Weight Lifting or Cardio?

geebusuk

So if I am supposed to eat (according to MFP) 1680 per day, not including exercise calories, and I eat that, but exercise, I won't gain muscle despite strength training?

Could you explain that to me? If you are doing strength training, wouldn't the exercise deficit be burning fat and not burning muscle (which is what I assume you mean... the deficit is burning muscle instead of building)?

I am on my second round of weight loss ... a couple of years ago I lost weight through mainly diet only and although I lost 100 lb, I was "skinny fat" ... I gained back up to my original SW, but am doing a lot more exercise + strength training this time around ... and wear the same size pants at 20lb lost now as I did at 50lb lost previously... so I must be sort of toning? Because I am not losing really quickly, but I AM definitely getting a lot smaller!

You are unlikely to have sustained muscles gains while eating at an excess. As a new lifter you may have some initial gains.
You may continue to have STRENGTH trains.

Doing strength training helps stop the body burning muscle. If you don't have enough energy to power what you are asking your body to do, it has to come from somewhere.

High protein and weight training helps to convince the body it should be burning fat, but the higher the deficit, the more likely it will start to use muscle.

The more far you have, the more fat you can burn it seems.

zorbaru

HA

that is exactly the gif i was going to post.

pavrg

So, I've reached my first goal weight and i still have a little pudge in my stomach area. I ultimately want to be 150, which seems so close but far away, but i also want o be toned. I just cant seem to decide whether or not the pudge i have left on my tumy area is due to needing to lose more weight and continue with cardio or should i begin to tone.. Im not even sure if this question makes sense, lol. I just am confused on when you should begin to do strength training and whether or not the excess is because i need to lose more weight or not..

Also, how many days do you guys typically have off a week?

Do both, they are beneficial for different reasons. 1, but only by necessity of my gym not fitting my schedule on Sundays.

CelebrityStatus

sorry if I sound dense but I don't exactly understand your question. All I'm saying is that MFP already has a deficit built in for you. If you are doing a lot of cardio on top of that, you're creating a really large deficit (depending on how much, obv.) and over time, that could be working against you. Also, strength training in a deficit can get you stronger, and help preserve muscle, but won't build new muscle.

Not dense, I misunderstood what you were saying. I thought that you were saying that eating at a large deficit while strength training would burn muscle- but you clarified without meaning to, saying that it will preserve muscle. I am not looking to bulk, just to tone and lose fat... so simply preserving muscle is fine with me!

ndj1979

I would suggest picking up a copy of starting strength or new rules of lifting for woman and then develop a program of heavy lifting around compound movements = deadlifts, squats, chin ups/pull ups, rows, overhead press, bench press. once you have the form down you could do a three day week program like - monday - chest/arms; tuesday cardio; wens - legs; thurs- cardio/abs; Friday - back/shoulders; saturday - rest; sunday - active rest/free day …

I would also suggest setting your macro percentages to 40 protein/30 carbs/ 30 fats…

this will help you get rid of remaining body fat and preserve lean muscle mass….

after about there to four months you can back off cardio and to a four day upper/lower split routine….

I have at least one rest day per week….

ernurse77

Maybe focus more on strength training and less on length of cardio. Lift for 40 minutes, and do 20 minutes of HIIT cardio no less than 3 days a week.

Eating at a nutritious deficit with a bump in your lean protein and healthy fats, while decreasing your carb & sugar intake.

LouisianaHotSauce_93

This is what I was always told.
1. Cardio makes you skinny.
2. Lifting makes you look good naked.

You figure out which one you'd rather.
I do both so I can be skinny and look good naked.

brendanstallard

"I do both so I can be skinny and look good naked."

LouisianaHotS,

LOL...I am as old as dirt, so I am sure this is vaguely rude....I snickered quietly, (so my wife wouldn't hear-and hence hit me with a bible.)

In the meantime, I shall remember when I was young and could walk around in Ireland without a shirt.

Not Now, cardio/weights or otherwise......:)

UR funny, keep it up...




brendan