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

JoRocka

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.

I want to go to this accidental place where bulking happens.

It's a magical land somewhere and I am SURE it exists... I'd like to go there- all this hard work and chit... it's a waste of time if I could just get to the magical 'accidental bulking' gym. <le sigh>

contingencyplan

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.

I want to go to this accidental place where bulking happens.

It's a magical land somewhere and I am SURE it exists... I'd like to go there- all this hard work and chit... it's a waste of time if I could just get to the magical 'accidental bulking' gym. <le sigh>

All you have to do is believe. If you believe, and you clap your hands, you can find it!

RGv2

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.... /:-|

From a guys perspective....no, you don't "bulk" quickly. No one bulks quickly. Are there noob gains and water retention right away....of course...but that's not even close to bulk. It takes extreme amounts of work and a specific caloric surplus diet. A pro bodybuilder will struggle to "quickly" put on mass.

My I bench almost 300lbs and am far..................from "bulked", because I don't eat at a surplus.

wibblefps

Guess, I've just been unlucky then. I push heavy weights, I bulk up quickly. Learned that over 26 years of gym. I have wondered if it's because I used to bulk deliberately, years ago and if, therefore, it makes it easier to repeat later. That is a complete guess however. Either way, the red muscle goes on quick if I push the heavy weights

RGv2

Guess, I've just been unlucky then. I push heavy weights, I bulk up quickly. Learned that over 26 years of gym. I have wondered if it's because I used to bulk deliberately, years ago and if, therefore, it makes it easier to repeat later. That is a complete guess however. Either way, the red muscle goes on quick if I push the heavy weights

If you used to bulk deliberately, yes, you can REGAIN your muscle mass quickly through the same phenomenon as noob gains. That's not"bulking up"

Sarauk2sf

"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!

You cannot equate taking glutamine after trauma to using it to maintain LBM, especially while cutting, as the sources previously indicate. Context is very relevant.

I am not about to experiment with something that has no proven efficacy - as if it does not work..I lose hard earned LBM...not happening.

Also, being in a caloric deficit is very different than maintaining or being in a surplus re LBM retention.

Sarauk2sf

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.... /:-|

Obviously you have different goals to others.

Women have about 1/16th of the testosterone that men do. "Bulking" quickly is not an issue for us (well, other than some women who state that they bulk easily on here!).

Sarauk2sf

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.

Sorry for getting distracted OP. ^^this basically sums up the answer to your question.

RGv2

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.... /:-|

Obviously you have different goals to others.

"Bulking" quickly is not an issue for us (well, other than some women who state that they bulk easily on here!).

.....or Men.

Iron_Feline

I'm just going to jump in here and point out that the op is male. I feel this may have been overlooked :drinker:

Op: do both in whatever order works for you. I prefer weights first as I have more energy for them and they make me feel kick *kitten*, oddly I feel this gives me more energy for my cardio afterwards -I prefer HIIT for the cardio. But if cardio first works best for you then go for it.

The most import at thing is that you do what you enjoy and can stick with.

maillemaker

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

I agree with the above.

Any exercise is better than no exercise.

The key to weight loss is in maintaining a calorie deficit. To lose body fat, you actually don't have to do any exercise at all. You just have to eat less.

Weight lifting is good because it helps maintain and build muscles so that you don't lose muscle in addition to fat while you are on a calorie deficit.

Cardio is good because it helps keep your heart healthy, helps you build endurance for physical tasks, and burns a few calories that can be nice if you want to eat a little more food.

Bear in mind that unless you are doing crazy cardio, though, the amount of calories you get out of it aren't that great. I do 30 minutes of recumbant bike riding on a Cybex 750R on level 5 weight loss mode and I burn 120 calories. That's about a slice of bread or 1.5 ounces of cashews. Not much to write home about. In fact, I try not to eat back my work out calories but rather use them as a buffer in my calorie log to make up for inaccuracies in logging.

I do both lifting and cardio. I do lifting for 30 minutes, and the exercise bike for 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week.

The most important part of my weight loss program is the diet, though.

jimmmer

I came back. What I saw hurt my eyes.......

....should have stayed away.

mantium999

Holy confusion Batman!!! A thread from 2011, which had died with less than 1 page of responses, evolved into 5+ pages of.....well, I am not sure what this became. Well done to the new poster who brought this back to life by posting a link (which is the same site linked in his one and only other post).

NicoleAthenaGreene

Strength training is important. Women forget this. Muscle burns calories even when you are asleep. Get 30 minutes 3 times a week. Cardio burns calories too, but that's it. Get 30-60 minutes 3-6 times a week. I have lost 51 pounds doing this.

Nicole.

mantium999

Strength training is important. Women forget this. Muscle burns calories even when you are asleep. Get 30 minutes 3 times a week. Cardio burns calories too, but that's it. Get 30-60 minutes 3-6 times a week. I have lost 51 pounds doing this.

Nicole.

First post after being a member for 2 years and you revive a dead thread?