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

13

Replies

  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 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.

    +1. You won't get bulky by accident. It takes lots of dedication and the proper plan to actually gain new muscle. Fat makes you bulky, not muscle. OP: Aim for at least 3 lifting sessions a week, compound lifts using challenging weights that still allow you to keep good form and keep progressing on that, 2-3 cardio sessions. Adding the lifting in may slow the scale down but you will lose fat like crazy and that is what matters most.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    This thread is a train wreck...

    It's getting close. This could end my productive Friday.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 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.

    To be perfectly honest I saw the best results when following circuit training based regimens as well, not separating lifting and cardio into separate concepts. I think that has more to do though with the fact that I found circuit training workouts more fun, and anything you can more easily get into and enjoy will benefit you more.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    This thread is a train wreck...

    It's getting close. This could end my productive Friday.

    Fridays are not meant to be productive. People are only at work in body, not in spirit.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    pst...methinks one of the posters is trying to play us...perhaps ignore it.



    look at his profile, just think it's a waste of time arguing with someone determined to say things to incite.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member

    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


    1) Please cite sources.

    2) And yes - just as some people who do cardio sometimes have a low BF% and others do not.
  • tonyyung779
    tonyyung779 Posts: 11 Member
    Seriously....weight training "bulk you up"? When you say lose "weight", you mean fat right?

    Excess calories "bulk" people up, not lifting.

    edit : meant weight training...not muscles
  • joe_d
    joe_d Posts: 73 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.

    Others have quoted this post, but I've just got to again. It's so concise and so true.

    The only thing I'd add is to push yourself to achieve new levels of performance--more cardio minutes, greater elliptical resistance, more weight, etc. My fat loss really accelerated after I started doing high intensity interval training (HIIT) during cardio. And you can start easy with that and ratchet that up over time also (increase the time in high intensity intervals and decrease the time in lower intensity intervals).
  • jclark0523
    jclark0523 Posts: 47 Member
    There is a difference between losing weight and losing fat. If you’re doing a bunch of cardio and not much strength training, you will see the number on the scale drop pretty quickly, but the majority of it will not be from fat loss. You should focus more on strength training and keeping your calorie intake where it needs to be to create the deficit you are targeting. The strength training will keep the weight loss from targeting muscle instead of fat. I would use the cardio more so to allow yourself to eat more if you want and still keep your deficit where it needs to be. You may not see the number go down on the scale as quickly, but you will see better results in the mirror.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    There is a difference between losing weight and losing fat. If you’re doing a bunch of cardio and not much strength training, you will see the number on the scale drop pretty quickly, but the majority of it will not be from fat loss. You should focus more on strength training and keeping your calorie intake where it needs to be to create the deficit you are targeting. The strength training will keep the weight loss from targeting muscle instead of fat. I would use the cardio to more so to allow yourself to eat more if you want and still keep your deficit where it needs to be. You may not see the number go down on the scale as quickly, but you will see better results in the mirror.

    boom.
    look better nekkid.
    profit

  • 1) Please cite sources.

    lol - Google is your friend! Sorry for the brush off and no malice intended, I'm already too undproductive this afternoon and I have one more report to do before I leave. If I've got my old bookmarked links at home I'll post them.

    BTW, interestingly in America, hospitals can actually prescribe it after surgical procedures or major trauma because it reduces emaciation and atrophy. Here I had to pay for it myself :( So much for the NHS. Anyway, if I still have the links, I'll post them later
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    JSF
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    The bottom line here is this:

    Following a basic lifting regimen will NOT lead to you developing a body that even remotely resembles a professional bodybuilder or hardcore strength athlete. If that is something you "fear" you can put that fear to rest. Those people work way harder and for way longer than you ever will in the gym, following programs specialized to those goals. It promotes muscle GAIN when in a surplus, and when in a deficit, it preserves what muscle mass you already have so that it doesn't erode away along with the fat you're burning.

    Cardio is not necessary for weight loss, fat loss, or body composition changes. However, due to the fact that it is not feasible to accurately gauge how many calories are burned during strength workouts, it often gives people the extra calorie "head room" they need to be able to safely eat more and still keep fat down. Furthermore, it is important for heart health and building endurance.

    Weight loss in and of itself from diet.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member

    1) Please cite sources.

    lol - Google is your friend! Sorry for the brush off and no malice intended, I'm already too undproductive this afternoon and I have one more report to do before I leave. If I've got my old bookmarked links at home I'll post them.

    BTW, interestingly in America, hospitals can actually prescribe it after surgical procedures or major trauma because it reduces emaciation and atrophy. Here I had to pay for it myself :( So much for the NHS. Anyway, if I still have the links, I'll post them later

    It's up to you to provide sources, not me. I would love to see them. That way I can stop lifting and just take some glutamine..

    Glutamine has it's uses. Replacing lifting for LBM retention is not one of them.

