Cardio or Strength Training?

Sjsteph87

Hello everyone!!

I have a question that has been asked soon many times before, but I'm looking for some solid, evidence-based advice...

I have lost 3 stone (yay!!) and have 1 to 2 more stone to go. I lost my 3 stone from a mixture of eating well and lots and loooooots of cardio training. But now I've hit a plateau...

I keep saying 'I want to tone up now' but some people say my BMI is still too high and that I still need to reduce my body fat before I can start toning and thus I need to continue doing cardio, but other people say that strength training (weight lifting is the way forward).

Problem is, albeit I've got bored with just doing cardio exercises, I love sweating and feeling it but then when I weight train I don't feel like I sweat or work very hard...

I want to know ... SHOULD I BE DOING CARDIO OR WEIGHT TRAINING to lose my final 1 to 2 stone?? And if weight training is the answer, why? Why is it better than cardio?

Thank You!! :-)

TavistockToad

Do both. Eat in a calorie deficit. The end.

arditarose

Do both. Or a small amount of cardio. But definitely weight train. You should not wait to strength train until you lose your weight. It doesn't make sense as it helps you maintain muscle as you lose.

It's not BETTER than cardio. They serve different purposes. Cardio for heart health and a calorie burn, strength training for maintaining lbm.

sijomial

You have likely hit a plateau as you aren't in a calorie deficit any more.
Swapping out high burn cardio for low burn strength training and your calorie balance will tip again.

Honestly though you are looking in the wrong place to fix your plateau - look at your intake, it dwarfs your exercise output.

As for the false dichotomy of "cardio or strength training". Both have different benefits and both should be part of your routine. Don't wait to add strength training as one of the biggest benefits is muscle retention when dieting.

So OP - why do you think it's one or the other?

Pawsforme

Do both.

Cardio helps burn calories and strengthen your heart.

Weight lifting helps build or maintain muscle. While losing you want to weight train to maintain as much muscle/lean body mass as possible. What your BMI is has nothing to do with it.

rankinsect

Sjsteph87 wrote: »

Hello everyone!!

I have a question that has been asked soon many times before, but I'm looking for some solid, evidence-based advice...

I have lost 3 stone (yay!!) and have 1 to 2 more stone to go. I lost my 3 stone from a mixture of eating well and lots and loooooots of cardio training. But now I've hit a plateau...

I keep saying 'I want to tone up now' but some people say my BMI is still too high and that I still need to reduce my body fat before I can start toning and thus I need to continue doing cardio, but other people say that strength training (weight lifting is the way forward).

Problem is, albeit I've got bored with just doing cardio exercises, I love sweating and feeling it but then when I weight train I don't feel like I sweat or work very hard...

I want to know ... SHOULD I BE DOING CARDIO OR WEIGHT TRAINING to lose my final 1 to 2 stone?? And if weight training is the answer, why? Why is it better than cardio?

Thank You!! :-)

I would have done strength and cardio from day 1. I would certainly do both now.

Yes, it's true that a caloric deficit will reduce how fast you can gain muscle (and for those that have already built a significant amount of muscle, a caloric deficit can completely stop any new muscle gains). That said, in the worst case scenario strength training will let you keep more of the muscle you currently have, and most people can gain some muscle in a deficit, up to a point - because the majority of the people haven't done any strength training at all, and the early gains are so strong that they will happen even in a deficit.

Serah87

Both.

cnbbnc

I'm almost at my goal weight now, and doing both but leaning more towards strength training. I weight train 3 days and do 2 days of cardio. If you enjoy cardio then do it, but if you're bored then you can still lose while easing off that a bit and starting to lift.

You may not sweat the same as when doing a ton of cardio, but if you start lifting heavy you'll get a sweat going. You don't have to be drenched for it to be effective though.

riffraff2112

both have their place in a balanced approach to fitness, and well-being. Weight loss can be accomplished through a deficit in calories. Body shaping will require some weight training.
Cardio as you knows works, and is great for the heart, but it sounds like you already know you wont attain your ideal physique until you start working those muscles.

robs_ready

If you had to choose one or the other I would say strength training, burns more calories over a longer period of time.

Talan79

I agree with everyone who said both. I was only doing cardio before and doing weights really has helped change my body composition. Losing weight without the weight training, you will look like a smaller version of what you already are. The weights can really help shape you. You can tell in my profile pic the difference in my upper body (I trained in a slight deficit, doing cardio and weights).

Stoshew71

Here is a thought.

You can burn more calories sitting at your desk every day if you had more muscle mass.
The more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body needs to function in the day.
That means you can eat more to be at a calorie deficit.
This also promotes your goal to tone more. Toning is a different way of saying building muscle mass.

