Help Please! What mix cardio:weights to lose weight?!

24

Replies

  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    This makes no sense to me...

    Me either. I know from personal experience when I'm training for a marathon and laying off the heavy lifting quite a bit, I become squishy. When I'm laying off the running some and pick up the heavy lifting more, I'm much more toned, look, feel and perform better.
  • Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    This makes no sense to me...

    Simple, (I thought - maybe I'm wrong, in which case my mistake), before I lost the fat and toned up, I thought the exclusive dumbell pushers looked toned. After I lost the weight and toned up, I don't see them the same way anymore - bizarre but that's how I see them, go figure!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    This makes no sense to me...

    Me neither. "Tone" is lower BF% that shows muscle. People who lift generally have decent muscle and cardio is not needed for low BF%. I am very confused myself.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    Really .... very odd indeed.

    In the middle of a bulk cycle?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    This makes no sense to me...

    Simple, (I thought - maybe I'm wrong, in which case my mistake), before I lost the fat and toned up, I thought the exclusive dumbell pushers looked toned. After I lost the weight and toned up, I don't see them the same way anymore - bizarre but that's how I see them, go figure!

    It is about a low BF%.
  • mrslcoop
    mrslcoop Posts: 317 Member
    Neither:

    Calorie deficit to lose weight.

    Strength Training to preserve Lean Body Mass (Bone density, muscle tissue, etc) and make you stronger

    Cardio for Heart Health, Muscular Endurance.


    Ding ding ding. I do both for those reasons. 3 days of each and on alternating days (I just don’t have the time to combine them into one day with the demands of my job or I'd be up all night.
  • Have you tried kettlebells? The classes I go to are called spin and swing, a mix of various Kettlebell exercises and spinning. They're a great way to combine weights and cardio in one to get a full workout.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    Really .... very odd indeed.

    In the middle of a bulk cycle?

    Maybe that's where the confusion is - BF%. That's pretty much all I can work out.
  • Why not do both?

    I do 30 min. of cardio before and about an hour to an hour and a half of lifting after. Cardio keeps me lean and the lifting obviously gives me muscle. I also work one muscle group per day and alternate legs and abs. This works for me because I can concentrate more on the muscle group that I'm working and I don't feel rushed.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    This makes no sense to me...

    Simple, (I thought - maybe I'm wrong, in which case my mistake), before I lost the fat and toned up, I thought the exclusive dumbell pushers looked toned. After I lost the weight and toned up, I don't see them the same way anymore - bizarre but that's how I see them, go figure!

    It is about a low BF%.

    Yep, lifting makes sure you have more muscle left to show "tone" when the BF% is lowered.

    It's possible those that "lift only" go through bulk/cut cycles. You need a caloric surplus to add muscle mass, where in turn some fat will be added. Higher BF%, lower "tone". After the bulk cycle, lifters continue to lift, but cut cals to lower BF%, and thus gain "tone" again, but with added mass.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    OP: do both.

    Lift at least 3 x a week. Throw in cardio if it is conducive to your goals (heart health, eating more etc). Either do it after lifting or on non-lifting days. Make sure your lifting routine has progressive loading built into it.
  • KitaT92
    KitaT92 Posts: 50 Member
    Light weights every other day. Heavy weights cause you to bulk up and muscle weighs more. Do 10-15 minutes of cardio prior to weight training. On days you don't weight train, do cardio only.Although muscle weigh more, working out with weights give your body a better appearance. I recently learned to stay away from the scale and go on how you feel about your body.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    As a beginner you'll benefit a lot more from doing a workout regimen based on compound lifts than you would a split routine. The benefits of working in a split routine (working different muscle groups on different days) mainly only apply to more intermediate to advanced lifters who have already completed a primarily compound based program and built a strong base to work with. Follow a program like stronglifts, starting strength, or a beginner-modified version of 5/3/1. Follow up your lifting sessions with about 20 minutes of high intensity cardio, and on your "off" days, don't do anything you can legitimately call a workout, but make it a point to keep active (read up on Active Recovery to see what I mean).
  • MexicanOsmosis
    MexicanOsmosis Posts: 382 Member
    Exercise by itself will not make you lose weight. Calories in < calories out. From what I understand (and many can feel free to correct me here, as I'm still relatively newbish), cardio is for heart health (and has high calorie burns) and strength training is for body composition (and can improve calories burned at rest). When you're eating at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight no matter how you train; doing cardio only will cause you to lose fat and muscle weight, while doing a combo of both will keep you from losing muscle (though you will not actually GAIN muscle weight aside from the supposed newb gains). Again, anyone is free to correct me on anything I'm misunderstanding or giving out incorrect info.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    Light weights every other day. Heavy weights cause you to bulk up and muscle weighs more. Do 10-15 minutes of cardio prior to weight training. On days you don't weight train, do cardio only.Although muscle weigh more, working out with weights give your body a better appearance. I recently learned to stay away from the scale and go on how you feel about your body.

    Heavy weights do not cause you to bulk up. Calorie surplus does. This is just nonsense based on age old myth that has been debunked long ago and you should ignore it.
  • weights gain muscles.

    John-Krasinski-no.gif

    Neither:

    Calorie deficit to lose weight.

