Aerobic exercise or anaerobic exercise to lose weight faster

There is no standard answer to this question at all - if you only look at the short-term weight loss rate of 1-3 months, and under the premise of proper diet control, aerobic is indeed much faster than anaerobic; but if you extend the time line to more than half a year, you want to lose weight without rebounding and wear clothes To show off your lines, the combined efficiency of anaerobic plus aerobic exercise can beat aerobic exercise alone. As for doing only anaerobic exercise, although the weight figures drop slowly, the invisible effects of body fat reduction and girth shrinkage are mostly covered up by the numbers on the scale.

Last year, I helped two girls of similar height and weight plan their weight loss plans. They are both about 170cm and 140 pounds, and they usually have no basis for exercise. One chose to run 5 kilometers every day, and the other followed my advice and did strength training five times a week and walked briskly for 40 minutes on one day on the weekend. When comparing the data in the first month, everyone felt that aerobics was losing weight: the girl who ran lost 8 pounds, and her face became smaller. The girl who practiced strength only lost 2 pounds. She complained that her arms and legs were sore every day, and she almost gave up.

The reversal of results occurred in the third month. The running girl has been stuck at 128 pounds for almost two weeks. After eating a mouthful of milk tea, she gained 2 pounds. Her knees started to hurt. She had to wear thick knee pads every time she ran. Her waist circumference was only 4 centimeters smaller than at the beginning. As for the girl who insisted on practicing strength training, she weighed 122 pounds at the end of the third month, and her waist circumference had shrunk by 7cm. The size 28 jeans that she couldn't fit into before were so baggy that even her mother asked her if she was secretly dieting.

In fact, the fitness circle has been arguing about this issue for almost ten years, and both sides have solid evidence. Aerobics talk based on the data on caloric consumption: An average person can burn 500-700 calories by jogging for an hour, and about the same by dancing Pamela. However, strength training can burn up to 300 calories per hour. The real-time consumption is almost twice as much. Isn’t it natural that the scale will fall off quickly? There is indeed nothing wrong with this. Aerobic consumption is clearly included in the exercise process, and every step you take counts.

But the anaerobic party’s talk about the afterburn effect (EPOC) is not nonsense: Strength training will destroy muscle fibers. The body needs to repair these damages 24-48 hours after the training, which will consume an additional 100-200 calories. After long-term training, the muscle mass will increase, and the basal metabolism (that is, the calories you can burn even if you lie down) will also increase accordingly. It is not easy to increase the scale after eating hot pot occasionally. But I have to be honest, don’t believe some bloggers who have exaggerated the afterburn effect. That extra consumption is only half a cup of full-sugar milk tea. It is impossible to lose weight while lying down.

Many people are confused about which one to choose. Essentially, they don’t understand what their weight loss needs are. If you happen to have an important occasion recently, such as being a bridesmaid or taking wedding photos next month, and you need to quickly lose weight and fit into a dress that is one size smaller, then you can rest assured and choose aerobic exercise. You can jog, skip rope, or use an elliptical machine for 40 minutes a day. Combined with a diet that is low in oil and sugar, it is really not difficult to lose four to five pounds in two weeks. But you have to know that the weight you lose at this time is not only fat, but also a lot of water and muscle. If you don't control it later, it will rebound faster than losing weight, and you may even leave loose skin and fat.

If you are not fat to begin with, but your BMI is below 24, but you have a ring of fat around your waist, and your hips look wider when you wear pants, and you want to be slimmer and look better in clothes, then you really shouldn’t stick to aerobics. Exercise more. Even if your weight doesn't change in the first month, you will find that your belly is a lot harder when you touch it, and your waistline is secretly two centimeters smaller. This kind of thinness is truly "looking thin when you wear clothes, and you have lines when you take off clothes." Moreover, after your metabolism is improved, you don't have to be hungry every day to control your diet, and you don't feel guilty when you eat ice cream occasionally.

Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention the most critical premise: no matter whether you choose aerobic or anaerobic, it’s all in vain if you don’t control your diet properly. I've seen too many people run 5 kilometers, then turn around and reward themselves with a cup of full-sugar milk tea and fried skewers, and eat back 500 of the 300 calories they consumed. Instead of losing weight, they scold exercise as useless. Isn't this ridiculous? The core of weight loss is always a calorie deficit. Exercise can only help you narrow this gap to be healthier, and can also prevent you from losing weight. Don’t overestimate the role of exercise.

When I was losing weight, I never struggled with which one to choose. In the early stage of losing weight, I did aerobics three times a week and strength twice a week, and lost 12 pounds in two months. Later, when I got stuck, I reduced my aerobics to once a week and did more weight training. I broke the plateau in half a month. My body fat rate has been around 20% for almost a year now. I often have hot pot barbecue with friends on weekends, but I haven’t seen any rebound.

There is really no need to fight over who is faster and who is slower. The one you can persist in and meets your current needs will be the fastest. If you are really confused, wouldn’t it be enough to run for half an hour today and do half an hour of hip and leg training tomorrow? It’s better to move than to lie down and read weight loss posts, right?