Strength training or cardio? Help?!

krazykate483

Hello all!

I am getting married in September and would love some input on where to start. I want to lose 20lbs by March or so. So I am wondering if I should just focus on weight lifting or do I just do cardio until I get to my goal weight and then start lifting.

Thanks in advance!
Katie

Saucy_lil_Minx

If you a looking to just drop the weight cardio. I you do not care if the scale goes down, but want tone, and lean your body lifting, My personal fav is a little of both! :happy:

Dnsnyder

I would recommend doing both! Maybe try circuit training? Do you have any plans about how and/or where you're going to complete your workouts?

darkguardian419

I'm a fan of both. Cardio helps you to create/increase a calorie deficit, while lifting will help to tighten everything up.

Both have benefits, so why not get everything you can? :bigsmile:

JWnSD

A combination of both with an emphasis (at least initially) on cardio works best for me. The weight training tones and shapes and also helps with burning calories but the real calorie burn comes from cardio. Good luck!

loriirol

absolutely both. You will lose more weight, and tone at the same time.

ChangingAmanda

You'll want to do both. Cardio will help you burn calories to help lose the weight while strength training (especially heavy lifting) will preserve muscle while you lose. It's better to be concerned about how your body looks verses the number on the scale.

Saucy_lil_Minx

A combination of both with an emphasis (at least initially) on cardio works best for me. The weight training tones and shapes and also helps with burning calories but the real calorie burn comes from cardio. Good luck!

This is wrong! Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!


If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

Saucy_lil_Minx

You'll want to do both. Cardio will help you burn calories to help lose the weight while strength training (especially heavy lifting) will preserve muscle while you lose. It's better to be concerned about how your body looks verses the number on the scale.

This ^

VegasFit

I would suggest both especially. I always do weights pre cardio. Right now I'm doing mostly circuit training. If your wedding is September is March goal dress shopping?

krazykate483

Wow, thank you for the responses! I will definitely do both! So like 2 hrs of cardio per week and 3hrs of lifting?

ksmorck

I just wrote a blog post. Its really long but towards the end, embedded are some good references for a few programs that should help you.

TriShamelessly

You'll want to do both. Cardio will help you burn calories to help lose the weight while strength training (especially heavy lifting) will preserve muscle while you lose. It's better to be concerned about how your body looks verses the number on the scale.

QFT

Danny_Boy13

I am a fan of both. I strength train 3x's a week and cardio 2-3 x's a week.

ElliottTN

A combination of both with an emphasis (at least initially) on cardio works best for me. The weight training tones and shapes and also helps with burning calories but the real calorie burn comes from cardio. Good luck!

This is wrong! Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!


If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

Actually..he is kinda right and you are kinda saying the same thing he is after you say he is wrong.

MaryJane_8810002

Why can't you do both?

darkguardian419

Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!

Actually, the amount of calories burned from muscle vs fat is negligible considering you really won't be adding that much muscle...

If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

This is true. Adding cardio means you can eat more too One of the reasons most people recommend both.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

If you are doing both cardio and weight training, your muscle loss will be minimal/non-existant.

jensiegel39

My trainer said to do strength training 3 - 4 times per week, giving yourself a day off in between each. Then, she said to do your cardio after strength-training on the days that you lift. She said you'll burn more calories. I'd been doing it backwards. On the days I do not strength train, I do just cardio. So, for strength training days, I do about a half-hour of lifting, trying to increase what I did from the previous time. Then I do 30 minutes - 45 minutes of high-interval cardio on an arc trainer or elliptical. On non-lifting days, I do at least an hour on the elliptical with high-interval intensity. I also do Zumba 4 days a week and ride my bike, but these are more just for fun (although I do burn major calories with Zumba). So, as most said, I'd combine the two. When you strength train, you've probably heard that you burn calories even when doing nothing!

Good luck to you and congrats on your upcoming marriage!

krazykate483

Yes, March is dress shopping! Unless I get super eager to do it sooner :-)

I would suggest both especially. I always do weights pre cardio. Right now I'm doing mostly circuit training. If your wedding is September is March goal dress shopping?

Saucy_lil_Minx

A combination of both with an emphasis (at least initially) on cardio works best for me. The weight training tones and shapes and also helps with burning calories but the real calorie burn comes from cardio. Good luck!

This is wrong! Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!


If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

Actually..he is kinda right and you are kinda saying the same thing he is after you say he is wrong.

I see what you mean. The first time I read it. I interpreted his meaning differently, I re-read, and see what you mean. Silly me for reading too quickly. :blushing: , and with divided attention.

My apologies

mmm_drop

Both.

rassha01

BOTH!!!

EDIT TO SAY:

Don't forget to eat at a mild deficit though....

randomtai

ElliottTN

^^^love that commercial

tkcasta

Both

beastmode_kitty

Both with a calorie deficit!

BlueBombers

Both

WhoHa42

Do both. You'll get better results faster

Huffdogg

IMO control caloric intake with diet and lift to retain lean body mass. the number on the scale means much less than how you look at any weight, and you'll look your best with maximum lean mass.

Saucy_lil_Minx

Sure with cardio you get to burn more calories while your doing the exercise, but with weight training consistently you my not drop the pounds, but you will drop inches, and become well muscled (not bulky), and since you have gained muscle mass you burn more calories all day long!

Actually, the amount of calories burned from muscle vs fat is negligible considering you really won't be adding that much muscle...


OK apparently you made the same mistake I did skipping words.... see the word Consistently.... of course muscle is diffcult to add that is why she won't get bulky :happy: Silly man! Even guys have a hard time gaining muscle. Woman, even a harder time b/c we lack the testosterone levels needed for great bulk. Hence, the reason weight does not go down but inches do, and even a negligible calorie burn makes a difference long term if you are burning more calories all day vs. a few hours. :happy: Especially beneficial for a woman wanting to be lean, and gorgeous in a wedding dress. :flowerforyou:

If you eat at a deficit, but lift heavy you get to keep the muscle you already have while losing weight.

This is true. Adding cardio means you can eat more too One of the reasons most people recommend both.

If you just do cardio you lose fat, but you also lose some muscle. So while you drop the weight on the scale you may not get the desired result of a thin more fit body.

If you are doing both cardio and weight training, your muscle loss will be minimal/non-existant.

Ummm, yeah that's why you should do both..... did not read my first post did ya! :happy:

Again, suggested both b/c you want to fit into a smaller dress, and look good not just lose 20 lbs. just to find out that dress size did not go down like you want it to.

Huffdogg

I didn't see OP mention anything about a smaller dress...

Here's the thing: if you want cardiovascular endurance/fitness, then by all means do cardio for that, but...


CARDIO DOES NOT HELP YOU LOSE FAT. A CALORIC DEFICIT DOES.

It makes no difference how you create that deficit. If you like to eat a lot, and want to spend some of your free time doing cardio to burn more calories and thus allow yourself to eat more while preserving a deficit, then go for it. But fat loss is achieved via a deficit. You can just as easily lose fat by controlling diet and lift to preserve existing muscle, which will net you a better look than diet/cardio alone.