When most people over 40 want to lose belly fat, what do they do?
Sign up for a spin class
Start running every morning
Buy a Peloton
Go hard on the HIIT bandwagon (F45, Orange Theory)
And what happens weeks later?
They end up being quite tired, really sore, still stuck, and wondering why the belly fat is STILL HERE.
So let me get straight to it and give you the truth:
If your goal is long-term fat loss — the kind that shows muscle definition (not bulky), boosts energy, and gets you lean without putting a ton of stress on your joints…
No surprise – you need to lift weights.
Here’s why strength training will crush cardio for fat loss:
- Muscle burns fat at rest.
- Every pound of muscle burns 6–10 extra calories per day just sitting there. It turns your body into a fat-burning machine.
- More muscle = better metabolism. (Yes, this is true at any age.)
- Cardio burns calories while you do it. Strength training burns calories for up to 48 hours after you leave the gym.
- Lifting increases testosterone and growth hormone (two BIG factors especially for men over 40), while long cardio sessions can spike cortisol, not helping belly fat.
- You can run marathons and still be “skinny-fat.” Strength training builds a lean, athletic frame that looks fit, shirt on or off.
So here’s the bottom line…
Want to lose fat and keep it off?
Start building muscle — 3–4 solid strength workouts per week is all you need.
Lift heavy and build your strength.
Focus on full-body workouts.
And fuel like an athlete, not a rabbit chasing salads.
If you need help with your strength training plan or dialling in simple meals that support muscle building?
Running, biking, and swimming are great sports, hobbies, and tools, don’t get me wrong. But they’re not your foundation.
Your foundation is strength. Everything else? That’s just a bonus.
I’ve designed the free Sculpt & Strengthen program of 5 Days of dumbbell workouts specifically to build muscle at home or in the gym.
Leave a comment below and I’ll send you this FREE guide!
Start lifting to transform your life. (edited)
2 Responses
This is great information I didn’t have- that cardio workouts only burn calories while you’re doing them, but weight training does it for 48 hours afterwards! Thank you! I need to up my weight training game!
Please send guide