Advice. Cardio v weights

mrsld

I've started to do more weights at the gym with a little cardio at the start and middle of my session (I.e. 5 mins sprints on rower). Is this a good way to loose weight/inches?

I have always focused on cardio in the gym but I'm getting a bit bored so thought weights might be a good change. I've lost 30inches and nearly 2 stone in 3 months so I'm keen to keep things shrinking!!

Xx

BigT555

if it works for you then its fine

most people dont like doing cardio before/during weight routines because it takes from the energy which is needed for lifting weights. i would definitely continue with weights though as they are an important part of any fitness routine

JoRocka

A calorie deficit is a good way to lose weight.

A well balanced fitness program will include both lifting and cardio.
The lifting will ensure you maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss.


I'm a lifter- so I do significantly more lifting than cardio. Because I don't particularly care for long hours of cardio- so I don't do it.
I will specific do cardio when I'm cutting- but not when I'm bulking, I get none specific/generic cardio through my dance training so I don't sweat it to much really. The focus on my gym time is lifting. Because i like it.

Do what you like- but make sure you balance the program for overall fitness/wellness- and make sure you stay on top of your diet for the rest of it.

I honestly would not split your lifting with your cardio- that's just not an efficient use of time.
Warm up
Lift
Cardio

or alternate cardio on none-lift days- that's acceptable to.

congrats on your big loss thus far!!! Keep it up!

Leadfoot_Lewis

Makes no sense to interrupt the middle of your lifting session to throw some cardio in.

Personally I'd do a light cardio warm up, lift, then do cardio afterwards or better yet on it's own day.

Also...congratulations on the weight loss!

SKME2013

For me they are two different things: cardio is good for overall health, fitness and losing weight. Lifting is for keeping or building muscles and for increasing your metabolism. I do both 6 days a week.
Stef.

segovm

You'll probably have better luck with the weights if you do them before the cardio and if you want to build some muscle it's not a horrible idea to do them on a separate day.

Unlike cardio where you exercise to build cardiovascular endurance, weight training is all about working the muscle to failure, getting the last little bit of energy out of it by your final rep. The two are not mutually exclusive, but it's not normally much fun to work your legs to failure and then go for a five mile run. If you go for the five mile run first, you'll likely not have the energy to push the muscle to complete failure.

Most people tend to start out with weights by just pushing stuff back and forth for a while and moving from machine to machine until enough time has passed that they call it a work out. If that's the case with you it would likely be a good idea to chat with one of the trainers or look online for some suggestions for building a routine that will help you safely add some effective muscle building exercises into your routine.

Anyway, have fun!

Always_Belle

For me they are two different things: cardio is good for overall health, fitness and losing weight. Lifting is for keeping or building muscles and for increasing your metabolism. I do both 6 days a week.
Stef.

I agree although I usually do a strength program only every other day - not daily.

JoRocka

You'll probably have better luck with the weights if you do them before the cardio and if you want to build some muscle it's not a horrible idea to do them on a separate day.

Unlike cardio where you exercise to build cardiovascular endurance, weight training is all about working the muscle to failure, getting the last little bit of energy out of it by your final rep. The two are not mutually exclusive, but it's not normally much fun to work your legs to failure and then go for a five mile run. If you go for the five mile run first, you'll likely not have the energy to push the muscle to complete failure.

Most people tend to start out with weights by just pushing stuff back and forth for a while and moving from machine to machine until enough time has passed that they call it a work out. If that's the case with you it would likely be a good idea to chat with one of the trainers or look online for some suggestions for building a routine that will help you safely add some effective muscle building exercises into your routine.

Anyway, have fun!

While I understand the giist of your post in that you must challenge yourself and push with weight lifting, I feel that telling a beginner lifting to failure is normal and expected isn't a good plan.

Challenging yourself with heavy weights is not the same as lifting to failure.
High volume?Time under tension/progressive loading- none of those have lifting to failure.

or me they are two different things: cardio is good for overall health, fitness and losing weight. Lifting is for keeping or building muscles and for increasing your metabolism.

weight lifting is good for over all health, fitness and losing weight too.

Azdak

You still have to maintain a calorie deficit. People have gotten this impression that there is something magical about lifting weights that results in a weight loss effect independent of calories burn. The reason why people lose lifting weights w/out cardio is because they do it for enough time and at enough effort to expend a lot of calories, and they maintain their eating plan.

I am seeing a lot of people replace their 500-700 calorie cardio workouts with 300-calorie lifting or HIIT sessions and then they are wondering why they are not losing weight. "Afterburn" is not that high to make up for that kind of difference, and the majority of recreational exercisers are not going to gain that much muscle.

So, by all means, lift and lift heavy, or lift a lot, or do whatever you want. But lifting does not eliminate the need to maintain a calorie deficit.

segovm

While I understand the giist of your post in that you must challenge yourself and push with weight lifting, I feel that telling a beginner lifting to failure is normal and expected isn't a good plan.

