Habits and Hustle
Episode 436: Tara LaFerrara: Why Strength Training Beats Cardio for Women's Long-Term Health
28 Mar 2025
Are cardio workouts or strength training better for women? Fitness coach Tara settles this ongoing debate in this Fitness Friday episode on the Habits and Hustle Podcast. We discuss why cardio, despite its mental clarity benefits, can lead to increased hunger and calorie consumption, while strength training increases resting metabolic rate through muscle development. We also dive into Tara's personal journey from HIIT workouts to strength training, the mindset shift required to make this transition, and her minimalist approach to supplements, focusing primarily on protein and creatine for optimal results. Tara LaFerrara is a certified strength and mobility coach who transformed personal struggles with body image and unhealthy habits into a mission to help women approach fitness from a holistic perspective. With 13 years of industry experience, she advocates for sustainable, enjoyable movement rather than strict regimens, empowering clients through her app Broadzit and virtual training programs. Tara specializes in a well-rounded approach to fitness that combines strength training expertise with mindset coaching, emphasizing community support and individual needs. What we discuss: Why strength training is superior to cardio for women's longevity The mental clarity paradox of cardio vs. its impact on hunger How increased muscle mass elevates resting metabolic rate The aesthetic differences between "cardio bodies" vs. "strength training bodies" Making the transition from cardio to strength training The importance of patience and growth mindset during lifestyle changes Supplement recommendations: creatine benefits and proper dosage Protein intake strategies for muscle development Thank you to our sponsor: Therasage: Head over to therasage.com and use code Be Bold for 15% off TruNiagen: Head over to truniagen.com and use code HUSTLE20 to get $20 off any purchase over $100. Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code Jen at checkout. Air Doctor: Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code HUSTLE for up to $300 off and a 3-year warranty on air purifiers. Bio.me: Link to daily prebiotic fiber here, code Jennifer20 for 20% off. Momentous: Shop this link and use code Jen for 20% off To learn more about Tara LaFerrara: Website: https://www.taralaferrara.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taralaferrara Podcast: Broads: The Bold & Badass Fitness Podcast for Women Find more from Jen: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: https://www.jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: https://www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements
Full Episode
Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits & Hustle. Crush it! Hey friends, you're listening to Fitness Friday on the Habits & Hustle podcast, where myself and my friends share quick and very actionable advice for you becoming your healthiest self. So stay tuned and let me know how you leveled up. Okay, what's your opinion? I know it already.
You don't even have to tell me, but I'm going to ask you anyway. Cardio versus strength training for women.
Strength training is always queen in my book. I'm not saying don't do cardio. I just recorded a podcast recently on this. Do cardio if it feels good, if you like it, if you enjoy it, awesome. Strength training is so much more valuable for women as we age. And I would highly recommend doing that over cardio. However, is cardio great for your heart health and multitude of other reasons? Absolutely.
But you can get that without sitting on the Stairmaster for 30 minutes or going out for a run when you don't like it.
But the other thing about, well, the thing with me with cardio is I feel better after I do cardio because you sweat more. Also for my cognitive, for your mental health, for your brain to like, for my brain to like really kind of activate, I need to do cardio.
The downside of doing cardio is that I get so hungry and I end up eating triple the calories that I would otherwise not have had because of the amount of calories burned, right? So there's like this like weird balance that you have to do, right? Like you have to constantly balance out. Like if I do really intense cardio, right?
not just me when people do really intense cardio they tend to eat a lot more so how do you how do you kind of rectify this problem right like don't do cardio so they won't eat as much because that's what happens too if i don't do my cardio i definitely won't eat as much i won't be as hungry yeah i think this is twofold the first thing is with cardio are you doing it because you truly enjoy it or are you doing it because you're more chasing the sweat chasing the sweat
And like I said, it's also better for my brain. Because when I do strength training without doing cardio, I don't sweat very much, like maybe a little bit. And my brain doesn't get activated. I'm not as sharp afterwards. I'll be better if I didn't do anything. But to me, the combo of doing cardio plus strength training in the same workout is like the king.
When I have to choose one or the other, even though I know intellectually strength training is better for me in terms of my body composition, if I only have time for one, I'll always go with cardio because I know... that I'll make better choices during the day because of it. A lot of times, I'll eat healthier food because my brain is activated better. My mood is so much better.
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