Liverpool personal trainer reveals 'win-win' answer to 'age-old' weight loss dilemma

A Liverpool senior personal trainer has revealed his answer to an “age-old dilemma” when it comes to losing weight. Mark Bohannon, from the city centre’s Ultimate Performance, said he would be rich if he had a pound every time he gets asked the question if cardio or weight-lighting helps shed pounds faster.

However, the chief experience officer explained the belief cardio is the “be-all and end-all” when it comes to burning fat is “all too common” and is actually a mistake. He told the ECHO: “It’s an easy mistake to make, particularly if you’re just starting out with a new exercise programme.

"With the advent of smartwatches, and with modern rowing machines, spin bikes and treadmills, all of which display the calories you have supposedly burnt (and most of these are probably inaccurate), people like to ‘see’ how hard they’ve worked. Now, no criticism here – cardio is not without merit if done correctly.

READ MORE: Liverpool personal trainer answers question 'asked two million times' on Google

READ MORE: Expert shares protein 'myth' as he says 'it's not all true'

“But, if you’ve tried endless cardio before and not gotten the results, then I’m preaching to the choir because you’ll know that cardio is not the best exercise modality when it comes to body composition.

“My advice to anyone who has just joined a gym – regardless of age or gender - is to look past the cardio machines and head for the weight room, because lifting weights can dramatically help you achieve your fat loss goals and sculpt the body you’ve always wanted.

“I’m generalising slightly, but when most people join a gym, it’s because they want to feel ‘firmer’ or ‘more toned’. But to achieve this, the goal needs to be one of fat loss, not weight loss. In technical terms, this means improving your body composition, which we achieve through dietary restriction and choosing the right type of training.”

Mark explained the problem with endless cardio is that it is likely you will start to burn through muscle rather than fat, resulting in the “dreaded” look known to many in the fitness world as “skinny fat.”

He said: “Strength training encourages the body to retain muscle and tap into fat stores. So, if a leaner, more shapely look is your goal, weights are your friend. And here is something that is not commonly known.

“Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) – which is the number of calories you burn whilst at rest – has been shown to remain higher, for longer, after an intense weight session when compared to jogging on the treadmill. So, by lifting weights, you will continue to burn more calories long after you’ve left the gym. Win-win.”