Weightlifting and cardiovascular exercises like walking are both effective ways to burn calories and stay in shape. It was long thought that weightlifting was only useful to those interested in bulking up and building muscle. Today, more people are utilizing weight training as a way to burn calories, lose fat and maintain a lean physique.
Muscle Versus Fat
Building muscle in your body gives you a distinct advantage when it comes to burning calories. Simply stated, the more lean muscle you have, the more energy it takes to maintain that muscle. In other words, having more muscle tissue in the body requires the body to burn more calories. Weight training tends to build lean muscle in the body, while walking promotes cardiovascular health.
Intensity
Cardiovascular exercise is an effective way to burn calories when it is done at a moderate, or intense level. Walking tends to fall on the low end of the cardiovascular exercise spectrum as far as intensity. Most people who walk for exercise simply don't push their bodies as hard as individuals who lift weights.
Rest Periods
When the body is in motion, weightlifting burns calories at a faster rate than walking. With that being said, weight training requires a rest period between each set. It is therefore essential that the rest periods be short, in order to maintain the calorie-burning advantage. Walking, while burning less calories per minute, is an exercise that constantly keeps the body moving and using energy. Walking can also be done on a daily basis, while weight training requires a recovery period between workouts.
Post Workout
Weightlifting causes a metabolic spike in the body which usually lasts for about an hour after the exercising is over. This is the body's way of responding to the stress put on individual muscle groups during weight training. The body continues to use energy to repair damaged muscle tissue, and as a result, burns 25 percent more calories than it used during the actual workout session. This means that if you use 200 calories while lifting weights, you'll burn an additional 50 calories in the first hour after your workout. When a walking session is complete, the body has an easier time returning to its normal state and doesn't continue burning calories.
Happy Medium
It has been suggested that a balanced regimen of weight training and cardiovascular exercise is the optimal way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Both walking and weightlifting have advantages; used in combination, they can provide a well rounded exercise routine and promote maximum calorie-burning efficiency.
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