The number one reason people exercise is to lose weight, and aerobic activity is crucial for that… right?

Sure, you may lose weight—but at what cost? If you do an excessive amount of aerobic work, rest assured you’ll catabolize muscle tissue. And the less muscle you have, the lower your metabolic rate—not to mention a loss in strength.

Yes, frequent slow, steady-state aerobic work can reduce body fat, but over time, the opposite effect may occur. That’s right—your body may actually store more fat as a result of all that cardio. Read more here.

Why? Because the human body is a highly adaptable organism. Learn more here. It prefers fat as fuel at lower intensities. So when you repeatedly perform low-intensity aerobic work, your body essentially says:

If you want to burn more fat during this activity, I’ll store more fat to help you do it better!

Weight training, on the other hand, breaks down muscle (specifically, structural and contractile proteins). Your body adapts by rebuilding it stronger than before to handle the demand next time. The result? An anabolic (muscle-building) effect—not the catabolic (muscle-wasting) effect of too much cardio.

The Best Form of Exercise for Cardiac Health

The aerobic movement was founded by Dr. Kenneth Cooper nearly half a century ago, and it’s still going strong. We’re told aerobic activity is essential for heart health. But tell that to Jim Fixx, Brian Maxwell, and Ed Burke—elite endurance athletes with sky-high VO2 max levels—all of whom died from heart attacks.

Believe it or not, weight training has a profound effect on the cardiovascular system. In fact, it may be a safer and more effective option than aerobics for cardiac rehab patients. (See pages 178–179 of The Elite Trainer.)

Spend Your Training Time Wisely

We all know exercise is important. Most people can spare three hours a week—just 1.8% of their time. But no one wants to waste that time—they want results. That’s why I’m such a big proponent of weight training.

Yoga and stretching improve flexibility. Aerobics enhance cardiovascular endurance. Pilates strengthens the core. But weight training? It does all of the above—and more. It’s the form of exercise everyone should be doing, regardless of age or gender.

In fact, I’d argue that weight training is even more important for females. The Framingham Heart Study found that by age 65, the average woman couldn’t lift a 10-pound weight. Unfortunately, the myth that women shouldn’t lift weights still lingers. Here’s what I think.

And strength—not endurance—has been shown to be the key to functional capacity in aging adults. Osteoporosis is a real issue, especially for women. You’ve heard of seniors falling and breaking bones. In many cases, the bone breaks first, and then they fall! Weight-bearing exercise is critical. Walking alone isn’t enough. Here’s how I help my eldest client improve her bone health.

Bottom Line

Many forms of exercise can help you reach your destination, but weight training will get you there—with time to spare.