Cardio or Strength Training: Which Is Better?

In the workout world, training plans often go one of two ways. Some gravitate toward the heart-pounding realm of cardio fitness. Others adopt the power-packed mindset that comes with strength training.

So, which is better? That’s a tough question because they’re BOTH important for your body. That’s why physical fitness guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week, plus two days of strength-building activities.

“The truth is you need cardio and strength training for your health,” says exercise physiologist Katie Lawton, MEd. “Both of them are just as important. You can’t put one ahead of the other.”

We asked Lawton to break it down in a fitness faceoff.

Cardio vs. strength training

If we’re going to compare cardio (aerobic exercise) and strength training (anaerobic exercise), it makes sense to define each of them. In broad terms:

• A cardio workout gets your heart thump-thump-thumping over an extended period. These types of exercise elevate your heart rate and often leave you breathing heavier. Cardio activities include running (or faster walking), biking, swimming and rowing.
• Strength training typically features short bursts of energy that activate (and test) muscles. It’s based on using some form of resistance. Examples include lifting weights or bodyweight exercises like push-ups or planks.

Understanding the differences and similarities between cardio and strength training is key to maximizing your workouts. Here’s where you can find benefits.

Calorie burn

Everything you do — including reading this sentence — burns calories. But if you’re looking to torch as many calories as possible in a short time, certain activities get the job done better than others.

Cardio and calorie burn

The clear winner for calorie incineration? Cardio, says Lawton, as sweat-dripping workouts like running and cycling top the list of exercises that burn the most calories.

“When you’re doing these sort of endurance activities, your muscles need more oxygen to produce energy for longer periods of time — and that brings a lot of calorie burn,” she explains.

Strength training and calorie burn

Strength training exercises typically burn fewer calories per hour than cardio. But high-intensity strength workouts offer an after-burner effect known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC).

Essentially, these activities rev up your body so much that you continue to burn calories even after you hit the shower. EPOC can last for up to 48 hours after a tough strength workout, too.

Increases in muscle mass during ongoing strength training also raise your body’s overall daily calorie burn, says Lawton. That’s because muscle burns more calories than other body tissue, even when you’re just sitting around doing nothing.

Muscle strength

Both cardio and strength training make you stronger, but the results won’t look the same.

Cardio and muscle-building

Endurance exercises don’t “build” muscle in the flexing way we often think about it. That’s because activities like running a marathon or pedaling through a 100-mile century ride are more apt to lean you out than add muscle mass.

But consistent cardio workouts do build endurance strength in muscles, allowing them to perform physical tasks at a higher level for longer periods, says Lawton.

Strength training and muscle-building

Adding muscle mass through strength training is a basic tear-down-and-rebuild process.

During a strength-focused workout, you essentially overload your muscle fibers to the point where they experience slight tears. (This is one of the reasons why you might feel sore after a heavy lifting session.)

Afterward, your body gets busy repairing those damaged fibers, explains Lawton. But the goal isn’t just to get damaged muscle fixed. Your body aims to make those muscles bigger and stronger to adapt to future demands.

The result is beefier muscles over time.

Stress relief

There’s nothing like a good workout to relieve stress and anxiety — and that’s true whether it’s cardio or strength training, shares Lawton.

Research shows that cardio may be slightly more effective at reducing stress, while strength training offers a bigger boost to self-esteem. Blending both cardio and strength training, meanwhile, brought the highest levels of health perception.

Sleep

A good workout leaves you tired and ready to catch some ZZZs, and that’s true whether you do cardio or strength training. But a 2022 study gave a slight edge to resistance (strength) training when it comes to sleep quality and duration.

How to combine cardio and strength training

As mentioned, the healthiest workout routines include both cardio and strength training in some form. Look at your week and plan out how you can get in:

• 150 minutes of cardio (five 30-minute workouts, for instance)
• Two days of a full-body strength routine

Cardio and strength training can occur on the same day, too, notes Lawton.

In addition, certain activities that fall in the realm of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) incorporate both cardio and strength training into one workout. (“If you’re short on time, HIIT might be your best option,” she adds.)

Bottom line

Cardio is good for your health and fitness. So is strength training. “You can’t go wrong with either one, so don’t overthink it,” says Lawton. “Focus on what you like doing. As long as you’re exercising in some way, you’re going to be better for it.”