I talk to a lot of people starting their journey of losing weight and becoming fit. Many of them haven’t exercised in years. Others have never been on any type of workout regimine.
As we discuss their plans, many of them state that they will do some form of lengthy cardio work combined with dieting. They plan on sheding weight before starting any type of strength training. Man, what an old-school, outdated way of thinking.
This is NOT the right approach. If you want to lose weight fast, you need to do both cardio AND strength training.
But don’t take my word for it. Listen to Dr. Cristine Lydon:
"Exercise physiologists are now discovering that the most efficient way to induce progressive (and permanent) weight loss is to elevate metabolic rate around the clock – an endeavor best accomplished through resistence training and intense, short-duration exercise. Resistance training builds muscle, and a little muscle goes a long way toward increasing metabolic rate, caloric expenditure and fat burning. Likewise, brief intervals of intense exercise such as sprints, induce a hormonal response that raises resting metabolic rate and increases overall fat burning for up to two days."
Long story short, weight training AND interval cardio will give you the best results.
Speedy Lizard 