Beginner question

zeldon919

Background first:
I am just just starting to work out (first one today). I'm 70-100lbs overweight (depending on your criteria), and very unfit/out of shape.

I'm also naturally very strong and very muscular. It's genetic, and requires no effort to build or maintain.

My main fitness goal is to build an exercise habit (at least 30min 3x week), and the second is to improve my cardio endurance (walk uphill without being winded, etc...)

Question:
I've read everywhere that strength training is as if not more important than cardio.
Based on my current level and my goals, is it really necessary at the moment?
Would I be doing myself harm by not including a strength component from the start?
I really hate it, and I know I can't avoid it forever, but being able to avoid it for the moment would be lovely.

SideSteel

zeldon919 wrote: »

Background first:
I am just just starting to work out (first one today). I'm 70-100lbs overweight (depending on your criteria), and very unfit/out of shape.

I'm also naturally very strong and very muscular. It's genetic, and requires no effort to build or maintain.

My main fitness goal is to build an exercise habit (at least 30min 3x week), and the second is to improve my cardio endurance (walk uphill without being winded, etc...)

Question:
I've read everywhere that strength training is as if not more important than cardio.
Based on my current level and my goals, is it really necessary at the moment?
Would I be doing myself harm by not including a strength component from the start?
I really hate it, and I know I can't avoid it forever, but being able to avoid it for the moment would be lovely.

If I were you I would start by choosing any activity that does not involve being sedentary, regardless of whether or not it includes lifting.

I would start by choosing the most enjoyable activity you can and I would focus on adherence first followed by some form of performance improvement in that activity.

For example if you choose to go walking, after you are able to adhere for a couple of weeks I would increase the distance you walk slightly, each week. This is just one example.

Adherence is going to be your number one priority at this point.

zeldon919

Thanks! That's what I thought, and was hoping.

Any other opinions?

capaul42

While I agree with the "find something you like" idea, I do think strength training is important. I've read a lot of posts from people who all say the same thing: "I wish I'd started strength training sooner" . And I agree. I wish I had too. But I actually found I loved it once I got into it.

Find something you will do. Not something you will hate doing and avoid. Find something you enjoy. Which means try lots of different things. Strength training is more than lifting weights or those machines you see at the gym. It's also bodyweight exercises and resistance bands. You may enjoy one or more of those options.

jgnatca

Check out this dude.

https://youtu.be/C0HYVZl9aHk

He's having a lot of fun with crossfit these days.

spiriteagle99

If you hate weights, don't do it, especially since your goal is to get more aerobic fitness. As stated above, it's more important to find something you enjoy doing, so that you will build a consistent routine.

Start with walking every other day, so 3 days one week and 4 days the next. Half an hour is a good start, and when that gets comfortable, try increasing both time and distance gradually. You might try other activities as well: a bike, swimming, dancing, dvds, etc. If you want to build some muscle, do body weight exercises.

jessef593

If you hate a certain exercise then don't do it. If you don't like it, you're that more likely to fall off of it. I personally hate cardio so I never do it, but I absolutely love lifting, so that is my preferred form of exercise

OldAssDude

The CDC recommends 150 minutes per week of exercise to maintain a healthy fitness level and body weight. To improve or achieve a higher level of fitness they recommend double the minutes per week. 1 to 3 sessions of muscular and 3 to 5 sessions of cardio.

I do mainly cardio, and exercise every day most of the time. I do power walking and jogging, and in the summer I ride my bike and go kayaking. I do get on my total gym knock off from time to time, but I also figure that power walking, jogging, and cycling are good muscular workouts for the legs, and kayaking is a good total upper body work out if done vigorously.

I do think I should do more strength training though as I am 59 and should probably at least maintain my muscle (maybe even build a little).

I lost 55 lbs. in the past year and a half, and went from obese and extremely out of shape to only slightly over weight and at a fair fitness level. I can power walk up to 10 miles at a 4.5+ mph pace, and jog 5 miles at about a 5 mph pace.

If you want to lose weight and increase your cardio fitness level you probably want to focus mainly on cardio. You can always fit in a muscular workout here and there as well.

lorrpb

Strength training will help you retain muscle rather than losing it along with the fat. You want to lose moslty fat, i assume, not just "weight". You will be happier with your body and your level of functioning in the end. It took me 2.5 years to lose 150 lbs. I started strength training day 1 and am so glad I did. You don't have to use barbells or dumbbells if that's what you're saying you "hate". There are lots of ways to strength train.

zeldon919

Thanks for the opinions.

The gym I joined is sort of crappy and cheap (Planet Fitness style). My plan is to go there for mostly cardio to just build the habit of working out, which has in and of itself been a struggle in the past. It also has no trainers, and injuring myself with bad form sort of terrifies me.

Once the habit is firmly in place I'll join the good gym closer to my house, with trainers, classes, a pool. When I have enough of a habit that I'll use all that stuff, and I'll start on an actual program and add in strength. Hopefully this'll be by summer, so early enough in my journey that I won't have done too much damage (or whatever).

jemhh

Avoid it if you want to but, from one woman with PCOS to another, I'd advise you to do some sort of resistance training sooner rather than later. By sooner, I would suggest within the first few months that you start exercising. I did one month no exercise, one month walking only, and then in the third month I added bodyweight training, which is resistance training.

