To optimize fat loss while protecting muscle mass during a caloric deficit, one must combine resistance training (which signals the body to preserve muscle mass) with cardio (which increases energy expenditure). Furthermore, for the average person, moderate-intensity training often allows for more total calories burned than very high-intensity training (like CrossFit), as the latter is difficult to sustain for a sufficient duration without excellent physical conditioning.

noli's read

This approach is based on very solid scientific foundations. A meta-analysis by Xie et al. (2025), analyzing 62 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), confirms that strength training is the most effective approach for protecting muscle mass during an energy deficit. In parallel, another meta-analysis by Sardeli et al. (2018) shows that resistance training almost entirely prevents muscle loss induced by caloric restriction. As for the choice of cardio, clinical studies (such as Falcone et al., 2015) validate that while high intensity burns more calories per minute, it requires a level of physical conditioning that the average individual cannot maintain over a long duration. Thus, moderate, continuous-intensity training often allows for greater total energy expenditure by simply extending the duration of the session. Nippard's explanation is therefore perfectly aligned with current research on the physiology of exercise.

the sources

1. 1Hall KD, Heymsfield SB, Kemnitz JW, et al. 2012
2. 2Rolls BJ 2009
3. 3Coleman CJ, McDonough DJ, Pope ZC, Pope CA 2022
4. 4López-Bueno R, Ahmadi M, Stamatakis E, Yang L, del Pozo Cruz B 2023