Cardio vs Strength

hannahsharratt27

Hey. I started back in November time and began going to the gym at least four times a week. I love lifting weights and in each day I do, legs, shoulders, arms, back/chest etc, I will finish unable to do anymore as I've worked that hard. The next day I'll be sore but in a good way. The weight doesn't seem to be shifting even though I've also cut my calories a lot and after a month or so found it very easy to stay below. I know that strength and lifting weights at the time burns less than cardio, but then increases metabolism to burn off more in the time after exercising.

My question is this, should I be doing more cardio for the weight to be coming off, or will the weights still be contributing to some weight loss that I am maybe just not seeing? I don't have a scale at home and I've not been taking any progress pictures. I'm by no means overweight, my BMI is right in the middle of healthy (and as I have no muscles I have been told it is more reliable for someone like me), I just want to shift a few pounds as I no longer feel comfortable or confident with my body.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you.

TavistockToad

if you haven't got a scale and haven't taken measurements for progress then how do you know you haven't made progress?

if you're already a healthy weight you might want to consider recomp instead of weight loss?

H_Ock12

If body recomposition is your goal, start taking measurements and progress pics. It's amazing how much difference you can see in those versus looking in the mirror every day.

How strictly are you measuring your food intake? If you're at/near an ideal weight, you may need to weigh and measure more strictly than someone who has alot to lose.

erickirb

I suggest weighing solid foods and measuring liquids. sounds like you are eating more than you think. As for your lifting routine, I would suggest following a tried tested and true beginner program. Yours sounds like something you put together. a four day a week slit like you are doing is not ideal for beginners at all. check out strong curves, or starting strength for good beginner routines.

RoxieDawn

Since you say you need to lose a few pounds, you need to eat in a calorie deficit. However, the exercise you do is conducive to your fitness goals, so if you are working on body composition you need a slight deficit or maintenance calories, a progressive overload strength program and ensure the protein in your diet is adequate enough. The after burn effect you are referring to is minimal.

Setup MFP to lose .5 pounds a week or eat maintenance. Pick a program from the link provided.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Get familiar with recomping

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

If you want to start measuring progress, do progress photos, body measurements using a tape measure. A body weight scale is very helpful tool to use when working on body composition.

hannahsharratt27

Hey thanks for the replies! At first I guessed a lot of my food measurements like rice and pasta but then after a couple of weeks began weighing everything exactly, so I know what I have as my daily calories is accurate, if in the slightest bit of doubt I'll overestimate.

My gym routine at the moment is what my friend similar build and size, but more experienced and with the body I would want. She got me to go along with her to get some confidence and I've just been doing the same but with lower weights, but progressing to the higher weights when I feel I need to.

I feel there's not been a lot of lost weight as I wear vest tops in the gym and as stupid as it sounds my arms are a problem area which doesn't seem to be shifting. Clothes aren't getting much looser which is why I don't see progress. I was going to buy scales but I've heard from a few people that it's not the best way to focus on losing weight/toning up as I'll start putting weight on as I start building muscle. Is this true? Or will I gain the muscle only once all the 'fat' has gone?

Sorry for some probably painfully obvious questions, I just want to make sure I'm doing this properly

TavistockToad

hannahsharratt27 wrote: »

Hey thanks for the replies! At first I guessed a lot of my food measurements like rice and pasta but then after a couple of weeks began weighing everything exactly, so I know what I have as my daily calories is accurate, if in the slightest bit of doubt I'll overestimate.

My gym routine at the moment is what my friend similar build and size, but more experienced and with the body I would want. She got me to go along with her to get some confidence and I've just been doing the same but with lower weights, but progressing to the higher weights when I feel I need to.

I feel there's not been a lot of lost weight as I wear vest tops in the gym and as stupid as it sounds my arms are a problem area which doesn't seem to be shifting. Clothes aren't getting much looser which is why I don't see progress. I was going to buy scales but I've heard from a few people that it's not the best way to focus on losing weight/toning up as I'll start putting weight on as I start building muscle. Is this true? Or will I gain the muscle only once all the 'fat' has gone?

