Should I be doing cardio or strength training?

hannakw
hannakw Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have just joined the gym as I found exercising from home wasn't really working out (motivation to get off the sofa was hard!) and I love the atmosphere of the gym.

But I have found myself a little confused as to what I should be doing in terms of type of exercise.

I am not overweight but I would love to lose a little extra weight and tone up - problem areas are my upper arms and saddlebags.

It would be great to get some opinions from others about whether I should focus more on the weight machines than doing mostly cardio which I keep finding myself doing at the moment.

Replies

  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    I should be doing cardio and strength training

    FIFY
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Both, but ditch the machines and start using free weights.

    Also, you can't spot reduce. The only way to "tone up" an area is through overall loss of bf% through caloric deficit. Getting on a strength training plan will help maintain muscle mass, so once the fat is gone there is muscle there to provide the "tone".
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
    Long answer short, both.
  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
    Check the dichotomous thinking at the door. It'll only set you up for frustration. It's definitely not an either-or decision. You can and likely should include some of each.

    Given that you're not overweight, your body's tendency to lose muscle while eating a deficit will be increased. Knowing this, you should definitely include some relatively heavy resistance training in your mix of exercise. It stands as one of the only tools at our disposal that we can use to ward off unnecessary muscle loss.

    Cardio, besides the health benefits that are associated with it, will act as an adjunct to your nutrition. Essentially it allows you to eat a little more food. A 30% deficit is a lot easier to stomach for most people if a hefty portion of it 25-50% of it is coming from exercise energy expenditure.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    You should do BOTH.

    Strength training helps you maintain muscle mass while eating at a calorie deficit. Lots & lots of benefits....metabolism, bone health, and more.

    Cardio helps you burn calories and keeps your heart strong. Cardio helps you build endurance.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    a little of both would give the most benefit
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Long answer short, both.

    ^^^ This

    Does your gym have personal trainers? Getting a little help setting up a program can help you reach your goals more quickly and save you a lot of frustration.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Both are good but if I had to pick one it would be strength training. Strength training will help retain muscle, cardio is good for the heart and allows you to eat more in general. Free weights are better than weight machines, you strength training program should revolve around compound movements and isolations movements should be put at the end of your workout. So to sum it up, Strength training > cardio, compound movements > isolation movements.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    This 'toned' appearance is accomplished primarily from preserving as much muscle mass while tweaking body composition in favor of lean mass over fat mass. Since strength training (of adequate load, volume and frequency) allows for greater preservation of muscle mass during an assumed caloric deficit, it should certainly be included. Cardio is purely optional but is beneficial in the sense it will improve or maintain aerobic fitness and keep certain metabolic pathways open for fat oxidation. In short, you could benefit from both if time permits it.

    As a beginner, highly recommended resources to get you started are these two books:
    Starting Strength and The New Rules of Lifting for Women

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