What Exercise Is Best For Fat Loss?

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Today we’re tackling a common question I get: What type of exercise is better for fat loss or weight loss? I get asked this question all the time. First, I want to highlight that I am using the words fat loss rather than weight loss. This question is often posed using both “fat loss” and “weight loss,” but I think it’s important to start with what they mean.

As we go, the mindset of weight loss — the goal of being lighter on the scale, the “stupid plastic box” — can certainly influence our actions in a way that is not conducive to the actual outcome we want. Our body includes a reflection of body fat percentage to muscle mass percentage. We can be within a healthy weight range yet have higher levels of body fat and lower levels of muscle mass. So, I will be discussing fat loss as it pertains to reducing body fat and increasing or maintaining muscle mass. Most of us are striving to increase our muscle mass, especially as we age.

I completely understand why people think running or doing a 5K, or doing only cardio-based workouts seems like the answer. I totally get that. That was me — I was a cardio queen. In the past, cardio has been synonymous with weight loss: higher calorie expenditure, sweating, increased heart rate, and even that feeling that we are spending our time better by running and doing cardio. Some people do love cardio, but some do not enjoy it, and it can create a negative association with exercise because it feels like cardio is needed to lose weight. Plus, your body gets used to the cardio, and you feel like you have to always progressively overload and increase your intensity and duration as your body adapts to it.

I know for me, my body does not change the way that I want it to when I run or when I was a consistent long-distance runner. Sometimes we place too much attention on the calorie burn on a certain device, like an Apple Watch. Not only can increasing cardio leave you feeling so much more tired with less movement throughout the day, but it can also increase your feelings of hunger. I think perhaps what is overlooked the most is we are sending a message to the body that we need to become more efficient. Therefore, we don’t need that muscle mass. So it is possible, and sometimes common, to lose weight on the scale yet have a higher body fat percentage as the outcome if we don’t consider holding onto our muscle with strength training and protein. This is where I found myself years ago, not having the body with the lean muscle mass and definition that I wanted. Please do not forgo muscle just to see a smaller number on the plastic box.

The truth is, all programs, even HIIT, won’t automatically mean a calorie deficit. And you don’t need to sweat to lose body fat. To lose weight, you need to be in an energy deficit — a calorie deficit — and you achieve this through your nutrition. And I’ll repeat that: you achieve this through your nutrition, remembering exercise is the passenger.

I often get asked the question, “Can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time?” The answer is yes. We can lose body fat and build

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