Challenging yourself with heavy weights is not the same as lifting to failure.
High volume?Time under tension/progressive loading- none of those have lifting to failure.

Yeah, it could just be a hangover from when I used to lift weights all the time. We always pressed the last rep on any given muscle group to failure if we could. I'm sure there are other strategies out there though. Back in the day if we could still do more than we hadn't done enough.

mrsld

Wow thats guys, I think I get the gist. My plan was to continue with two classes a week (mainly cardio) then do weights on two days.

Re doing cardio mid weights I kind of just meant a five minute blast would get my heart rate up to burn cals?! Is that completely wrong. I know nothing!! Haha

mrsld

P.s. Im always aiming for a calorie deficit.

Llamapants86

Wow thats guys, I think I get the gist. My plan was to continue with two classes a week (mainly cardio) then do weights on two days.

Re doing cardio mid weights I kind of just meant a five minute blast would get my heart rate up to burn cals?! Is that completely wrong. I know nothing!! Haha

I've never found that I needed to do cardio to get my heart rate up during weights. My sets tend to get my heart rate going just fine and I spend 2+ minutes just trying to get it back down so I can do the next set to the best of my abilities.

Are you doing a specific program for your weights? There are a lot of great programs to get you started and as you progressively over load you will find the heavier weights get your heart pumping just fine.

mrsld

I'm doing a plan that my gym set when I joined but I didn't follow. I might need to up the weights (or not as the case maybe!!).
X

JoRocka

While I understand the giist of your post in that you must challenge yourself and push with weight lifting, I feel that telling a beginner lifting to failure is normal and expected isn't a good plan.

Challenging yourself with heavy weights is not the same as lifting to failure.
High volume?Time under tension/progressive loading- none of those have lifting to failure.

Yeah, it could just be a hangover from when I used to lift weights all the time. We always pressed the last rep on any given muscle group to failure if we could. I'm sure there are other strategies out there though. Back in the day if we could still do more than we hadn't done enough.

lots of other programs- and too much training to failure will actually set you back.

There are many programs if you fail- you need to deload and start back a week or two b/c you imput numbers were too high. Russian programs are often like that- failure is BAD.

They still are hard- you often squat- bench- squat in that order- or dead- bench- dead - lots and lots of sets- so very high volume- and failure is bad.

Time under tension/load and all that jazz.

Ilikelamps

Look up Stronglifts, starting strength, or new rules of lifting..

yopeeps025

Weight training for a girl will shape your body in very impressive ways. Have you seeing those girls squats pic of how they look. BTW not all girls can get that curvy.

frangrann

The trainer told me: 5 min cardio warm up, strength training, then 20 -30 min cardio with HR 130-150 for fat burn.
(What I do takes an hr.)

17ChargerGirl17

I think it depends on what works for you.
I have done Cardio from day one, because the trainer said that was the best way for me to lose fat (along with calorie deficet, just like others have said)..
I have never done weights and have lost weight, inches and mostly fat!!!!
Keep doing whatever works for you.

Good job

Azdak

Wow thats guys, I think I get the gist. My plan was to continue with two classes a week (mainly cardio) then do weights on two days.

Re doing cardio mid weights I kind of just meant a five minute blast would get my heart rate up to burn cals?! Is that completely wrong. I know nothing!! Haha

I've never found that I needed to do cardio to get my heart rate up during weights. My sets tend to get my heart rate going just fine and I spend 2+ minutes just trying to get it back down so I can do the next set to the best of my abilities.

Are you doing a specific program for your weights? There are a lot of great programs to get you started and as you progressively over load you will find the heavier weights get your heart pumping just fine.

It always bears repeating that the increased heart rate that occurs during lifting is not physiologically the same as the increase that occurs during cardio and is not indicative of a cardio training effect. There can be a modest cardio stimulus from lifting heavy weights, but a 150 heart rate during lifting is fundamentally different from a 150 heart rate during running.

cwolfman13

There is no Vs....both are important to a balanced fitness regimen. I personally wouldn't break up my lifting session with cardio though...that's just me. When I'm lifting I'm lifting and when I'm doing cardio (primarily cycling) I like to focus on that.

For general fitness and outside of training for an event, I spend 60 minutes 4x weekly on my bike and hit the weight room 3x weekly. My weight training program goes in cycles where I might have a 4 week cycle doing lighter weight and more reps in a circuit training type of fashion and also working on explosiveness with some box jumps and whatnot...then another 4 week cycle where I work in a strength rep range...and another 4 week cycle where I'm in a hypertrophy range...rinse and repeat.

Regardless, the foundation of my routine is compound movements with free weights with variations of the movements as per whatever cycle I'm in...i.e. with lighter weight I might do overhead squats or bulgarian split squats as part of a circuit training cycle...front squats with some Romanian dead lifts during a hypertrophy cycle and traditional heavy back squats during a pure strength cycle.