Few fitness questions are asked as often as whether you should prioritise strength training or cardio for fat loss. But they’re complementary tools. Each plays a distinct role in fat loss, and combining them produces the lean, athletic physique most women are aiming for, says Emily Schofield, personal trainer and gym manager at Ultimate Performance.
Of course, the only real requirement for weight loss is to be in an energy deficit, or expending more calories than we consume. ‘Any form of exercise and a calorie-restricted diet over a sustained period of time, is going to work,’ says Schofield. However, to achieve a strong silhouette rather than simply seeing the number on the scales decrease, you need both strength training and cardio.
Why should you do both strength and cardio for fat loss?
Fat loss is not simply about burning calories during a workout. ‘It’s about creating an environment in which your body is encouraged to hold onto muscle while steadily using stored body fat for fuel,’ says Schofield. Strength training and cardio influence that environment in different but supporting ways.
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Strength training builds muscle
Strength training is the primary driver of muscle retention and development. When you lift weights, you place mechanical tension on muscle tissue – a pulling force that stretches the muscle – forcing it to adapt by becoming stronger and, in many cases, larger.
‘This is critical during fat loss, because without a strong stimulus to maintain muscle, your body will sacrifice it alongside fat when calories are reduced. Losing muscle undermines the “toned” look many women want and lowers resting metabolic rate, making fat loss harder over time,’ Schofield says.
Cardio increases your energy expenditure
Cardio plays a key role in increasing your overall energy expenditure and improving your cardiovascular fitness. ‘Conditioning work elevates heart rate, improves your heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently and enhances your capacity to tolerate higher volumes of training,’ says Schofield.
‘When done at the right intensity, it’s an extremely effective way to increase calorie burn and fitness levels without placing excessive mechanical stress on your muscles and joints.’ It also improves your recovery capabilities between strength sets.
Why you shouldn’t choose one over the other
While long sessions on the treadmill or spin bike may burn calories, they do little to preserve muscle mass. It leaves people lighter but softer in appearance, with slower metabolisms and reduced strength. Too much cardio can also lead to spikes in cortisol (the stress hormone) and weight gain. Conversely, strength training alone, while effective for reshaping your body, may not maximise fat loss efficiency for those with limited training time or higher fat-loss goals.
The most significant body composition changes therefore happen when the two are combined. ‘Strength training should form the foundation of your plan, while cardio should be viewed as a powerful supplement that enhances your results.’
The best routines combining both cardio and strength training (3 options)
The optimal balance depends on goals, experience, recovery capacity and lifestyle, says Schofield. However, for most women, three broad approaches tend to work well.
Strength training forms the backbone of all programmes, while cardio is used strategically. More cardio is not always better, and when it compromises recovery, strength performance and energy levels, fat loss can stall.
‘Adding 10,000 steps a day on top of these plans and eating in a modest calorie deficit that prioritises whole foods, protein, and slow-acting carbohydrates will help you shift fat.’
3 days of strength training per week with 1-2 dedicated cardio sessions
Strength training is focused on compound lifts (moves that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, in contrast to isolation moves that target a single muscle group or joint, like bicep curls) and progressive overload (increasing training stress so you continue to improve).
Conditioning workouts are added on non-lifting days or after shorter strength sessions (never do weights after cardio!), allowing your cardio sessions to enhance fat loss without interfering with your recovery from resistance training. This approach is particularly effective for women who want visible muscle definition alongside fat loss.
4 strength sessions per week with short, high-intensity conditioning finishers
Instead of long cardio sessions, brief bursts of intense conditioning are added at the end of one to two strength workouts. ‘This is a strong approach as it keeps total training time efficient while elevating heart rate, increasing calorie burn and improving cardiovascular fitness without excessive fatigue,’ Schofield points out. ‘This approach suits women who enjoy lifting weights and want cardio to feel purposeful rather than endless.’