  • It's up to you to provide sources, not me. I would love to see them. That way I can stop lifting and just take some glutamine..

    Glutamine has it's uses. Replacing lifting for LBM retention is not one of them.

    BTW, I presume you don't mean stop lifting and do naught (sorry, being slow)? For me, injury recovery notwithstanding, the glutamine means I don't lose white muscle while just doing cardio rather than weights.

    e.g. once a month I might go jump on a leg press and make sure I can still do ten reps of 200kg or some other strength test. As long as I'm capable, then I'm satisfied I'm maintaining the muscle mass despite the cardio..

    Damn, I really must do some work....
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 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.

    *SIGH* We are ladies.

    women2blifting2bweights.jpg
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member

    It's up to you to provide sources, not me. I would love to see them. That way I can stop lifting and just take some glutamine..

    Glutamine has it's uses. Replacing lifting for LBM retention is not one of them.

    BTW, I presume you don't mean stop lifting and do naught (sorry, being slow)? For me, injury recovery notwithstanding, the glutamine means I don't lose white muscle while just doing cardio rather than weights.

    That is the bit I want sources for.

    I assume you are saying that I can replace lifting with cardio and as long as I take glutamine it will be as effective at LBM retention.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    This thread is a train wreck...

    It's getting close. This could end my productive Friday.

    Fridays are not meant to be productive. People are only at work in body, not in spirit.

    5% Friday's

    Seriously. 5% Friday

    and I'm just going to quote this because it says everything I wanted to say
    The bottom line here is this:

    Following a basic lifting regimen will NOT lead to you developing a body that even remotely resembles a professional bodybuilder or hardcore strength athlete. If that is something you "fear" you can put that fear to rest. Those people work way harder and for way longer than you ever will in the gym, following programs specialized to those goals. It promotes muscle GAIN when in a surplus, and when in a deficit, it preserves what muscle mass you already have so that it doesn't erode away along with the fat you're burning.

    Cardio is not necessary for weight loss, fat loss, or body composition changes. However, due to the fact that it is not feasible to accurately gauge how many calories are burned during strength workouts, it often gives people the extra calorie "head room" they need to be able to safely eat more and still keep fat down. Furthermore, it is important for heart health and building endurance.

    Weight loss in and of itself from diet.

    SERIOUSLY WEIGHT LIFTING WON"T CAUSE 'BULKING' ... head desk.
  • Gotcha, will see what I have (really hoping I saved the links now...)

    Be a damn shame if you only had my word for it since it's been wonderful for my own goals.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Gotcha, will see what I have (really hoping I saved the links now...)

    Be a damn shame if you only had my word for it since it's been wonderful for my own goals.

    I prefer to refer to things like this:

    Glutamine is one of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids in dietary protein, specifically it is a conditionally essential amino acid (being elevated to essential during periods of disease and muscle wasting typical of physical trauma). It is sold as an isolated amino acids as well as being found in high levels in dietary meats and eggs. It is found in very high levels in both whey and casein protein.

    Glutamine is a very effective intestinal and immune system health compound, as these cells use glutamine as the preferred fuel source rather than glucose.

    It is generally touted as a Muscle Builder, but has not been proven to enhance muscle building in healthy individuals; only those suffering from physical trauma such as burns or muscular wounds (knife wounds) or in disease states in which muscle wasting occurs, such as AIDS. In these individuals, however, glutamine is effective at building muscle and alleviating a decrease in muscle mass typical of the ailment.

    http://examine.com/supplements/Glutamine/
  • llbennett74
    llbennett74 Posts: 132 Member
    Absolutely do both! If for any other reason, it keeps your skin from sagging as you lose and you look better in the end. You should aim for 2 to 3 days of strength training a week.
  • nicole060308
    nicole060308 Posts: 13 Member
    i LOVE the 30 day shred by jillian michaels. she mixes 3 min of strength 2 min cardio and 1 min abs. its a 20 min workout. its about 10 bucks at walmart.
    hope this helps
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member

    1) Please cite sources.

    lol - Google is your friend! Sorry for the brush off and no malice intended, I'm already too undproductive this afternoon and I have one more report to do before I leave. If I've got my old bookmarked links at home I'll post them.
    Anyway, if I still have the links, I'll post them later

    Since I don't have reports to do today :laugh:

    TL;DR ... Glutamine is an amino acid (building block of protein). It’s use has been shown to mitigate LBM in individuals suffering from severe illness or injury and in one study endurance athletes in heavy training but not exercisers who work out at moderate intensity

    (note, I know these aren’t the highest quality sources, but the do, in general, cite their sources. I didn’t include anything from body building websites, especially since they were SELLING THE PRODUCT :noway:)

    From Wikipedia:
    Glutamine (abbreviated as Gln or Q) is one of the 20 amino acids encoded by the standard genetic code. …

    In catabolic states of injury and illness, glutamine becomes conditionally essential (requiring intake from food or supplements).[8] Glutamine has been studied extensively over the past 10–15 years, and has been shown to be useful in treatment of injuries, trauma, burns, and treatment-related side effects of cancer, as well as in wound healing for postoperative patients.

