Cardio vs. Bodyweight: What Burns Belly Fat Faster After 40?

When your endgame is to burn belly fat, your first step should be to determine the best plan for success. For instance, which burns belly fat faster: bodyweight exercises or cardio? Both forms of exercise offer extraordinary workouts, but what’s more efficient to achieve your goal? We spoke with a fitness expert to find out.

Bodyweight Exercises vs. Cardio: Which Burns Belly Fat Faster?

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“Bodyweight training is a powerful and popular option when wanting to target fat loss due to its low barrier of entry, effectiveness at burning calories and its metabolic benefits,” explains Mike Kimani, a strength and conditioning coach with Get Fit Mike’s Way. “As you build muscle through bodyweight or strength training, you are increasing your basal metabolic rate which is the amount of calories your body burns at rest. The goal of bodyweight training should be to build muscle and raise this number which will help boost fat loss.”

Cardio is also very effective when it comes to fat loss and boosting your heart health.

“Incorporating cardio into your routine will elevate your heart rate which will increase the total calories burned and will lead to a deficit. Another benefit of cardio, particularly high intensity cardio, is you keep burning calories even after working out,” says Mike.

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But Which Is Really Better: Bodyweight Training or Cardio?

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Each form of exercise will help you torch fat, but Mike recommends combining traditional cardio and bodyweight strength training when trying to burn belly fat quickly.

“Building muscle is a key factor at increasing the amount of calories you burn at rest and most of all keeping the weight off; while traditional cardio is excellent for creating a greater caloric deficit which in combination will lead to losing total body fat and in the belly,” Mike tells us.

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What Cardio Workouts Are Most Effective When Addressing Abdominal Fat?

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Although it’s challenging to pinpoint exactly where your body will lose fat, consider full-body high intense interval training, combined with a calorie deficit.

Mike points out, “Full-body high intense interval training is an effective way to increase your caloric burn and deficit which, when combined with proper nutrition, will eventually lead to losing abdominal fat.”