Weights Only vs. Weights + Cardio

 For many years, we trained our members similarly, whether their goal was strength, muscle building, weight loss, healthy aging, or excelling in their favourite activities.

We got great results because there’s so much crossover between these training goals. Performing sets of 5-10 repetitions on multi-joint exercises checks a lot of boxes.

For example, getting stronger helps you handle heavier weights during your higher-rep muscle-building isolation exercises. It helps you to excel at your favourite activities and maintain independence as you age. Focusing on lower reps for strength is helpful when trying to lose weight, because it’s harder to train well if you’re constantly eating low-carb meals. 

In addition, we now know that training across a variety of rep ranges is equally beneficial for muscle development. Building muscle is great when you’re trying to lose weight. It boosts your metabolism for hours after you work out and helps ensure your weight loss comes from fat rather than muscle. Having more muscle is tied to healthy aging, and larger muscles tend to be stronger muscles. 

So, if our training was working, why did we change our programs?

1. Our members got bored with training the same way. Now, if they get bored with one program, they can simply switch to another. 

2. Higher rep isolation work helps your joints feel better.

3. We added bikes and battle ropes for cardio.

4. Training at more than one rep range leads to better results.

A recent study by Ari and colleagues (2025) compared a strength- and muscle-building program with a fat-loss program to determine which was better for strength, muscle building, and fat loss.

The program ran for 14-16 weeks, with sessions up to 90 min.

The strength and muscle-building sessions consisted of lifting heavier weights with 2-3 min rest between exercises.

The fat-loss sessions consisted of lifting moderately heavy weights in supersets. A superset is where you do two back-to-back exercises with short rest periods to elevate metabolism, build endurance, and get more work done in less time. The weight training was followed by 30 minutes of cardio in the form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

The results showed that both groups gained strength and muscle, while losing fat. 

However, the strength and muscle-building group gained more strength and muscle mass, while the fat loss group lost more body fat. 

A Better Program Design

These two programs were designed to be different to see if they produced different results.

But what if you want to lose weight AND build muscle? 

What if the strength and muscle-building group added a few supersets? 

What if the fat-loss group added a few lower-rep sets with heavier weights?

We prefer to combine elements from both designs because our members typically have multiple goals.

In summary, you can achieve great results for a variety of fitness goals by combining low reps/heavy weight with higher reps/moderate weight, combining exercises into supersets, and adding cardio at the end of your strength sessions.

Reference:

Arı, U., Ulupınar, S., Özbay, S. Comparison of grip strength measurements for predicting all-cause mortality among adults aged 20+ years from the NHANES 2011–2014. BMC Sports Science Medical Rehabilitation, 2025.