    From WebMD
    Glutamine is used to counter some of the side effects of medical treatments. For example, it is used for side effects of cancer chemotherapy including diarrhea, pain and swelling inside the mouth (mucositis), nerve pain (neuropathy), and muscle and joint pains caused by the cancer drug Taxol. Glutamine is also used to protect the immune system and digestive system in people undergoing radiochemotherapy for cancer of the esophagus. Additionally, glutamine is used for improving recovery after bone marrow transplant or bowel surgery, increasing well-being in people who have suffered traumatic injuries, and preventing infections in critically ill people.

Some people use glutamine for digestive system conditions such as stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. It is also used for depression, moodiness, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and enhancing exercise performance.

People who have HIV (AIDS) sometimes use glutamine to prevent weight loss (HIV wasting).


    From Univeristy of Maryland Medical Center (who also stated most of the above)
    Athletes
    Athletes who train for endurance events (like marathons) may reduce the amount of glutamine in their bodies. It’s common for them to catch a cold after an athletic event. Some experts think that may be because of the role glutamine plays in the immune system. For this select group of athletes, one study showed that taking glutamine supplements resulted in fewer infections. The same is not true, however, for exercisers who work out at a moderate intensity.


    Source: Glutamine | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/glutamine#ixzz2e7lxNZUE
    University of Maryland Medical Center
    Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on Facebook

    So, I'll stick with lifting weights and eating 1 g protein per lb LBM, thanks

  • I prefer to refer to things like this:

    Glutamine is one of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids in dietary protein, specifically it is a conditionally essential amino acid (being elevated to essential during periods of disease and muscle wasting typical of physical trauma). It is sold as an isolated amino acids as well as being found in high levels in dietary meats and eggs. It is found in very high levels in both whey and casein protein.

    Glutamine is a very effective intestinal and immune system health compound, as these cells use glutamine as the preferred fuel source rather than glucose.

    It is generally touted as a Muscle Builder, but has not been proven to enhance muscle building in healthy individuals; only those suffering from physical trauma such as burns or muscular wounds (knife wounds) or in disease states in which muscle wasting occurs, such as AIDS. In these individuals, however, glutamine is effective at building muscle and alleviating a decrease in muscle mass typical of the ailment.

    http://examine.com/supplements/Glutamine/

    Good spot, which reminds me, I try to run around 10k every other day but if I don't take glutamine then I, point blank, can't sustain it. Not specifically about LBM retention per se but noteworthy
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
    Interesting thread you guys have going on here...

    79Yeo.gif
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 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 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 beg you to ignore everything else you have read except this. The top part and adding the part about doing cardio if you would like to be able to eat a little more and still lose weight.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Interesting thread you guys have going on here...

    79Yeo.gif

    I'm not going to lie- I am kind of hoping it devolves into the train wreck like the other female lifting one- only because I'm seriously freezing and bored to tears at work.

    I need something to keep me occupied and not bored. :D
  • "Good post" - not sure. Entertaining, definitely,

    Anyway, some references:

    http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/269/2/E309
    http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-06162005-142747/unrestricted/Piattoly_thesis.pdf
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/how-glutamine-benefits-training.htm
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/440031-l-glutamine-for-muscle-recovery/
    http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/18974721/reload=1;jsessionid=rCYZunwV2cixUv8CjMtE.28

    While it's all well and good, citing references pursuant for muscle recovery, it should be noted that these are not entirely focussed on the point specifically about LBM retention. Obviously there's the case for tissue recovery as a result of skeletel stress and tissue decompostion (e.g. after hard exercise) but that is not quite the same as stating that LBM remains constant as a result of cardio, as opposed to weights (which is what has happened for me).

    The anecdotal example for me which does lend credence (for me!) was after the massive trauma to my right side resulting in 3 months of immobilisation, to that side, which should've caused atrophy and emaciation in the LBM of the right side of my body when compared to my left which was still working. The actual result, with the glutamamine regimen, was negligible muscular atrophy on the right side when compared to the left, QED the LBM had been retained but that isn't 'quite' what the above references discuss.

    Of course the easy solution is suck it and see. If it works for you like it has for me then great, if not then the worst that has happened is that your CV fitness will have gone up!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 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.

    You have to try pretty hard to bulk up as a female. It's not going to happen accidentally with regular weight lifting.

  • 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.

    You have to try pretty hard to bulk up as a female. It's not going to happen accidentally with regular weight lifting.

    Good point. From a guys POV it's annoying how quickly I bulk with heavy weight so I stay away from them. Never tested this as a woman.... /:-|
This discussion has been closed.