A study published in the December 15th issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology states that aerobic exercise is better than resistance training for losing weight. You can find the general article here, you can find the actual article here but you will need an account to access it. Basically, the study followed 119 sedentary, obese adults and broke them into three groups - aerobics only, resistance training only, and a combination of both. The group who lost the most weight over the 8 month period was the aerobic only members. The resistance training group only gained the most lean muscle, but did not lose as much weight. The researchers admit there is a time commitment that is necessary to achieve the results found.
This makes sense to me. I've always found that when I do resistance work only, I do not lose much weight. Sure, my arms look better, but the scale doesn't move. It really is aerobic activity - running, biking, walking, elliptical - that causes the pounds to come off. I'm not arguing that weight training does not have it's place. It truly does. In my opinion, and I'm not a doctor, trainer, or any sort of professional, but strengthening your muscles allows you to push harder in your aerobic workouts, which in turn allows you burn more calories causing a calorie deficit leading to weight loss.
What do you think? Do you find losing weight happens more when you focus on aerobics or resistance or does a combination help you?
