Conflicting information

awoodnyc

Hi! I have noticed a lot of research that claims cardio is the least effective way to lose weight, and that strength training is better.
However, how to lose weight comes from a calorie deficit.

So when i'm at the gym and I spend a half hour lighting weights, I burn half the amount of calories compared to that much time doing cardio. Doesn't burning more calories = more weight loss?

I'm confused!

malibu927

I don't consider exercise a factor in losing weight. I do it to be healthy, plus with how MFP is set up you eat the exercise calories back so your deficit remains the same as it would if you weren't exercising.

Cardio is good for heart health, lifting is good for retaining your lean mass as you lose.

Lynzdee18

Now I do piles of cardio so I can eat more. But I first lost by just restricting my intake, and added cardio and weights once I got a good loss started.

Someone suggested I do cardio first, fairly intensely and then weights, so the burn continues more. I dunno. But that’s what I do......

Iheartrunning36

Calorie deficit is the only real effective way to lose weight. Burn more then you consume. Cardio is better in many ways because you burn more calories faster then weight lifting, but I don't have any educated insight. lol I refuse to weight lift being over weight, but plan on strength training within ten pounds of goal.

tess5036

Cardio helps you burn the calories which will burn both fat and muscle. Resistance training, including weights, helps to support the maintance of muscle, do you won't loose as much muscle. In turn general maintance requirements for muscle are higher than the equivalent of fat. It's not a matter of one or the other, you can do both (I do).

YosemiteSlamAK

I don't think that is true. The most effective exercise you can do to lose weight is the exercise you are willing to continue to do. The type of exercise should be aimed towards your goals. If you want to run a marathon, lifting a ton of weights won't get you there. Same goes for if you want to lift a car, using the elliptical won't do you much good. Cardio helps with your lung capacity, endurance and heart rate. Strength training helps with overall body composition, physical strength and blood pressure.
I have worked in the fitness industry for almost 2 decades at a variety of gyms. The simplified explanation is, in the short term cardio burn calories faster, but strength training burns calories longer. When you do cardio you burn more calories as your heart rate increases and continues to burn extra calories for a little while afterwards. Conversely as you strength train your increase your lean muscle mass, which burns additional calories all the time as you increase the amount of muscle you have.

sijomial

Doesn't burning more calories = more weight loss?

Only if you aren't using this site as designed.

Why do you think faster weight loss is better?

Would be a far more healthy long term view if you saw exercise as being good for you (both cardiovascular fitness and body composition aspects) rather than as a weight loss method. Exercise isn't just about calorie burns!
Ideally do both cardio and strength training or all the benefits of both types of exercise but fuel your exercise properly.

But you do realise exercise can actually be enjoyable? Hint - if it isn't you are going to stop sooner rather than later.

BTW - cardio doesn't burn muscle, that's a horrible myth. Overweight people have loads of energy to use before your body would turn to burning muscle. That would be a last resort due to a hopelessly inadequate diet.

anitastevens75

Great posts thanks all, I am only new too weight loss and muscle gaining.... I worry that I don’t burn enough calories when doing weights as it hard to figure out how many calories U burn from them... I now try to do weights 30min then cardio 60min ....not sure which I should do first ? - feel free to add me anyone it’s great being able to chat to people that get it :-)

YosemiteSlamAK

anitastevens75 wrote: »

I now try to do weights 30min then cardio 60min ....not sure which I should do first ? :-)

It is best to do the weights, then the cardio. Studies have shown the average person is able to strength train before cardio with little to no impact, whereas those same people tend to perform at a deficit in strength training following longer (your 60 min) cardio sessions

sijomial

anitastevens75 wrote: »

Great posts thanks all, I am only new too weight loss and muscle gaining.... I worry that I don’t burn enough calories when doing weights as it hard to figure out how many calories U burn from them... I now try to do weights 30min then cardio 60min ....not sure which I should do first ? - feel free to add me anyone it’s great being able to chat to people that get it :-)

As both cardio and strength training have a huge range of intensity there's no hard and fast rule but as a generalisation do first which is your priority.
Personally I far prefer to do all cardio one day, all strength training the next - less time wasting switching between different activities and more focus on the task at hand. Don't just exercise, train with a purpose!

PS - just log the duration of your strength training (under CV part) of your diary. It's a very rough estimate but good enough for what is a low calorie burn.

awoodnyc

sijomial wrote: »

Doesn't burning more calories = more weight loss?

Only if you aren't using this site as designed.

Why do you think faster weight loss is better?

Would be a far more healthy long term view if you saw exercise as being good for you (both cardiovascular fitness and body composition aspects) rather than as a weight loss method. Exercise isn't just about calorie burns!
Ideally do both cardio and strength training or all the benefits of both types of exercise but fuel your exercise properly.

But you do realise exercise can actually be enjoyable? Hint - if it isn't you are going to stop sooner rather than later.

BTW - cardio doesn't burn muscle, that's a horrible myth. Overweight people have loads of energy to use before your body would turn to burning muscle. That would be a last resort due to a hopelessly inadequate diet.

...Because I'm on a site that is mainly used for weight loss, and i'm aiming for 2 lbs a week. Obviously, I know exercise is good for me, thanks for the condescending lecture. Hint- I still don't like the gym and yet I go several times a week for and not planning on stoping anytime soon.

sijomial

awoodnyc wrote: »

sijomial wrote: »

Doesn't burning more calories = more weight loss?

Only if you aren't using this site as designed.

Why do you think faster weight loss is better?

Would be a far more healthy long term view if you saw exercise as being good for you (both cardiovascular fitness and body composition aspects) rather than as a weight loss method. Exercise isn't just about calorie burns!
Ideally do both cardio and strength training or all the benefits of both types of exercise but fuel your exercise properly.

But you do realise exercise can actually be enjoyable? Hint - if it isn't you are going to stop sooner rather than later.

BTW - cardio doesn't burn muscle, that's a horrible myth. Overweight people have loads of energy to use before your body would turn to burning muscle. That would be a last resort due to a hopelessly inadequate diet.

...Because I'm on a site that is mainly used for weight loss, and i'm aiming for 2 lbs a week. Obviously, I know exercise is good for me, thanks for the condescending lecture. Hint- I still don't like the gym and yet I go several times a week for and not planning on stoping anytime soon.

So you're aiming for maximum rate of loss and then also not eating back exercise calories and then looking to maximise calories burns from your exercise.

My apologies for trying to help you when you very accurately said

I'm confused!

Feel free to ask for a refund on the free and well meaning advice I gave.