When it comes to losing the Freshman 15, aerobic exercise is more effective than resistance training.
In a recent study conducted at the Duke University Medical Center, researchers placed overweight adults into three groups with different exercise routines—aerobic exercise, resistance training and a combination of the two—in order to determine the most efficient way to burn abdominal fat. They found that aerobic exercise works better than resistance training when it comes to losing weight. In fact, cardiovascular exercise alone burns approximately the same amount of calories as aerobic exercise and resistance training combined.
“Most people think resistance training does all sorts of wonderful things and leads to weight lost,” said Dr. Cris Slentz, who led the study. “[However,] data does not support that weight training leads to weight loss.”
Slentz and his team said they were motivated to research whether a combination of aerobic and resistance training is the best way to lose weight because that is the conventional wisdom of most national fitness groups.
Despite the study’s results, Duke fitness counselor Jane Moore, a senior, said she believes that resistance training should be incorporated with aerobic exercise.
“If you don’t add weight resistance training into your workout you are excluding your body from another area of fitness you can really benefit from,” Moore said. “[So] I would still recommend both. Cardio is what you need to burn fat. The strength training is what gives you lean body muscle and that will help your body metabolize better.”
She also added that building muscle aids in participation in aerobic exercises, finding that building a strong core can help with running and allow for optimal aerobic activity.
Students hold mixed opinions about the best way to burn fat. Sophomore Shannon Kalsow said she believes a combination of weight lifting and aerobic exercise is best for losing weight, while Freshman Amanda Onate-Trules said she prefers aerobic exercise.
Kalsow said that the way she exercises depends on what her goals are.
“Fitness goals are different than just burning fat,” she said, adding that because she is a member of the water polo team she needs to do more than just burn calories.
Slentz agrees that resistance training has a place in exercise because it aids in building strength and lean body mass and has also been shown to improve glucose control in diabetics.
“66 percent of Americans are overweight and obese,” Slentz said. “So if somebody asks me what type of exercise they should be doing... then I think aerobic training is the way to go.”
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