Strength training or cardio to get the weight off?
batgirl_273
Posts: 70 Member
Just wondering everyone's experiences and recommendations. I'm looking to lose 50-60 more lbs, and I'm more focused on getting the weight off right now than I am toning, but I also hear strength training burns more calories than cardio. I hired a personal trainer for strength training but I wonder if it would be better to wait for that ($$$).
What's your experience with trying to lose the weight first, then focusing on toning? Or should I be doing both at the same time? Does strength training expedite the weight loss?
What's your experience with trying to lose the weight first, then focusing on toning? Or should I be doing both at the same time? Does strength training expedite the weight loss?
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Start strength training as soon as possible. Lifting while you are on your weight loss journey helps retain muscle to help your body composition when you get down to goal.
Typically no, strength training will not burn more than cardio. Cardio is great for heart health and helping you create a deficit but in the end fat loss will come from the deficit you create from your diet and exercise. Keep in mind, weight lifting can cause water retention in the beginning, so try not to let it affect you and just keep going.
My experience, after my first pregnancy I lost my baby weight without lifting and I looked OK... but it wasn't the body composition I was happy with. So.... not a good idea.
My second pregnancy I lifted during and as soon as I was cleared and it made a word of a difference when I got back down to goal weight, like.. wow.
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I'm not an expert, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
Strength training during weight loss is always good. Without it, you are likely to lose some muscle along with the fat loss. Increased muscle also requires more calories to maintain, so you will have a higher BMR the more muscle you have. However, if you are eating at a deficit, you're unlikely to build much muscle, so I don't think a significant change to your BMR is likely during weight loss. I've also heard people say that strength training increases your metabolism, but I haven't researched whether or not there's any science behind that. (Hopefully someone with more knowledge can weigh in.)
Given those things, cardio burns more calories and if all you care about is the number on the scale, then cardio is likely to have a bigger effect, so if your question is about splitting your time between cardio and strength training, that's probably your answer. That being said, as for the personal trainer, there's still plenty of reasons to choose a strength training personal trainer. You can do cardio on your own. Jogging, walking, running can all be done on your own without any coaching. There are plenty of youtube and other free videos for other cardio workouts. But for strength training, a personal trainer can be helpful to help you design a routine and to correct your form. So if your choice is personal trainer for cardio or personal trainer for strength training, I say strength training. If your choice is personal trainer (for strength training) now or save the money to hire one after you've lost weight, I still say hire one now. There's no reason not to start strength training now and you can learn a good routine and proper form if you can't stick with that trainer forever.1 -
I have lost 25 lbs with a combo of heavy weight lifting 4-5 days a week and adding some HIIT cardio (15-20 mins) 2-3 days a week. For me, the lifting is essential - there were weeks I would skip the cardio, and still I would drop weight and inches.5
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Definitely strength training. You want to lose as little muscle as possible as you lose weight. Cardio can be fun (if you enjoy what you're doing) and you get to eat a little more.
Weight lifting is where it's at.2 -
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Cardio burns more calories than strength training, though adding some strength training will help preserve muscle.
Personally, I would hold off on the trainer. Start a simple strength training program on your own, even if it is body weight exercises or a circuit of machines at the gym. Add in lots of cardio. Once you get to the point where you have lost a good amount of weight and are switching the focus to strength, if you don't feel you are progressing as you would like to with the strength training you can hire someone then to help you improve (though there are many great books and websites that will give you the same guidance for little or no money.)1 -
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I'm a group fitness trainer. I HIGHLY (VERY HIGHLY) recommend a combination of both so that way you don't lose muscle while losing fat. Yes, more muscle burns more calories. Don't neglect cardio though because cardio helps improve your performance in strength training as well as providing a whole lot of other benefits. I cannot suggest to you how frequent you should do cardio and strength training because you have to find what works for you, what makes you feel comfortable, etc. Find anything that challenges your body and can keep you being consistent. Also remember that your eating matters a whole lot too.3
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Not to hijack this thread, but what should you do if you can't really do strength training?1
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lucypstacy wrote: »Not to hijack this thread, but what should you do if you can't really do strength training?
It is physical limitations or equipment? There are many modifications you can do and bodyweight workouts if you don't have access to a gym0 -
lucypstacy wrote: »Not to hijack this thread, but what should you do if you can't really do strength training?
