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MyFitnessPal Community

Strength training instead of cardio

trudiebamford

Okay, so I've joined a gym, to do strength training more seriously than I was doing at home. And I've cut one cardio session to make more time for strength - so I'm doing three of each a week.

But I'm panicking. I'm used to killing it on my bike or running, and I feel like I've traded down, because although I'm working hard on strength training, it doesn't FEEL as hard as an hour of cardio (I don't pour with sweat, for a start), and I don't get to eat back a load of exercise calories, and......

I guess I need reassurance that I'm doing the right thing and that I'm going to see results!!!

I'm still about 10lbs away from GW, and I would estimate about 27% body fat - I do want to build muscle, but I also reeeeeeally want that fat gone.

Replies

coachmer_

sweat has nothing to do with the amount of calories burned. i personally don't sweat much when i lift either.

Will_Run_for_Food

Don't panic! You are doing a good thing. Strength training is important for us especially as we age. Skeletal muscle mass = independence.

Give it some time. Tell yourself you will try this for 12 weeks and see how you feel at the end. Plus, if you're still doing three cardio workouts/week, that's awesome!

You can also try incorporating some quick HIIT routines after your strength training sessions if you really want to feel like you've put in a good workout (though if you're doing ST properly, you already have).

RoxieDawn

Dont panic..

I actually do both.. My running keeps me sane.. I get time restraints, schedules, changes in over all weight loss and body compensation goals, etc.. But you are still losing weight and it can help a wee bit with your deficit.

You will start to build some muscle as a newbie lifter eating in a calorie deficit. If you can stick out the last 10 pounds doing this and then move to recomp (maintain and keep lifting) you will be in good shape to put on some muscle, albeit it is very slow.

You will find the right balance that works either way.. Just make sure you stick to the program and don't throw in the towel.

trudiebamford

Thank you, ladies! I am really enjoying it, and that's a big surprise.

sllm1

Keep it up! Yes, it will be rewarding in the long run!

MelanieCN77

I started strength training in June and am loving seeing definition in my arms and shoulders. I've started varying what I do so I am moving around muscle groups and adding some proper leg days in and fitting cardio in too. My treadmill and Apple Watch give me a good idea of calorie burn for the cardio but I am at a loss for the weights workouts. Last workout was an hour of alternating 3 sets of 15 reps of a weight move, and the same of some abs, back and forth. Minimal breaks. I set the AW to "other" as there is no setting for strength and it pretty much gave me a "long walk" count of 241 cals. How many do we think we burn in an hour of weights?

serapel

I have stopped cardio altogether to focus on strength. I find that I not only have to eat more, I am always hungry and have no problem maintaining 19% body fat at the age of 45.

I will go back to cardio twice a week when I have the strength results that I want. It has been 5 months now.

serapel

I also find that I sweat a whole lot more when I'm doing lower body just bc the muscles are bigger.

Sumiblue

I lift primarily and do minimal cardio for the enjoyment and health benefits. Lifting has been the best thing I could do for myself. I feel younger (I'm 47) because I'm strong and trim. It's given me a lot of confidence and I'm a smaller size now than I've been for most of my adult years.

Chieflrg

Congrats on working towards yours goals.

Lifting is really good to help retain muscle as one loses weight they lose fat and muscle.

Keep in mind that sweat doesn't equate how hard you worked.

When ypu get down to around 20% fat perhaps you might start a bulk as you mentioned you'll like to add muscle.

Justme_1

Sore muscles burn calories well after the workout. Great to see so many ladies lifting

GottaBurnEmAll

I prefer cardio right now, but decided to pull back on it and really focus more on lifting (I was faffing about with it over the summer a bit when I really got into running) when I was diagnosed with osteopenia.

I've had periods in the past where I was more into lifting before, so I do enjoy it. It's been fun to get back into the swing of it again.

You're doing the right thing. A mix of the two is a good gift to your future self.

