Strength Training vs. Cardio: What’s the Best Ratio for Fat Loss?

6 May 2025

Hello Ziddis! When it comes to fat loss, most of us instinctively hop onto the treadmill or HIIT up. But are you sure you need that? The reality is that the most effective path to a sustainable fat loss may not be just doing cardio, but also trying to reshape your body by a strategic combination of strength training and cardio. Let us understand how it can help you.

Cardio for Fat Loss

Cardio is often the first thing that comes to people’s minds when talking about burning calories. Running, cycling, swimming, zumba- all these activities get your heart racing and burn good enough calories. Here is what cardio makes it one of the great ways for fat loss:

Burns calories like magic. It helps you stay in a calorie deficit which is an important part of fat loss.
Cardio, as it is in the name, is good for your cardiovascular health and endurance.
If you have insulin sensitivity, cardio like a brisk walk can help you body use glucose efficiently. This boosts your fat metabolism.

But, relying on cardio alone is not the wisest way. Too much of it without a proper strength work can lead to muscle breakdown which results in a lower metabolic rate over time.

Strength Training for Fat Loss

Strength training does not always burn as many calories as cardio does, but it is just as good a workout for your fat loss journey. It is the best way for a sustainable, long-term fat loss. Here is how strength training helps you:

It boosts your Basal Metabolic Rate aka BMR which means that more muscle you build, your body will burn that much more calories while you are at rest.
It helps you preserve your lean muscle even when you are on calorie calorie-deficient diet. It makes you lose fat, not muscle, unlike cardio.
Strength training triggers excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which means that your body continues to burn calories even after your workout is over.

In short, the more you build and maintain muscle, the more efficient your fat loss becomes.

Strength vs Cardio for Fat Loss

So, which one is better? Strength training or cardio?

If fat loss is your aim, strength training should be the foundation of your fat loss routine. Cardio could be your powerful sidekick. Many times, people on their fat loss journey make the mistake of overdoing cardio while underestimating the value of muscle preservation, which can backfire by slowing down their metabolism. Your ideal mix would depend on a lot of things, like:

Your current fitness level.
Your body type
Your goals
Your training experience

A good rule of thumb for fat loss is :

3 to 4 days of strength training
2 to 3 days of moderate to high-intensity cardio

And do not forget to rest and prioritise recovery. Your muscles can only grow if your body is well-rested.

Fat Loss Workout Routine

Your fat loss workout routine is really important. You can not be doing vague workouts and expecting results. Here is a sample workout for a week to kick-start your fat loss routine:

Day 1: Full body strength training
Day 2: 20 mins of cardio, like a brisk walk or cycling
Day 3: Lower body and core strength training
Day 4: Rest or active recovery like yoga or walking
Day 5: Upper body strength training with HIIT to finish it
Day 6: Cardio like swimming, dancing and incline treadmill.
Day 7: Rest

This is a good point for you to start, but make sure you are also prioritising nutrition. You need to be on a calorie deficit diet, eat enough protein to maintain muscle and keep yourself hydrated. Fat burning tablets and weight loss tablets can accelerate the fat loss process.

Takeaway

Fat loss is not just about sweating it out with endless cardio, but more about training the smart way. You need to build your strength to power your metabolism, while cardio can support the fat-burning process. Prioritize strength and let cardio take the side seat. Most importantly, stay consistent. A healthier, happier and leaner version of you is waiting for you.