It is physical limitations or equipment? There are many modifications you can do and bodyweight workouts if you don't have access to a gym
Physical limitations. I have ehlers danlos hypermobility type. I can't put stress on my joints because I dislocate extremely easily. I have no ligaments in my right knee right now because I tore all of this by stepping backwards while turning.0 -
Eating in a deficit is where one loses weight.
Lifting should be done in attempt to retain muscle otherwise losing more muscle will more than likely not give to the "tone" look.
In general cardio burns more calories than lifting, once again I would focus on your caloric intake, not you activity at first.
I would only hire a strength trainer that has a successful track record that fits my goals. One that I can actually see resulrs, not just hear.1 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »Cardio burns more calories than strength training, though adding some strength training will help preserve muscle.
Personally, I would hold off on the trainer. Start a simple strength training program on your own, even if it is body weight exercises or a circuit of machines at the gym. Add in lots of cardio. Once you get to the point where you have lost a good amount of weight and are switching the focus to strength, if you don't feel you are progressing as you would like to with the strength training you can hire someone then to help you improve (though there are many great books and websites that will give you the same guidance for little or no money.)
Cardio is not essential for weight loss, it's only a tool to help you achieve your deficit. I am proof of it, I lost 25 lbs in 4 months without doing any cardio for a good 3 months . I only needed to add cardio on my last month when I didn't want to lower my calories any further. What matters most in weight loss is being in a caloric deficit, stuff like cardio, Intermittent fasting, keto diets, paleo diets or whatever diet is out there, they are all tools to be used to help one acheive a caloric deficit, but the most important thing is to know what your TDEE (aka calories that you burn per day) is and be in a deficit in order to lose weight.
I highly suggest to not go crazy, I see many women eating under 1200 calories and doing 6-7 days of cardio, that is too excessive and at one point you will get frustrated because you will hit a weight loss plateau.
I did not say cardio is essential for weight loss, so I'm not sure why you are even responding to me in this fashion. If you read the OP you would realize that we were specifically asked what we recommended in terms of exercise to help with weight loss. That is what I addressed.0 -
I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.0
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.1 -
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MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.1 -
Ironandwine69 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.
Depending on the cardio you do, you can also get strength training benefits. Running sprints will build lower body muscle, as will hiking. I did thousands of squats and lunges, many with weights...and never developed my pancake butt. But six months of weekly hiking worked miracles...no more pancake butt for me.1 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.
Depending on the cardio you do, you can also get strength training benefits. Running sprints will build lower body muscle, as will hiking. I did thousands of squats and lunges, many with weights...and never developed my pancake butt. But six months of weekly hiking worked miracles...no more pancake butt for me.
Agree, I have never done hiking often enough, but yes sprints are awesome for lower body1 -
right now I do 45 mins of cardio 5-6 days a week (running in intervals with walking). I do strength training once a week but my trainer is recommending more (of course he is...). I have gotten great results on my own with just cardio (down 25lbs), but I want to tone the problem areas like my flabby arms. I'm just wondering where to focus most of my activity right now until I get closer to my goal weight. I should add that although I want to lose 50-60 more lbs, my body is incredibly proportioned and I don't look at all what I weigh. People are dumbfounded when I tell them I'm 230lbs, so I mostly want to just firm it all up but I obviously have flab to get rid of first.0
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.
That heart rate increase is not indicative of a cardio training effect. It occurs via a completely different physiological process that is not aerobic.
Heavy lifting has the aerobic effect of a mild to brisk walk, i.e. 3-4 METs. If you alter the strength movement to make it more "aerobic-y", then you will get a compromised strength effect.
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OP, all you technically need for weight loss is a calorie deficit. But honestly the best answer to your question is both.
Cardio burns more calories so you can eat more food. It's also really important for all-around health.
Strength training will help to limit the amount of muscle you lose while eating at a deficit and can help you look "firmer" when you get down to your goal weight. It's also really important for all-around health.
So it kind of depends on what your priorities are and how much time you have. Strictly looking at calories in the here and now, cardio is probably more useful. I tend to take a couple of 15 minute walks on strength training days, so I still earn enough calories to eat what I want
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Ironandwine69 wrote: »I see cardio as just a way to create a calorie deficit. Weight lifting is a must if it's possible. Cardio is optional, but you can create a deficit with diet.