I'm 54.

not_a_runner

4 weeks ago I cut all cardio when I started a new strength program (I was averaging 30 min 5x a week light cardio) but I'm still lifting 4x a week like before. My weight has actually been dropping faster since then and I've decided to up my calories starting this week.
Maybe supersetting or circuit type workouts would be something to try if you really want that "cardio feeling." There's not a one size fits all way to lift weights, find a way that's enjoyable for YOU!
(I've had many lifting-only workouts where I am gasping for air and pouring sweat haha.)

oilphins

Strength training with weights burns way more fat but cardio burns more calories. That's why it's a great idea your doing both. I'm an avid runner and run 4 days a week but also do cross and strength training two days a week by going to a boxing club. Both work very well.

cwolfman13

trudiebamford wrote: »

Okay, so I've joined a gym, to do strength training more seriously than I was doing at home. And I've cut one cardio session to make more time for strength - so I'm doing three of each a week.

But I'm panicking. I'm used to killing it on my bike or running, and I feel like I've traded down, because although I'm working hard on strength training, it doesn't FEEL as hard as an hour of cardio (I don't pour with sweat, for a start), and I don't get to eat back a load of exercise calories, and......

I guess I need reassurance that I'm doing the right thing and that I'm going to see results!!!

I'm still about 10lbs away from GW, and I would estimate about 27% body fat - I do want to build muscle, but I also reeeeeeally want that fat gone.

What kind of program are you running?

mgalovic01

You might want to try a circuit workout. Basically, jump from machine to machine with little rest time in between and get a full body workout. This should knock your socks off. Just, be careful, because it's easy to overdo it. Give yourself more rest time in between sets at first until you can gauge how your heart reacts to it. Also, going from the leg press machine to the bench press machine, and compound muscle working machines like them will wear you out fast. It takes your heart a minute to catch up, so there is a delayed effect. I recommend a good warm-up before doing that.
Once you got the blast you wanted, you can isolate certain muscle groups and focus on low rep, high weight sets to build strength.

musclesandmusic866

Only allow 30 seconds in between sets and I can guarantee it will feel harder than your cardio.

Leadfoot_Lewis

trudiebamford wrote: »

But I'm panicking. I'm used to killing it on my bike or running, and I feel like I've traded down, because although I'm working hard on strength training, it doesn't FEEL as hard as an hour of cardio (I don't pour with sweat, for a start), and I don't get to eat back a load of exercise calories, and......

There's a misconception in the "fitness world" that you have to do cardio because it's the only thing that works for fat loss which is far from the truth. While 30 minutes of cardio will burn more calories than lifting weights, you need to look beyond the numbers...

Cardio is good for cardiovascular health no doubt. You will get some calorie burn after exercising in the form of EPOC (Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).

Weight lifting is good for stronger bone density & ups your metabolism. Weight lifting increases Hormone Growth Hormone (HGH) which cardio does very little if any to increase. HGH promotes muscle building and fat burning after lifting. Weightlifting is also better for your over-all aesthetics. I personally have a MUCH better physique now doing mostly lifting/some cardio than when I did mostly cardio/some lifting. I could go on with more of the benefits of weight lifting but I think you get the idea.

canadianlbs

they can both be as hard as you want to make them, but ime they feel very different. it takes a while to recognise how hard you are working with lifting, i think. even the grindiest rep only takes a handful of seconds, and then you recover from it pretty quick. so it's easy to underestimate what you just did.

it's interesting sometimes to calculate volume for a given lift. 5x5 whatever doesn't seem like much individually, but when you do math and find that you just moved a metric ton through time and space, it shifts your perspective a bit

michael_hatten

One big difference between lifting and cardio that I noticed is that there is a lot of "dead" time while lifting. Between waiting your turn, adjusting machines, and rest time between sets, your actual exertion time might be less than you think, With cardio, once you start the exercise, you're hitting it full time until you stop. You can improve your time with circuit training but even so ...

I tend to favor cardio but my goals may be different than yours. My main objective is heart health and that's what cardio is made for. The other side effects -- flexibility, aesthetics, and weight control -- are secondary to me. I do cardio to save my life.