Cardio Vs. Lifting

rijana12

Happy Friday everyone! So, I have a question that I've been getting mixed information on for quite a while now. I have been slowly losing weight for a while now. A little too slow (at most 5 pounds a month) and I would like to be closer to 2 pounds a week. I talked to a trainer at my gym yesterday and he said I should be lifting more rather than doing cardio. Right now, I do cardio 4-5 times a week and weight training about 3 times a week. He said I should even really be concerned with cardio as much, but rather lifting and building up muscle. I did some research on lifting and if I went that route, I should be eating a lot more than my 1500 calories I do today. Anyone have any advice with this? What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! :flowerforyou:

thavoice

Happy Friday everyone! So, I have a question that I've been getting mixed information on for quite a while now. I have been slowly losing weight for a while now. A little too slow (at most 5 pounds a month) and I would like to be closer to 2 pounds a week. I talked to a trainer at my gym yesterday and he said I should be lifting more rather than doing cardio. Right now, I do cardio 4-5 times a week and weight training about 3 times a week. He said I should even really be concerned with cardio as much, but rather lifting and building up muscle. I did some research on lifting and if I went that route, I should be eating a lot more than my 1500 calories I do today. Anyone have any advice with this? What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! :flowerforyou:

PRetty much all goes by a caloric deficit.
If it was me, I would keep up that routine and take alook at your intake calories.

BigT555

definitely lift, it helps retain muscle in the weight loss process, itll help you see progress better and you dont want to reach your goal weight and realize you have no muscle left! lifting doesnt necessarily mean you have to eat more, only if building muscle is your main goal would that be the case.

but i should mention that when it comes to weight loss/gain, diet is 90% of what matters. it is much easier to abstain from eating a calorie in the first place than it is to burn it off

5lbs/month is a very decent pace, i wouldnt push yourself too hard

iPlatano

Do only cardio and by the time you hit your weight goal you will look like this.

thavoice

Do only cardio and by the time you hit your weight goal you will look like this.

No one said to do only cardio.

OP said does cardio and lifts 3 x a week.

shyfranklinstein

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
http://iifym.com/bmr-calculator/
How I got started!

But keep in mind if you start seriously lifting, the scale may not move as much as you would like. I would get your bodyfat tested by a professional on a weekly basis (if that) and do it at the same time of the day every time wo food or water..that is what has worked best for ME. Just go with what you want but have fun and be healthy!

rpmtnbkr

I did mostly cardio,then started feeding in lifting sessions as well. IMO both are needed along with the calorie deficit.

yopeeps025

Personally I weight training way more than cardio and see the weight loss result.

ew_david

Your rate of loss is actually good. Lifting with cardio? Nothing but win.

juliemouse83

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
http://iifym.com/bmr-calculator/
How I got started!

But keep in mind if you start seriously lifting, the scale may not move as much as you would like. I would get your bodyfat tested by a professional on a weekly basis (if that) and do it at the same time of the day every time wo food or water..that is what has worked best for ME. Just go with what you want but have fun and be healthy!

^^^ Absolutely this ^^^

If you can't get your BF% measured, do take measurements. Seriously. Smaller numbers on the tape measure took the sting out of the scale numbers not moving terribly fast.

TeaBea

What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss? Any advice you have would be

Fast = muscle loss

Your weekly weight loss goal should not be 2 pounds a week until you reach goal. You taper it down because your body has less reserves.

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

iplayoutside19

What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss?

Why the rush? 5 pounds a month is really good actually. But yes, lifting is important, but so is cardio. No need to have a "vs" there. 3 strength training sessions a week seems appropriate since you are trying to cut fat/retain muscle mass. However, you might want to talk to the trainer about a specific routine during your 3 sessions a week.

BigGuy47

I have been slowly losing weight for a while now. A little too slow (at most 5 pounds a month) and I would like to be closer to 2 pounds a week...
...What is the best method for the fastest results...

Relax, it's not a race. Continue to exercise, keep you calories under control and be patient.

yopeeps025

What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss?

