If you want to lose weight effectively and sustainably, performing cardio and strength training can change your journey in the best way. Combining these two powerful forms of exercise provides a comprehensive approach that accelerates calorie burning and helps sculpt lean muscle mass. To help you get moving in the right direction, we spoke with a trainer who explains exactly how to combine cardio and strength training to lose weight faster.
In this article, we’ll explore how to productively combine cardio and strength training to achieve your goal. From the best exercises to pro tips, we’ve got everything you need to stay on track to success.
The Most Effective Ways to Combine Cardio and Strength Training to Accelerate Weight Loss

1. Circuit training
Circuit training involves alternating between cardio and strength training exercises with minimal breaks for rest in between. “This keeps your heart rate elevated, leading to fat burning while building strength,” explains Ronny Garcia, CPTwith Flashing Fitness.
2. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves intense cardio exercises with strength movements to quickly increase calorie intake. “This type of exercise boosts your metabolism because it puts your body into EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), meaning it continues to burn calories after your workout is over,” Garcia tells us.
High-intensity workouts are the most effective for burning lots of calories. That being said, they can be hard on your body. “You need to balance high-intensity workouts with low- or medium-intensity workouts to achieve balance and give your body time to recover,” Garcia recommends.
3. Rucking
If you’ve never tried the ruck before, now is the perfect time to grab a backpack and get started! “Walking with a weighted backpack combines low-impact cardio and resistance training,” says Garcia. “It’s an effective way to burn calories and build core and lower body strength.”
Strategies for combining cardio and strength training to maximize weight loss


- Train at different intensity levels (low, medium and high) during the week to give your body enough time to recover and avoid burnout.
- Slowly increase the weights over time to continue to challenge your body. This is called “progressive overload.”
- Use supersets, which involve alternating between cardio and strength with minimal breaks to rest in between. This promotes continued calorie burning.
- Perform compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once. Examples include squats and deadlifts.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Associate Editor at Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and bringing readers interesting topics on fitness, wellness, and self-care. Learn more about Alexa
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