Strength Training VS Cardio

ackeebee

lol, it seems i am the opposite of you guys. i love cardio and i hate strength training though i do recognise they are both beneficial. however, for the past few months, i have taken a break from strength training. i intend to resume when i reach my goal weight/maintenance stage. only 6 lbs to go

if i am doing it all wrong, some advice would be welcomed!

EricMurano

HIIT is mega fun on a stationery bike! Not so fun on a run but I think I'm getting used to it.

I used to do 20-25 minutes on the bike with 30 seconds of all-out peddling then 2 minutes of cool down. Or 60 seconds/2.5 minutes cool down. It made the session go quickly because it was broken up into doable chunks

engineman312

the problem with cardio is that so many people hear that word and think "an hour on the treadmill." other posters here are right, you can get great results from interval training, and cross training. you can do 3-4 strength days a week, and do 2 days of cardio such as a spinning maching, swimming, or HIIT running.

you need to determine exactly what your goals are to determine which one (cardio or strength training) will be the biggest part of your routine.

melsinct

I am not the biggest cardio fan. My cardio consists of walking the dog briskly (4 mph) for at least a mile every morning. It gets the heart rate up and at least is *something* as opposed to nothing.

AZackery

I love cardio. I do solo strength training, but I prefer doing cardio/strength.

grapenutSF

I agree that cardio isn't just those boring machines. You like hikes? Done! You might explore other forms too. I take a salsa class-hooked! Nike Training Club (ipod app) also has some hybrids you might find appealing...the heart rate def gets elevated bc the pace is fast but I also feel kinda badass & strong when I do it.

http://www.nike.com/nikewomen/features/howitworks?locale=en_US

kmbrooks15

Read "New Rules of Lifting for Women"...excellent book that addresses this very topic! I'm going to start the New Rules workouts in a couple of weeks (had my gallbladder out and the doc said I have to wait 6 weeks after surgery before doing any weight training).

snookumss

I think it depends on your goals. If you are watching your calories, you can skip cardio because you will still lose fat regardless. However, doing the cardio will help speed along the fat-burning process faster than normal weight lifting could do. Now if you are doing something crazy like p90x... you are getting a good all over workout. If you aren't worried about being able to run a few blocks no problem, skip the cardio!

Susay2942

I was invited to go running. It did not take me long ... exactly 20 seconds ... to realize I couldn't run a 1/4 of a mile! I could handle 2 back to back aerobics classes but couldn't run 1/4 mile... Here I was doing all this "stuff" to be in great shape and I couldn't run. It became my new goal and two months later I had dropped another 15 lbs!

I think the lesson here was by changing up and taking on a challenge to myself I hit another peak in my life!

fteale

I wouldn't go on a machine if you paid me. I run outside, which is totally addicted and head clearing. I love it.

I also do aerobics classes with resistance bands and circuit training classes. They are both a combination of resistance training and getting my heart rate up.

If you just lift weights, you may end up looking as you want to, but I doubt you will be that healthy if you do absolutely nothing that raises your heart rate. If you walk a few miles a day, you should be fine, however.

IMO specific exercise is pretty unnecessary if you have a genuinely active, physical lifestyle.

denitraross

Cardio is a necessary evil in my opinion - I am like you as well, love the strength training, cardio not so much. But my rule with cardio is to constantly change it up...I do treadmill, stepper, step clases, aerobics classes, and my favorite passion now, squash...now thats a great form of cardio, no clocks, just you and an opponent ..I aslo love hiking or just plain walking outside...I think you just need to find something you enjoy and that will help

rainbowbuggy

Cardio on a machine is just torture to me. I love walking or running outside. Outside is refreshing and so much more interesting than watching all the other people around me doing the same thing I am doing....crazy! However I do go to the gym when it’s raining or something like that. Strength training is FUN! I love the weights. I have a totally different feeling after a weight training session as opposed to a cardio workout. However with that said, I believe they are both very important. So I do both. Will you lose weight with cardio - YES however weight training will change the “overall look of your body” as you will reserve& build lean muscle (women don't bulk up...without chemical intervention). So don't worry about "bulking"....have fun with whatever you do so that you will stick to it.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

I think cardio is important because its one of the best ways to workout your heart (especially HIIT workouts). For people like me, I HATE cardio. But I do it 2-3 times a week because heart disease runs in my family & I don't want to die an early death because I didn't take care of my heart. It all depends on your goals and perceptions of what it means to be healthy.

hellmana

Ok maybe I'm a freak....but I LOVE running on a treadmill. If I don't have one, I pretty much won't run. Also not the biggest fan of strength training, but I love the results so I do it. Basically I think each person is different and has to find what works for them and what they actually enjoy doing.