Modified ‘strongwoman’ finishers can be super effective here, she adds. Weighted sled drags, prowler pushes and pulling weighted sleds using ropes all work to provide the combination effect of stressing both the cardiovascular and muscular systems.
Keep each exercise to no more than 4 sets, with 45m for each ‘rep’. You can make them more difficult by increasing weight. Start by adding farmer’s walks to the end of your training sessions.
A balanced split of 3 strength and 2 conditioning-focused workouts per week
In this set up, conditioning sessions may involve interval training, circuits or loaded carries that still stimulate muscle while driving cardiovascular adaptations. This approach is ideal for those who enjoy variety and want noticeable improvements in their fitness levels, alongside fat loss.
What type of strength exercises are best?
Compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups, every time. ‘These recruit the greatest amount of muscle mass and allow for progressive overload,’ says Schofield. They create high mechanical tension, stimulate muscle growth and demand significant energy expenditure, both during and after training.
The best strength exercises include:
Accessory and isolation exercises still help to address weak points or enhance muscle shape, but they should support heavy compound lifting.
Importantly, strength training should be challenging. Lifting weights that are too light or avoiding progression will undermine your results.
Which type of cardio is best?
If you’re strength training three times a week, then the type of cardio that is ‘best’ is the one you enjoy the most and can consistently stick to, Schofield says. All cardio will help your energy expenditure.
‘That said, the type of conditioning you choose can dramatically influence the results you get. The most effective cardio for fat loss raises heart rate significantly without requiring excessive time or impairing recovery from strength training.
‘High-intensity interval training stands out as one of the most efficient forms of cardio. Short bursts of maximal or near-maximal effort followed by structured rest periods closely mirror the work-to-rest ratios of strength training. This similarity allows HIIT to complement resistance work.
‘Examples include sprint intervals on a bike or rower, sled pushes, prowler sprints, and the modified strongwoman training. Circuits that combine resistance exercises performed back-to-back can serve as both strength and conditioning work.’
Cardio is broader than you think
As a reminder, ‘cardio’ is exercise that stimulates our overall cardiovascular system – heart, veins and blood vessels – and helps us burn calories. For a lot of people, that means aerobic training like running or cycling.
However, you can elevate your metabolism and improve your aerobic fitness without an over-emphasis on ‘traditional’ cardio. Incredibly effective ‘cardio’ workouts involve weights and intense resistance training sessions. You just need to work hard and get your heart rate pumping for a substantial amount of time.
Should I do low-intensity cardio?
Lower-intensity cardio, such as walking, cycling or steady jogging, still has a place, particularly for improving recovery, increasing daily calorie expenditure and reducing stress. Walking is underrated as a fat-loss tool: it’s easy to do, there are no barriers to entry and outdoor walks can help with your mental health and circadian rhythms.
However, relying exclusively on long, steady-state cardio is rarely the most efficient approach for fat loss, especially when time is limited. The more ‘endurance-focused’ the cardio, the greater its interference on training performance and recovery.
The key is matching the type and volume of cardio to your overall training load and recovery capacity. Cardio should enhance your ability to train, not leave you exhausted and your performance dipping in the weight room.
How much fat can you realistically lose?
One of the biggest mistakes people make is expecting fat loss to happen faster than physiology allows, Schofield points out. However, this often leads to muscle loss, hormonal disruption, increased fatigue and eventual rebound weight gain.
Sustainable, consistent fat loss follows predictable, relatively modest rates, and improves adherence and long-term results. ‘For most women, a realistic rate is around 0.25 to 0.75 percent of bodyweight per week. This typically equates to roughly 0.25 to 0.75 kilograms per week, depending on your starting bodyweight and individual factors. Over a month, this adds up to approximately 1-3 kg of fat loss.
‘The scale also doesn’t give you the full picture. Strength training can lead to muscle gain during fat loss, meaning your body composition will improve even if weight changes are modest. Measurements, clothing fit, strength levels and visual changes are often better indicators of progress than bodyweight alone.’