Confused... lifting verses cardio to loose weight.

tamsterr09

Hi all,
Thanks for reading. I managed to reach over 200lbs after having my second child. I have started on cardio/weight training, Ive started the PX90, treadmill (4 miles every other day), and stationary bike. Im working out at home with limited equipment since I have two small kids. PX90 works for me for that reason.
My goal is loose around 30lbs. Im told to do cardio vascular exercise, which seems to be efficacious to burning calories per hour, i.e. I can burn 600 calories running for an hour, but can only burn 250-300 weight training. Im happy to do 2 hours a day, weight training and cardio. But would it make more sense to do cardio until I reach my goal, and then start to build muscle. Surely I need to eat more to build muscle, at present Im creating a caloric deficit with my diet. So, am I right in thinking weight training wouldn't be very effective because I can't build muscle without eating extra calories.
Dont get me wrong, Im not one of those girls who believes I will bulk up and spent my life on cardio machines, quite the opposite. I used to be very muscular and I want to be as built as possible. But, my previous attempts at weight training and doing cardio to reduce my body fat hasn't been very effective.
What do you guys recommend? Ideally, my first goal is to loose the 30lbs and to be as muscular as possible. What is the best way to achieve this? Im obviously doing something wrong since Im still 170lbs. Advice welcome!
Thanks.

autumnblade75

You want to do the strength training while in a deficit to preserve muscle. It's effective for that. While cardio does burn a larger number of calories, you'll never be able to outrun your fork. It's good for conditioning your cardiovascular system, which is good for your endurance.

Strength training for muscles, cardio for your heart an lungs, and a deficit to lose weight. Simple, if not easy.

asochable

As autumnblade75 said, you should do both. Cardio is good for your health and for burning calories, but strength training will help keep your current muscle and add a little which will help you to burn more calories overall just by existing. I know that when my husband starting doing CrossFit, he lost pounds and inches from all the added strength training— way more than had he run during those 3 hours per week instead.

HeliumIsNoble

tamsterr09 wrote: »

What do you guys recommend? Ideally, my first goal is to loose the 30lbs and to be as muscular as possible. What is the best way to achieve this?

Weight-training right now, in tandem with the cardio.

You want to preserve the muscle tissue you have as much as possible.

Dilvish

weight training builds muscle. Muscle burns 3 times more calories...the more muscle you have the more calories you need because muscle can burn calories even while at rest far more efficiently than your overall body expenditure.

Remember though those additional calories need only be protein.

To make your workouts more effective, you should alternate..one day cardio, one day weights and so on. Maintaining and possibly building more muscle is just as important as cardio.

Unfortunately many people that embark on a weight loss journey opt only for cardio because they figure the more they sweat and become out of breath, the more calories they will burn. This may be true initially but eventually the body gets used to the cardio routine and you end up having to do more cardio to keep burning calories at the same pace. This is where you reach a weight loss plateau.

autumnblade75

Dilvish wrote: »

weight training builds muscle. Muscle burns 3 times more calories...the more muscle you have the more calories you need because muscle can burn calories even while at rest far more efficiently than your overall body expenditure.

Remember though those additional calories need only be protein.

To make your workouts more effective, you should alternate..one day cardio, one day weights and so on. Maintaining and possibly building more muscle is just as important as cardio.

Unfortunately many people that embark on a weight loss journey opt only for cardio because they figure the more they sweat and become out of breath, the more calories they will burn. This may be true initially but eventually the body gets used to the cardio routine and you end up having to do more cardio to keep burning calories at the same pace. This is where you reach a weight loss plateau.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/8-ways-to-burn-calories-and-fight-fat#1


2. Do Strength Training to Build Muscle

When you exercise, you use muscle. This helps build muscle mass, and muscle tissue burns more calories -- even when you're at rest -- than body fat. According to Wharton, 10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories.


So, go nuts with that extra 30 calories, there. Protein only, you say? Sure, why not. It's only about 7 grams worth.

Also, when you become more cardiovascularly fit, you don't burn fewer calories for the same exercise. When you first become a runner, you work hard to run a mile for 100 calories. In a few months, you find that mile a lot easier, but it still burns the same 100 calories. (Unless you lost a few pounds, and then you only burn maybe 95 calories, instead.)