    Strength Training to preserve Lean Body Mass (Bone density, muscle tissue, etc) and make you stronger

    Cardio for Heart Health, Muscular Endurance.


    This right here. I'll add that cardio is a very good way to help get into that calorie deficit, especially if you have trouble eating less food (like myself)

    i second this.

    Third, and to add....preserving LBM gives you the "tone" you're looking for once the fat is gone.


    QFT ^^^^^ All of this
  • Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    Really .... very odd indeed.

    In the middle of a bulk cycle?

    Maybe that's where the confusion is - BF%. That's pretty much all I can work out.

    Low BF, I think you said it in one sentence better than I did in the post, sorry for the confusion!

    To preserve LBM I just take glutamine which works phenomenally well.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Cardio will help you burn fat and drop the weight, but lifting will help you gain/preserve muscle and look ridiculously sexy. So do both. =)

    Weights will not make you bulk up, btw.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    One with a slight calorie deficit. Srsly.

  • Weights will not make you bulk up, btw.

    I will respectfully caveat this with the observation that heavy weights are likely to make one bulk up.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Not to me, not anymore. They used to, very much so but after I got properly into running they don't soo much to me. I think it's how my own self perception has changed. Those that do the cardio as well still have tone but those who JUST do weights - no, not to me personally.

    Really .... very odd indeed.

    In the middle of a bulk cycle?

    Maybe that's where the confusion is - BF%. That's pretty much all I can work out.

    Low BF, I think you said it in one sentence better than I did in the post, sorry for the confusion!

    To preserve LBM I just take glutamine which works phenomenally well.

    1) glutamine will not preserve LBM

    2) people who lift can and do have a low BF%
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Light weights every other day. Heavy weights cause you to bulk up and muscle weighs more.

    workaholics-no.gif

    Caloric surplus makes you "bulk" up, and as a female, even then it would be really hard to "bulk".
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Weights will not make you bulk up, btw.

    I will respectfully caveat this with the observation that heavy weights are likely to make one bulk up.


    Not really, at least for someone on a deficit, especially a female, assuming no 'assistance' from dat dere celltech.

    Edited to fix quotes
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member

    Weights will not make you bulk up, btw.

    I will respectfully caveat this with the observation that heavy weights are likely to make one bulk up.

    Nope.

    IN for the definition of "Bulk" fight. BTW you can't "bulk" on a caloric deficit.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member

    Weights will not make you bulk up, btw.

    I will respectfully caveat this with the observation that heavy weights are likely to make one bulk up.

    The type of weight training needed to ideally promote "bulking up" is found in the hypertrophy rep range, which is moderately heavy (8-12 reps) but not very heavy. That being said, bulking up can only be done in a calorie surplus. A person in a deficit will not bulk up no matter how they train. They may see initial gains in size when training muscles that are used to being ignored, but this does not continue beyond a certain point and is often barely noticeable.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    Neither:

    Calorie deficit to lose weight.

    Strength Training to preserve Lean Body Mass (Bone density, muscle tissue, etc) and make you stronger

    Cardio for Heart Health, Muscular Endurance.

    ^this.
    Personally I like to focus on weights only on my lifting days, and a walk or whatever cardio on the other days.

    http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
    http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs

  • 1) glutamine will not preserve LBM



    2) people who lift can and do have a low BF%


    1) Yes it does, that's a medical fact and I've had three months in hospital care following severe trauma to prove it. Plus there's a ton of published research on the subject

    2) Sometimes, not always
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I've done it several ways.

    -Circuit training (which is weights and cardio mixed together, so pretty much together)
    -Cardio then weights
    -Weights then cardio (I didn't like this, didn't have energy for a good cardio after the weights)
    -Only cardio
    -Only weights (well … 5-10 min cardio warmup, and some cardio on rest days from the lifting)

    My opinion/experience is :
    1- Doing something is better than doing nothing. If you're exercising, you're doing something right, so don't freak out if you don't have the "perfect" workout
    2- If you don't love it, you won't stick with it. If you hate running, don't run. Find something else. (Same for most exercises)
    3- I like the way I look more when I include some weights, at least. Either alternating days, or doing cardio then weights. Or, what I'm doing right now, which is my "only weights" option … that may be misleading, because I lift 4 days (and I lift heavy and hard), run 1 day, and do some light walking/dancing/etc the other days, so there is a bit of cardio, but my focus is really mostly the lifting.

    To lose weight, simply eat at a calorie deficit. To lose weight and preserve muscle (thus lowering BF% more), eat at a deficit and workout, preferably including resistance training. I "could" try to get down to 105 lbs or something (I'm 5' tall), but I'd rather be 120-125, 20% body fat, and able to bench my own weight or more, not to mention be independent and not wait for my husband to move the furniture (or, when we moved, wring my hands because it was just my husband and me carrying the heavy stuff) :laugh:

    It all depends on your goals.
  • DizzieLittleLifter
    DizzieLittleLifter Posts: 1,020 Member
    This thread is a train wreck...
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member

    1) glutamine will not preserve LBM



    2) people who lift can and do have a low BF%



    2) Sometimes, not always

    That's due to diet. Not the exercise.
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