above. Assuming an average basal metabolic rate of 1,410 calories, an hour of the following burns:

Body weight resistance exercises, general: (1,410 calories ÷ 24 hours) x 3.0 MET = 176.3 calories

Resistance (weight training), multiple exercises, 8-15 reps at varied resistance: (1,410 calories ÷ 24 hours) x 3.5 MET = 205.6 calories

Running, 6.9 to 7.7 km/h: (1,410 calories ÷ 24 hours) x 7.8 MET = 458.3 calories 

Bicycling, general: (1,410 calories ÷ 24 hours) x 7.0 MET = 411.3 calories

Compared to performing body weight resistance exercises, running (6.9 to 7.7 km/h) burns 282 more calories. 

It’s not just about per-session calorie burn

Alright — case closed. 

When it comes to “Cardio or strength training: which is better for weight loss?” you should always choose cardio … right?

Not so fast. 

Here’s the catch: research suggests our bodies hate drawing on its fat stores. More specifically, it’ll actively try to prevent you from losing weight from cardio by:

Decreasing your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) levels: You may subconsciously take fewer steps throughout the day or even fidget less as you work.

Increasing energy intake: You eat more because you’re so hungry from exercising. 

The result? You end up burning way fewer calories than expected through cardio. Many studies have shown that people who start doing cardio tend to lose only 20% to 50% of the weight they’d expect based on the calories they’ve theoretically burned. 

Back to the drawing block. Does strength training fare any better? 

Well, things sure look promising; while strength training doesn’t burn as many calories per session as cardio, it helps build muscle mass, which:

Is more metabolically active (i.e., burns more calories) than fat mass

Regulates appetite (studies show that the more muscle mass you lose during a diet, the more likely you are to regain the weight lost post-diet)

That said …

You really shouldn’t look at it as cardio or strength training

For the best weight loss results, you should think about incorporating cardio and strength training into your lifestyle. At the risk of oversimplifying things, one maximises calorie burn in the short term (cardio), while the other maximises calorie burn in the long term (strength training).

We’re not just making things up. 

A recent meta-analysis ranking several different fat loss protocols found that mixed exercise (i.e., cardio and strength training) was more effective than either alone (i.e., cardio or strength training). 

As for how much of each you should do? According to the physical activity and exercise guidelines for Australians, adults should be active most days, preferably every day, with

Cardio: 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g., a brisk walk, golf, mowing the lawn, or swimming) or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous-intensity physical activity (e.g., jogging, aerobics, fast cycling, soccer, or netball) or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activities weekly

Strength training: Do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week

Find that overwhelming? 

Don’t worry; you don’t have to meet those guidelines immediately. You can and should start slow; always remember that any exercise is better than none. If you need more help, here’s a quick 3-step guide for how to start exercising after a long time or as a complete newbie.  

Finally, to close off this article, a bonus tip that’ll help accelerate your weight loss journey: you really need to ensure you’re indeed sticking to a calorie deficit. 

Usually, this involves tracking every gram of food you eat and obsessing over your daily calorie burn — and let’s be honest, that’s simply not a healthy lifestyle. 

What if we told you there was a simpler, more enjoyable way to achieve a calorie deficit? 

How? Our Glow Shakes. These meal replacement shakes are formulated specifically to support your weight loss goals with:

29+ grams of hunger-curbing and muscle-mass-building protein

Fat-burning MCT oil

24 vitamins and minerals, plus green tea extract for all-day energy

And more

And despite all that goodness packed into a single serving, our Glow Shakes come in at a lean, lean, lean 205 calories. Shop Glow Shakes here.