weight lifting or cardio

casie8

I'm wondering if I should be doing only cardio right now, and start weight lifting when I lose more weight. I'm about 200lbs and want to eventually be down to about 135ish. From what I've been reading cardio is the best, I tried alternating days, but somehow I just slowly lost my inspiration, I wasn't seeing enough results. I mean I wasn't lifting like 25lbs a day I was doing multiple reps with 5lbs, along with a dvd, and it just didn't seem like enough. So, the bottom line, whats better to jumpstart my weight loss? Weights or cardio??? Thanks

Hexahedra

You need to do both. In the short run cardio always burns more calories, but in the long run the added muscle mass you develop by lifting will burn more because it consumes calories even when you're doing nothing.

KimLee76

I was around the same weight as you and my goal is similar. (I only know that the maximum weight I'd like to weight is 149 and after I get there, I suspect my goal weight will be in the 130s but I'll know better then.)

My preference is to do both cardio and strength training. I don't use free weights except in Zumba Toning class but the machines instead. So let me stop right here and say that if I had to make a choice between the two to start with, it would begrudgingly be cardio. (I genuinely enjoy the strength training but only tolerate most cardio activities.)

When I was doing only cardio, I did lose weight, but I just wasn't satisfied with the direction my body was taking. It seemed pretty obvious that when I reached my max desired weight, that I'd just be smaller version of my larger self complete with the same shape and amount of jiggly bits.

I started strength training to build muscle (which increases the number of calories you burn at rest) and to start working on the body I want to see after the extra layer of fat is gone. It caused a bit of a stall in my lb loss at first, but I was still losing fat and inches. Although it took me a few weeks to sort out how much was enough versus how much was too much, I'm back on track now with the lb loss and much more satisfied with what I am starting to see when the clothes come off.

Overall, I think the extra work now will save me the headache of starting toning from scratch later.

MrGonzo05

Always strength train. Not for the burn. But for the muscle mass and health benefits.

ernestbecker

you now have all you need to know to move forward. everyone here was right! go for it!