Sorry for some probably painfully obvious questions, I just want to make sure I'm doing this properly

read the links @RoxieDawn has posted, particularly the recomp one.

hannahsharratt27

Sorry I just saw that comment! I'll have a look thank you so much!

Wheelhouse15

As mentioned above but I'll distill it a bit, exercise/training is for your fitness goals while diet will be what determines your weight. Cardio and strength are not mutually exclusive and both are important in order to maximize your health and well being. I think the question you should ask yourself is more what do you want out of your fitness program, other than weight loss, and then adjust the mixture of cardio to strength training accordingly.

stanmann571

hannahsharratt27 wrote: »

Hey thanks for the replies! At first I guessed a lot of my food measurements like rice and pasta but then after a couple of weeks began weighing everything exactly, so I know what I have as my daily calories is accurate, if in the slightest bit of doubt I'll overestimate.

My gym routine at the moment is what my friend similar build and size, but more experienced and with the body I would want. She got me to go along with her to get some confidence and I've just been doing the same but with lower weights, but progressing to the higher weights when I feel I need to.

I feel there's not been a lot of lost weight as I wear vest tops in the gym and as stupid as it sounds my arms are a problem area which doesn't seem to be shifting. Clothes aren't getting much looser which is why I don't see progress. I was going to buy scales but I've heard from a few people that it's not the best way to focus on losing weight/toning up as I'll start putting weight on as I start building muscle. Is this true? Or will I gain the muscle only once all the 'fat' has gone?

Sorry for some probably painfully obvious questions, I just want to make sure I'm doing this properly

I'd encourage you to share the program as you get to the point where you're comfortable with the basic outline so that some of the more experienced folks can provide you with recommendations for tweaking/programming.

0831227

You can also check out the Youtuber Natacha Océane, I won't put any link not to sound like scam or promotion but she posts a lot of content on her chanel about how to get leaner and gain muscle mass, and she has a video of her burnig calories with 1 hour of cardio vs 1 hour of weight training for comparison.

sijomial

0831227 wrote: »

You can also check out the Youtuber Natacha Océane, I won't put any link not to sound like scam or promotion but she posts a lot of content on her chanel about how to get leaner and gain muscle mass, and she has a video of her burnig calories with 1 hour of cardio vs 1 hour of weight training for comparison.

How would she measure calories burned during weight training?

erickirb

0831227 wrote: »

You can also check out the Youtuber Natacha Océane, I won't put any link not to sound like scam or promotion but she posts a lot of content on her chanel about how to get leaner and gain muscle mass, and she has a video of her burnig calories with 1 hour of cardio vs 1 hour of weight training for comparison.

The benefits of strength training have very little to do with calorie burn, that is just a side affect.

ritzvin

hannahsharratt27 wrote: »

I feel there's not been a lot of lost weight as I wear vest tops in the gym and as stupid as it sounds my arms are a problem area which doesn't seem to be shifting. Clothes aren't getting much looser which is why I don't see progress. I was going to buy scales but I've heard from a few people that it's not the best way to focus on losing weight/toning up as I'll start putting weight on as I start building muscle. Is this true? Or will I gain the muscle only once all the 'fat' has gone?

[1] Note that exercise isn't going to 'spot reduce' any fatty areas - you will lose fat first where you are genetically programmed to lose it first.. so the weight training isn't going to slim down any areas. It will build your muscle, so that once enough fat is gone you will see some muscle and muscle definition instead of scrawny twig arms/chicken legs/no *kitten*.

[2] It's going to take longer than 1-1/2 months to see much (if any) difference in muscle. In the mean time, celebrate the fitness successes. If new to weight training, then you are probably seeing the weight you can lift consistently going up (relish that).

[3] You will gain muscle, but it may not be visible until enough of the fat layer covering it is gone.

[4] Weight loss comes down to a calorie deficit, whether it comes from eating less or burning more. If you are near healthy weight, then a combination helps.

[5] I would also suggest checking out those links to beginner weight training routines. They are tried and true programs that will keep you from potentially wasting your time in the gym.