So Much for “Expert Advice”
Martica Heaner, the exercise “expert” for msn.com is at it again…this time, she’s putting down the benefits of weight training vs. cardio for weight loss.
There’s a lot of confusion about exactly what lifting weights can do for you. One thing is for sure, if you’re trying to lose weight, then doing more cardio activities—such as walking, running or using machines like the elliptical trainer—is the way to go.
…Walking briskly for 30 minutes will burn more calories than doing a half-hour’s worth of biceps curls, ab crunches or shoulder raises, for example. If you are substituting cardio workouts with more muscle-based workouts such as body sculpting or Pilates, you will burn fewer calories over the week and that will slow down your rate of weight loss.
…You will, no doubt, hear differently. And you will probably come across claims that dumbbells provide a magical solution. If you lift weights, the argument goes, you build muscle, which speeds up your metabolism so that you even burn more calories while you sleep.
Wow…talk about “straw man” arguments. I have yet to see any reputable trainer or exercise physiologist recommend doing a half hour of “bicep curls, ab crunches or shoulder raises” to burn calories – or accomplish much of anything else, for that matter. For one thing, these are isolation exercises involving relatively small muscle groups – no trainer supervising a fat loss program would focus on these. In addition, the amount of weight one could handle for 30 minutes straight would be minimal. Honestly, just how stupid do you have to be to draw such a ridiculous comparison?
Even worse: I’m absolutely gobsmacked at what she managed to miss: sure, she gives strength training credit for getting “stronger, firmer and healthier,” but she’s apparently oblivious to the role strength training plays in preserving both lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. Both of these measures are reduced during conventional dieting and – needless to state – cardio doesn’t improve either one. For example, in this recent study on women who lost sufficient weight to achieve a BMI under 25, only those who engaged in resistance training maintained fat free mass (FFM) and resting energy expenditure (REE); non-exercisers and aerobic exercisers LOST ground on both. This study came to a similar conclusion.
In addition, this study completely refutes Heaner’s suggestions that a) weight training’s primary value is to “develop more stamina…which in turn may help you last longer during cardio workouts”; and b) “…to burn calories, do cardio more often and for longer periods.” The researchers compared the results obtained by obese women placed on either 6 days/week cardio, or combined, 3 days/week resistance training + 3 days/week cardio programs. The combination group – which did only HALF the amount of cardio performed by the aerobics-only group – lost more subcutaneous and visceral fat AND gained lean body mass in the bargain.
Win-win – if you ask me.
Now, I would never put down the benefits of cardiovascular exercise, and it certainly has its place in a weight loss program. But it’s obvious Heaner is clueless on the value of comprehensive strength training for fat loss, which – as Paul has previously pointed out – is the real goal…not weight loss.
Some “expert!”
October 23, 2008
As you and I both know, there are all sorts of “experts” spewing their brand of horse feathers on the web (and in the case of Martica, the “offline” world as well).
What’s obvious about Heaner’s article is the complete absence of ANY scientific references to validate her points. It is, apparently, simply because she says so.
Thanks Elissa, for once again demonstrating how important it is to think critically and ask for real evidence when evaluating the recommendations of the “experts.”