Reading material for you: https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/take-charge-of-polycystic-ovarian-syndrome-with-strength-training

sardelsa

jemhh wrote: »

Avoid it if you want to but, from one woman with PCOS to another, I'd advise you to do some sort of resistance training sooner rather than later. By sooner, I would suggest within the first few months that you start exercising. I did one month no exercise, one month walking only, and then in the third month I added bodyweight training, which is resistance training.

Reading material for you: https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/take-charge-of-polycystic-ovarian-syndrome-with-strength-training

Wow I didn't know this, thanks for sharing. I have PCOS (non-IR) so glad to know I have made a positive change by incorporating weight training.

serapel

just get out there and be active. it's more important that you get out there and do something you enjoy than do something you hate for 2 months before you quit.

This winter would be a great time to maybe take up cross country skiing?

Cherimoose

zeldon919 wrote: »

Based on my current level and my goals, is it really necessary at the moment?
Would I be doing myself harm by not including a strength component from the start?

No. In fact you're more likely to injure yourself by starting now, since obese newbies tend to have poor form and are prone to overuse issues. Cardio.. especially interval cardio.. does an equal job at improving PCOS symptoms as strength training but with less risk, so i'd start with the elliptical, walking, biking, etc.

Summer is fine to start strength training seriously, but in 2-3 months, consider doing a short, simple strength routine to get your body (and mind) ready for heavier stuff. It could be as simple as 2 sets of the leg press machine, chest press machine, and seated row machine, 8-12 reps each, plus a few sets of planks afterward. That covers the majority of your muscles.

Personally i think the best way to build a habit is to do it daily. Consider doing 10-15 minutes of something at home - step drills, dance videos, walking, jump rope, whatever. Daily exercise keeps your mind "in the game" so to speak.

canadianlbs

if building the habit is top of your list (and i say yay if it is) then prioritize that and do things you're not having to force yourself to. so yes, the strength factor might suffer if you do it that way <-- especially if some of that current strength you mentioned is actually a function of you carrying 100 pounds around all the time, rather than because of your genes.

but i think you're the only person who can know things like that. i.e. how strong is your strength-work hatred? how much mental engineering is it going to take to build up that mental habit? i get that it's optimal to maintain muscle while losing weight, but there's also being realistic about your own personality and working with the person you already are. so if you're a person who'll fail at both if you try to do them both at the same time, then adjust and start by doing the one it'll be less of an effort to do. you can build up mental fortitude for the second one while you're busy with the first one, at least imo.

fwiw, i love lifting but came to it late after a lifetime of thinking i hated everything associated with weight rooms and weight room culture. so it's not like you only get that early window to change things like this in your mind. good luck and congrats on starting.

steelcutfit

I think most people hit upon it so my comments will probably be more just confirmation.

To summarize your goals:
1) get into a regular exercise habit
2) Improve cardio health

With this in mind, if you want to build a habit, the activity should be something you want to enjoy. So if strength training isn't enjoyable you don't have to do it if you are looking to build a exercise habit. However, there are exercises out there that can combine strength training with cardio.

For improving cardio fitness, I would recommend writing out specific goals. What does this goal look like? This will work in conjunction with your first goal to get into a regular habit because you can do activities that fulfill both goals.

Lynzdee18

I lost 60 pounds with just restricting my calories and walking for the first 4 months. Been maintaining since the spring. This last month I added more cardio and now weight circuit to tone.

vikinglander

Hey Zeldon...I'm barely more than beginner myself. I spent 6 months or more getting my food logging down, then quit smoking, and as of November I have begun working on regular exercise. I started by just walking, a 10 minute walk first, then 20, then 30, then faster, now a 30 minute power walk. I have also been using the videos at Fall Back Into Fitness:

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/fall-back-fitness-pledge/

There are two strength, two cardio, and one stretch in the course of a week, with two rest days (which I try to take after the strength days. Sometimes I do more than one in a day. These have really helped me get into the routine.

There are hundreds of other users here on MFP with hundreds of other opinions and angles, some or all or none of which you may find useful. These videos are working for me and i can feel the difference, especially in my arthritic and previously extremely painful right knee...virtually pain-free now.

Good luck to you...feel free to add me if you like.

zeldon919

Thanks everyone, and happy new year.

For now I'm going to focus on cardio, with some yoga interspersed.
At some point I plan on joining a gym with trainers, at which point I'll develop a more intentional regime with some strength.

Someone mentioned specific goals - I have them, but they're vague. I work at the top of a pretty big hill, so walking up that easily by spring/summer is a goal. Another is being able to go for leisurely bike rides this summer (my city has a bike share program and a lot of bike paths). Feeling comfortable enough to try indoor climbing (it's a combined weight/harness/fitness level thing).

jgnatca

@zeldon919 you can turn your vague goals (which I like) in to specific steps by breaking down your progress in to weekly targets.