It's also important for cardiovascular health. You don't need either to lose weight. But if you want to actually be healthy, you need at least some cardio.
Depending on how you lift, you can get the cardiovascular health benefits. My heart rate was through the roof this morning while doing squats and barbell lunges.
That heart rate increase is not indicative of a cardio training effect. It occurs via a completely different physiological process that is not aerobic.
Heavy lifting has the aerobic effect of a mild to brisk walk, i.e. 3-4 METs. If you alter the strength movement to make it more "aerobic-y", then you will get a compromised strength effect.
Okay.0 -
DapperDassie wrote: »Both
This^
It's not a matter of one or the other.
You can lose weight just doing CICO w/o cardio or strength training BUT strength training helps maintain (and maybe even increase) LBM and cardio is useful in burning cals to keep CO higher than CI but also has other health/physical benefits -
- such increased respiratory endurance and reduced cholesterol and blood pressure levels - - not provided by only strength training.
How much you do of one or the other will vary. There's no "one fits all" program but generally speaking one should probably do more cardio early on until your weight goal is reached while also doing progressive linear strength training until you plateau in both weight and strength, when you can decide whether you want to switch to maintenance (or set a different weight/strength objective).
Bottomline, in order to lose weight AND achieve a better level of health and fitness, you need to do both strength training and cardio while losing (and later maintaining) your weight via CICO.2 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »MoiAussi93 wrote: »Cardio burns more calories than strength training, though adding some strength training will help preserve muscle.
Personally, I would hold off on the trainer. Start a simple strength training program on your own, even if it is body weight exercises or a circuit of machines at the gym. Add in lots of cardio. Once you get to the point where you have lost a good amount of weight and are switching the focus to strength, if you don't feel you are progressing as you would like to with the strength training you can hire someone then to help you improve (though there are many great books and websites that will give you the same guidance for little or no money.)
Cardio is not essential for weight loss, it's only a tool to help you achieve your deficit. I am proof of it, I lost 25 lbs in 4 months without doing any cardio for a good 3 months . I only needed to add cardio on my last month when I didn't want to lower my calories any further. What matters most in weight loss is being in a caloric deficit, stuff like cardio, Intermittent fasting, keto diets, paleo diets or whatever diet is out there, they are all tools to be used to help one acheive a caloric deficit, but the most important thing is to know what your TDEE (aka calories that you burn per day) is and be in a deficit in order to lose weight.
I highly suggest to not go crazy, I see many women eating under 1200 calories and doing 6-7 days of cardio, that is too excessive and at one point you will get frustrated because you will hit a weight loss plateau.
I did not say cardio is essential for weight loss, so I'm not sure why you are even responding to me in this fashion. If you read the OP you would realize that we were specifically asked what we recommended in terms of exercise to help with weight loss. That is what I addressed.
I wasn't accusing you or attacking, I just wanted to inform the OP, that's it...sorry if it sounded like I was attacking you, I wasn't. My message was for informational purposes because many people I know believe a lot of myth like cardio = weight loss guaranteed and stuff like that.
Thanks. Sorry, I just misinterpreted and overreacted. Walls of text with no voice or body language cues make online deciphering tricky...hazard of message boards!1 -
Thinking of exercise in terms of what it will do for your weight loss efforts is looking at just one of the benefits of it, and it's really only a secondary benefit.
The main approach, I think, should be to look at it from a fitness perspective.
It is recommended that individuals to both cardio and resistance work for fitness, and OP, you should do some of both.
A lot of people on these forums are quick to recommend certain methods as being the only ways to do either of these things, but there is more than one way to get a cardio workout, and there is more than one way to get a form of resistance training. Not all of them will accomplish the same things, but not everyone has the same goals.
If your main focus is calorie burning, for example, then you'd want to maybe make your resistance work some sort of circuit-based weight training and do additional cardio.
If your main focus is on building strength, then you'd want to do a progressive lifting program and do some light cardio.
Think about your goals, and come back and ask more questions!1 -
Calorie deficit for weight loss, a mixture of both cardio and strength training is optimal for health and all round fitness.
Try to make all three components sustainable and enjoyable - or at least bearable.
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The best results come with a total package approach: calorie deficit + cardio+strength training.1
This discussion has been closed.
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