Good idea! Let's talk about cardio v weights again!!!

okgal247

The fact that you asked this question confirms my suspicions.

Out of interest, is there any particular reason you feel the need to be a total *kitten* to her? Because, let's face it, you:

a) Came to the opinion that she wouldn't be lifting heavy enough apropos of absolutely nothing stated in her post
and
b) When she then, rightly, calls you on how on earth you came to that conclusion based on absolutely nothing you take her query as confirmation for the conclusions that you've concocted out of thin air

Op - if you've got 30 minutes I'd alternate a cardio day with a weights day.

Thank you for the suggestion - and MY GOODNESS... I thought it was just me!! I'm not here to start a fight. I'm not here for drama, and just wanted to keep the peace. I just had a question. So thank you for that, as well.

Maybe I'll go every other day with full body and cardio. Again- it'll be trial and error

p4ulmiller

And if I do only cardio... does that make me skinny fat? I've literally never heard of that term until yesterday!

DamePiglet

I read an awesome article yesterday that cleared it up for me. It basically said that cardio makes you a smaller version of yourself, with all the existing strengths and weaknesses exposed. So if you have no muscle tone, it's going to show. The opposite also applies. I don't know about you but I'm not just going for a smaller version of myself here!

hey, can you share that article?

darrensurrey

Well, that escalated quickly.

I'd say it won't have a big effect initially because you'll be lifting quite light (relatively) so your muscles will still be small (relatively). However, if you put the time and effort in, you'll reap rewards in the long run as you lift far heavier weights than you thought possible as you'll have a larger LBM. Also, WD = F x d.

Tis a bit like a pension plan.

There are some amazing women on here with great physiques who can shift heavy weights so it is certainly achievable in the long term.

okgal247

Well, that escalated quickly.

^This. Haha!

Awesome, thank you for the advice. I've never been "weak" per say, but I definitely understand what you're saying. Thank you again!

doughnutwretch

IMO, I'd lift over cardio, but I don't have a love of cardio like is sounds like you do. That and like you mentioned, long term, you'll burn more calories throughout the day if you lift regularly, along with a whole slew of other health benefits.

I'd aim for 2-3 lifting sessions a week doing either a full body or upper/lower split with super-sets if you can only manage 30 minutes, and 1-2 cardio sessions. Maybe go for a run early in the a.m. before starting your day.

As for lifting not having a big impact since you're just starting out and may not be as strong as someone who's lifted consistently for years, as others have mentioned, that's a bunch of bull. If you take full advantage of the beginner's gains, you can make substantial improvements over 6 months.

darrensurrey

Well, that escalated quickly.

^This. Haha!

Awesome, thank you for the advice. I've never been "weak" per say, but I definitely understand what you're saying. Thank you again!

I'm not saying you're weak. Maybe you can squat 50kg (which I'd say isn't "weak") but if someone can squat 150kg they're going to do more work than you to lower and raise the load plus their muscles are going to be bigger so they'll burn more fat whilst they sleep.

cwolfman13

Do an actual program...don't make up your own, you do not yet possess the requisite knowledge to do so. If you want to do a traditional "heavy" strength routine look at Starting Strength or Strong Lifts. These are geared towards the beginner lifter and you make rapid progressions starting from basically ground zero. These are both 3x weekly full body routines that offer a big bang for your time and energy buck. New Rules of Lifting for Women is another lifting program but it is more of a hypertrophy/physique routine than a "heavy" routine.

Heavy doesn't refer as much to the weight as it does the rep range. Typically when people talk about lifting "heavy" they're talking about a traditional strength program as I've mentioned above that has you working in the 3-5 rep range for optimal strength gains where you're pretty much at failure on that last rep. Hypertrophy routines typically have you working in the 8-12 rep range and while it is lifting/weight training, most people don't refer to this as "heavy"...though some body builders refer to their 8 rep sets as their "heavy" sets.

At any rate if I could only do one it would be lifting...LBM burns calories at rest...it is one of the main reasons men burn more calories in general than women...we tend to have more LBM. If it were me that's where I'd put my focus and then throw in some cardio as I have time. I do my cardio on non lifting days and it is often something as benign as taking my dog for a walk...but I ride my bike a lot mostly.

chatogal

What I have noticed on this site in the forums is that some people (in general they appear to have a lot of posts) feel so superior that it gives them the right to patronise and generally belittle people who have been here for a lesser time. I realise that these same big-heads might have seen the same questions posed and might be fed up of answering, but they have the CHOICE not to answer...I would urge these people to take that choice if they are feeling in a sarcastic mood. OP, good luck with your choices ????

okgal247

Well, that escalated quickly.

^This. Haha!

Awesome, thank you for the advice. I've never been "weak" per say, but I definitely understand what you're saying. Thank you again!

I'm not saying you're weak. Maybe you can squat 50kg (which I'd say isn't "weak") but if someone can squat 150kg they're going to do more work than you to lower and raise the load plus their muscles are going to be bigger so they'll burn more fat whilst they sleep.

To be honest, I was multi-tasking when I wrote that. I'm not even sure why I put that in there. Maybe I meant that, even without out-right weight lifting, I've always had muscle definition in certain areas- obviously not as much as I would like! Haha! End point: what you're saying makes sense. What you said what great advice.

darrensurrey

As to a routine, then Stronglifts or New Rules of Lifting for Women are popular. I follow a 3x6 routine as that's something someone big advised me to do. Seems to work.