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Answered in 6 episodes

Is cardio or weight training better for fat loss?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated

The short answer

Weight training wins. Nikkiey explains that cardio burns calories only while you're doing it and doesn't create long-term changes in your metabolism, while muscle keeps burning calories at rest. Her priority order for fat loss is nutrition first, then weights, then cardio, because you can't out-train a diet that isn't dialed in.

Hear it from the show

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  1. Nikkiey on why the cardio-first hierarchy is backwards for fat loss

    Plays from 5:10 · Ep. 228: Cardio, Weights or Diet: What Matters Most for Fat Loss?

  2. Mike Millner explains why cardio burns less than you think and costs you muscle

    Plays from 47:33 · Ep. 102: How to Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Journey

  3. JJ Virgin on why cardio as a weight loss strategy fails

    Plays from 5:25 · Ep. 371: Why Building Muscle Is Key to Aging Well After 40

  4. Nikkiey on why cardio for weight loss is overrated

    Plays from 25:26 · Ep. 161: How to Stop Extreme Dieting and Find Balance With Macros

  5. Laura shares her four-day lifting split with minimal cardio

    Plays from 30:03 · Ep. 230: Can You Change Your Body in Your 60s? Laura's Story

The full answer

If you've spent years on the treadmill and gotten nowhere, that isn't a willpower problem. On Ep. 228, Nikkiey says the usual approach of cardio first, maybe some weights, then nutrition last is completely backwards and keeps women on a hamster wheel. Muscle is active tissue that burns calories around the clock and asks you to fuel it properly. On Ep. 161 she rates cardio for weight loss as overrated: done alone, it tends to make you a skinnier, fatter version of yourself rather than giving you the toned look most women want.

Her guests back this up from different angles:

  • On Ep. 102, coach Mike Millner says you burn fewer calories during cardio than you probably think, and your body gets more efficient at it over time. Without lifting, your body has little reason to keep muscle, which is expensive to maintain, so you can end up with a slower metabolism.
  • On Ep. 371, JJ Virgin says that if you use cardio as a weight loss strategy you will fail. It makes you hungrier, and once you stop, you haven't built any muscle, which she calls your metabolic currency. She adds that muscle also makes it easier for your body to burn fat by improving insulin sensitivity.

Cardio isn't banned. Mike's advice is to do cardio because you love it and for cardiovascular health, but to make strength training the primary focus if your goal is body composition. Nikkiey agrees, noting that marathon runners should train for endurance. The women's stories show what this looks like in practice. On Ep. 230, Laura now lifts four days a week and does just 30 minutes of cardio twice a week, and she says less really is more. On Ep. 316, lifelong runner Darci found that constant running didn't match her food intake, and walking plus lifting made the difference.

None of it works without the food. As Darci's coach told her, you can't out-work out your diet. That's why nutrition sits at the top of Nikkiey's hierarchy.

From The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    How much cardio should I do to lose fat?

    Less than you probably think. Nikkiey's guidance is two or three cardio sessions a week, or simply hitting your step count (around 10,000 a day), and that's plenty for most women. Cardio supports heart health and endurance, but strength training and nutrition should drive fat loss, not daily treadmill time.

    Read the answer →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    Is too much cardio bad for women over 40?

    Cardio itself isn't bad after 40, Nikkiey says, but too much of it becomes a problem when it's your main fat loss tool, especially without enough food, recovery and strength training. Then it can stress your body, cost you muscle and slow your metabolism. Use it as a supplement, not the star of the show.

    Read the answer →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    Why can't I lose weight after 40 even though I eat less and exercise more?

    Nikkiey's answer: your body after 40 doesn't respond to restriction the way it did at 25. Eating less and doing more signals stress, so your body lowers your metabolic rate, raises cortisol, breaks down muscle and holds on to fat. The fix she teaches is more food, more protein, strength training and recovery, not further cuts.

    Read the answer →

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