But in order to build muscle (unless you are extremely obese) you have to be at a calorie surplus.
This means in order to tone up, it would go against your 'weight loss" goals. But only short term.
The calorie surplus could be small if you follow a clean bulk which is the way I would suggest.

So temporarily, you could strength train, eat lots of protein (at least 1 g of protein per kg of lean mass per day), and be at maybe 500 calalorie daily surplus and be careful how you select your carbs.

You will gain muscle over time if you do it right, but a small amount of weight on as well.
But then, when you start at a calorie deficit again, you will now be allowed to eat more in order to keep a calorie deficit. Plus you will be more toned.

Keep the strength training and protein (1 g of protein/kg of lean mass) but be at a calorie deficit. This will maintain those toning gains you made and you will now have an easier time cutting that fat.

Plus you may change your idea of how much weight you need to lose if you actually saw what your body looks like after you toned up your muscles. A lot of people have this goal weight in mind because all the focus on is losing fat, but have no clue what their weight goal would be if they built some decent muscle mass.

This girl is the #1 example people give out when conveying this idea. Read her blog.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

kshama2001

Another vote for both.

What's the rational behind waiting for strength training? This question gets asked a lot and am wondering the reason behind it.

cwolfman13

both are important to overall fitness. your weight loss isn't really going to be dependent on whether you do one or the other or neither or both as your diet is going to have far more impact here. look at it from a fitness standpoint...when you do that, it is pretty obvious that both are important.

as lifting goes, i'd highly recommend doing an established, structured program...i guarantee you that you will feel like you're working then. you should also be lifting a weight that is challenging for you at whatever rep range you are in...likely, part of why you don't feel like you're working is that you're not lifting with challenging enough weight...if you're just doing your own thing, it is also likely that you're doing a lot of isolation work and little to know compound work...compound work is where you're really going to feel the work.

auddii

Stoshew71

For those that are suggesting to do both....

Here's the thing. If she decides to add muscle mass (for the reasons I listed above), then she will have to be at a calorie surplus (at least for a temporary amount of time). Cardio will make eating at a calorie surplus harder. It means she will have to eat more to make up for the exercise.

Now that may not be a bad thing. However, if you find out for one reason or another that doing the cardio is being a hinderance (because you cannot eat enough to maintain that 500 calorie or even 250 calorie surplus), or your schedule doesn't allow you to do both weights and cardio) then my vote is to concentrate on the strength training and take a break from the cardio for now.

EDITED: I wanted to add something. I went back in did some digging. For a clean bulk, 250 calories surplus is really want you want to do. Not 500. 500 calorie suplus may be too much.
This will emphasize that the weight that you do gain is due to muscle mass gain, and minimize the amount of fat gain. But you will have to compliment this with heavy weight training. Not the pink dumbells. And again, protein.

rontafoya

Weight training. Heavy weight training. Plus a caloric deficit. At 46, I am down to 11% body fat and falling, and I did this doing no cardio at all. Since you asked for science based, see anabolicmen.com and leangains.com for lots of links to studies on this subject. All cardio really does is burn calories. Weights burn calories, build muscle (which raises your resting metabolic rate) and helps with hormone balances. As you add lean body mass, you'll raise your metabolism which in turn will make it easier to eat a bit more while continuing to eat at a caloric deficit. Getting stronger will route more nutrients toward building and maintaining lean mass. Usually, with cardio only, you build no muscle and often actually burn/lose muscle along with the fat. Only strength training maintains and builds lean mass, not cardio. And regardless of the kind of exercise you do, ONLY a caloric deficit will result in weight loss. May as well lose fat instead of muscle.

rontafoya

Also--as a beginning weight lifter you can both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Only beginners have this luxury. You may as well take advantage of that.

missADS1981

people tend to forget that strength training also gives a cardio benefit as well, esp when super setting.
to change your shape/muscle then def add weight training. it all depends on your goals. if you want to just drop body fat but not increase muscle then you can do cardio all day long, but it wont give you the strength or the shape you might desire.

RoxieDawn

Do what ever is fun! Do what ever is going to get you to your goals... If you need to build muscle, lift. If you are still loosing weight but want to maintain muscle, lift and cardio, if you just want cardiovascular health and do not care about the muscle, cardio... If you just want to loose weight and want calorie burns, cardio...

IMHO, it depends on your fitness goals and you need a goal to know how to make a plan and search for a program or learn how to exercise...