Why the rush? 5 pounds a month is really good actually. But yes, lifting is important, but so is cardio. No need to have a "vs" there. 3 strength training sessions a week seems appropriate since you are trying to cut fat/retain muscle mass. However, you might want to talk to the trainer about a specific routine during your 3 sessions a week.

calorie cycling

lmmathis86

so this may sound crazy but i was doing cardio 5 sometimes 6 days aweek for 30min a day and seeing 3lb weight loss a month! I have started with weights on wedensday and up the carido to 35 mins and i'm already seeing the scale move!!! Idk if its just luck or what but give it a try what could it hurt!!

No_Finish_Line

Happy Friday everyone! So, I have a question that I've been getting mixed information on for quite a while now. I have been slowly losing weight for a while now. A little too slow (at most 5 pounds a month) and I would like to be closer to 2 pounds a week. I talked to a trainer at my gym yesterday and he said I should be lifting more rather than doing cardio. Right now, I do cardio 4-5 times a week and weight training about 3 times a week. He said I should even really be concerned with cardio as much, but rather lifting and building up muscle. I did some research on lifting and if I went that route, I should be eating a lot more than my 1500 calories I do today. Anyone have any advice with this? What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! :flowerforyou:

what your doing seems fine to me.

you want to lift so that you don't lose muscle during a calorie defecit. If you were only going to do one or the other, i would choose lifting but thats because muscle is important to me.

don't ever assume that eating more is going to equal more fat burned

missdibs1

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
http://iifym.com/bmr-calculator/
How I got started!

But keep in mind if you start seriously lifting, the scale may not move as much as you would like. I would get your bodyfat tested by a professional on a weekly basis (if that) and do it at the same time of the day every time wo food or water..that is what has worked best for ME. Just go with what you want but have fun and be healthy!

This is true I am almost same weight and am smaller thanks to LIFTING HEAVY

No_Finish_Line

What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss?

Why the rush? 5 pounds a month is really good actually. But yes, lifting is important, but so is cardio. No need to have a "vs" there. 3 strength training sessions a week seems appropriate since you are trying to cut fat/retain muscle mass. However, you might want to talk to the trainer about a specific routine during your 3 sessions a week.

people (myself included) get way to wrapped up in 'not wanting to lose muscle'.

no one wants to lose what they've worked for, but you wont lose THAT much if your lifting, it comes back faster then it took to make it in the first place, and the net result is that you look more muscular anyway.

I don't think the OP needs to change a thing

EvanKeel

Happy Friday everyone! So, I have a question that I've been getting mixed information on for quite a while now. I have been slowly losing weight for a while now. A little too slow (at most 5 pounds a month) and I would like to be closer to 2 pounds a week. I talked to a trainer at my gym yesterday and he said I should be lifting more rather than doing cardio. Right now, I do cardio 4-5 times a week and weight training about 3 times a week. He said I should even really be concerned with cardio as much, but rather lifting and building up muscle. I did some research on lifting and if I went that route, I should be eating a lot more than my 1500 calories I do today. Anyone have any advice with this? What is the best method for the fastest results with weight/fat loss without sacrificing muscle loss? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated! :flowerforyou:

As others have said, 5lbs a month is good. When you hit a real plateau you will be begging to lose that much. What you're doing now seems fine. I can't offer any critique of your lifting routine because we don't have that information. Even if you gave it, I still probably couldn't offer advice other than to suggest progressive lifting routine that uses compound lifts.

It's not cardio vs weights. It's cardio *and* weights. Weight training will help build strength and maintain muscle mass as you lose weight; it helps you lift stuff and look good naked. Cardio promotes heart health and provides a number of other health benefits. It also happens to be more efficient (in terms of time) at creating a caloric deficit than weights. That doesn't mean you should necessarily favor one over the other.

Putting the health benefits of cardio aside for a moment, the most efficient way of creating a caloric deficit is just to not consume as many calories. That is, you could just lift weights and not eat as much. You'd want to make sure you're getting adequate nutrition (enough protein and fats along with micronutrients). But to lose weight, you don't need cardio. I wouldn't stop doing it due to the aforementioned health benefits.

I would also say that resistance training does not burn very many calories. Favoring lifting weights over cardio, when weight loss is the goal and all other factors remain equal, seems silly. Again, that's not to suggest that one stop lifting weights.

JennaM222

How about you do a little of both?

No_Finish_Line

you don't need to do either one to lose wieght.

but if you want to look muscular then you need to lift.

if you want to be fit, you need to do some kind of heart workout