Do what benefits your health, your goals, and better yet make it safe and fun!

gothchiq

the advice they (the people you mentioned) gave you is goofy. start strength training now. It can only help.

auddii

Stoshew71 wrote: »

For those that are suggesting to do both....

Here's the thing. If she decides to add muscle mass (for the reasons I listed above), then she will have to be at a calorie surplus (at least for a temporary amount of time). Cardio will make eating at a calorie surplus harder. It means she will have to eat more to make up for the exercise.

Now that may not be a bad thing. However, if you find out for one reason or another that doing the cardio is being a hinderance (because you cannot eat enough to maintain that 500 calorie or even 250 calorie surplus), or your schedule doesn't allow you to do both weights and cardio) then my vote is to concentrate on the strength training and take a break from the cardio for now.

EDITED: I wanted to add something. I went back in did some digging. For a clean bulk, 250 calories surplus is really want you want to do. Not 500. 500 calorie suplus may be too much.
This will emphasize that the weight that you do gain is due to muscle mass gain, and minimize the amount of fat gain. But you will have to compliment this with heavy weight training. Not the pink dumbells. And again, protein.

She's still looking to lose another 1-2 stone. My vote is cardio and weight lifting now to retain as much muscle mass as possible while losing (also assisted by a moderate deficit and not having an overaggressive goal). If she would like to bulk in the future to put on muscle mass, then I agree, a small surplus and cut back on cardio unless she just loves eating tons of food.

Stoshew71

OK! The people that said that it's too early to get toned up are saying it for this reason: The muscle you gain "may" get hidden by the fat you are still carrying. Which may be true. But so what? So you loose all the weight and find out that a skinny boney person with all this skin hanging all over the place. is that the correct time to start weight lifting?

The other choice: you strength train now. You gain some muscle now. You may not necessarily see it all now, but you will now be building a base that will help you lose the fat faster and easier later on (because you can now eat more calories and still lose weight). Your muscle mass will fill out some of the volume you loss from your fat loss, so the skin won't just be hanging there. We call that being "skinny fat". You are skinny, but you still look fat cause all of the hanging skin.

sijomial

rontafoya wrote: »

Also--as a beginning weight lifter you can both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Only beginners have this luxury. You may as well take advantage of that.

Not true at all.
I've been weight training since about 1974 and have still recomped successfully.

A little piece of info for people suggesting that adding a few pounds of muscle makes a significant difference to your daily calorie burn....
A pound of fat takes about two calories a day for your body to maintain.
A pound of skeletal muscle takes about six calories.

What makes a significant difference is using your muscle - activity and exercise.

Stoshew71

sijomial wrote: »

rontafoya wrote: »

Also--as a beginning weight lifter you can both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Only beginners have this luxury. You may as well take advantage of that.

Not true at all.
I've been weight training since about 1974 and have still recomped successfully.

A little piece of info for people suggesting that adding a few pounds of muscle makes a significant difference to your daily calorie burn....
A pound of fat takes about two calories a day for your body to maintain.
A pound of skeletal muscle takes about six calories.

What makes a significant difference is using your muscle - activity and exercise.

That is still a plus for having more muscle and less fat. Still 3x the amount of calories burnt.
Plus I wasn't suggesting she stop working out once she builds muscle.
I was just indicating that no one is constantly exercising 24/7. So the time you are not exercising, which is actually most of the hours in a day, you will be burning more calories than someone who had less muscular mass than you.

sijomial

Stoshew71 wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

rontafoya wrote: »

Also--as a beginning weight lifter you can both gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Only beginners have this luxury. You may as well take advantage of that.

Not true at all.
I've been weight training since about 1974 and have still recomped successfully.

A little piece of info for people suggesting that adding a few pounds of muscle makes a significant difference to your daily calorie burn....
A pound of fat takes about two calories a day for your body to maintain.
A pound of skeletal muscle takes about six calories.

What makes a significant difference is using your muscle - activity and exercise.

That is still a plus for having more muscle and less fat. Still 3x the amount of calories burnt.
Plus I wasn't suggesting she stop working out once she builds muscle.
I was just indicating that no one is constantly exercising 24/7. So the time you are not exercising, which is actually most of the hours in a day, you will be burning more calories than someone who had less muscular mass than you.

A plus for sure - just a tiny, tiny, tiny one. Absolutely dwarfed by walking up a few flights of stairs or walking just a little more.

My post is more to address the type of misinformation such as this...

If you had to choose one or the other I would say strength training, burns more calories over a longer period of time.

It's simply not true and often based on ridiculously inflated calorie estimates for strength training, EPOC and the body's energy needs to maintain muscle.

But calorie burn shouldn't be the main point of either strength training or cardio.