Very Overweight- Do I need to do cardio?

stinastudios

I'm about 120 lbs overweight. I'm lucky that there's a gym just down the street from my office, so I go there every weekday to workout on my lunch break. I also try to get in another workout during the weekend.

So far I've been doing 3 days of weight training, and 3 days of cardio. But lately I've been reading a lot of articles/books/posts reccomending less cardio and more weigh training, some even reccomending no cardio at all.

What I'm wondering is, since I'm so overweight, could I do just weight training and see weight loss results, or do I need the cardio to burn the fat better?

Thank you for any advice you can give.

Stina

jrich1

IMO I think you are good doing both, the cardio will help with endurance and burn calories and the weight training will help tone and build lean muscle which will help burning fat.

sister_bear

You should get some varying opinions on this. Most of what I've read recommends doing both. Right now I'm only doing cardio.

jtbaddison

I agree with Jrich. Sounds like you have a GOOD plan in place already. No need to change it.

AddA2UDE

I think it is important to continously change up what you are doing. I too prefer weight-training but I force myself to do some type of cardio once or twice a week too just to keep it a little more well-rounded.

voluptas63

It will never kill you (obviously as long as you're not being excessive) to add/keep cardio in your regular exercise regime.

NOW. If you're a weightlifter, many of them do not do cardio because it tends to cut muscle and fat from the body. They strictly focus on weight lifting. But for a normal routine, cardio is excellent

SarahBear9708

I think both is best. I'm quite overweight myself, and I do both and have been getting results. Good luck!

_SusieQ_

I have about that much to lose or more. I think mixing it up keeps you interested, but to be honest I have found that I burn more calories with weight training than straight cardio most of the time. I have an HRM so I am tracking real calorie burns. Maybe do more weight training with short bursts of cardio in between, intervals.

YukonJoy

No!!! You are on the right path. Always do a mix of strength and cardio.

Weight loss is a combination of cardio, weights and diet!

You're doing good, just keep trucking along. If you are not seeing results try stepping up your game. Maybe you need to increase the intensity of your work outs?

Good luck

indycello

balance, balance, balance!

It is important to incorporate both but if you are focused on fat burning then I would pump the muscle! Try a mixed exercise that builds both muscle and endurance like spinning, yoga, or zumba

BeSexy

Both are very important. I think your current routine will work well. And yes, variety with it all will do you wonders too.

auticus

Strength training and cardio and proper nutrition. Note the use of the word "and" in several places.

Start slow. Work your way up. Good luck.

roebuck1908

Both would be OK but why not get one of the personal trainers at the gym to advise on the best program for your needs

Xaspar

My opinion:
Both cardio and weight training have their place and I try to incorporate BOTH into my routines. This helps me keep from getting bored as well as keeps my body guessing. I alternate 3 each per week when possible. with a full rest day once a week. If I have the energy, sometimes even do both in one day but not usually back to back ... weights in the morning, cardio in the afternoon or vice-verse.
I am not trying to kill myself here, just lose some weight and enjoy life a little in the process.

MzFury

Cardio's definitely going to give you, well, cardiovascular benefits - it will strengthen your heart. So regardless of fat removal efforts, it's going to make you a healthier person, and the stronger that baseline gets, the better you'll exercise all around.

the exception:
If you do circuits, however, and your heart rate is significantly elevated / in the fat-burning zone th
rough resistance training, you are getting cardiovascular exercise and can potentially save some workout time. But I would tend to look at it the other way around: if you missed a day of cardio, or knew you would be short on time, make up for it by getting in a tougher circuit (work with a trainer, do a video, etc.) of strength and cardio. Good to throw those in anyway, but I think especially if one of your goals, at 120 lbs overweight, is to make working out a habit, then think about it less as a way to spend less time in the gym at this point, and more as an addition or a way to make up for time you meant to spend but didn't... If that makes sense.

nattyiqb123

I am actually working with a trainer and she wants to see me 2x's a week sometimes 3x's if I can make it. She says the other 4 days I need to get in either a class or some kind of cardio. That will build your endurance and get your body moving. Think of it as taking care of your heart more than anything! The strength training will build that muscle that will be burning the fat round the clock. I also have a lot to lose so I am taking her advice. Sounds like you have a great plan going already. I cannot wait to weight in on Oct 1st, 1 month after I started with MFP and my trainer! Good luck on this new life style journey.

ATT949

I agree with Jrich. Sounds like you have a GOOD plan in place already. No need to change it.

Agreed. Good to see that you're here on MFP and doing both types of exercise.

Good luck with your weight loss!

CatMauro

Stick with the plan you have, or better yet, try to get in a little cardio and a little strength every day! Strength and cardio play well together and doing both will increase your weightloss. Only doing the weights WILL NOT cut it, you will see some results if you're doing that AND have a good diet but not even remotely as much as if you were doing cardio and had a proper diet. If you're in doubt though look at the way that the exercise diary is set up on here: notice how when you enter in your weights (strength) you don't see any calories burnt? That's because it's negligeable. In order to lose, you have to increase your heart rate and unless you're moving furniture that just ain't gonna happen with the weights.

billsica

working the largest muscle groups will burn the most fat and muscle. So build up the big ones, the work them out. (aka legs)

jennadaniele

Hi there! Well lifting weights is great, you burn fat for longer. So after your work out is over you're body is burning calories longer than it would with just cardio. I would say YES do cardio for health reasons. Whether you're very over or slim skinny, cardio is going to keep your heart performing well, and everyone wants that! I like what you're doing, the 3 days/3days. Unfortunately for me it's so HARD for me to get into lifting. I HATE the soreness afterwards, so I do it only once in a while. Luckily for me, I have a muscular build, my mom and sister to do. I'm good there, but I know I should but I hate it really so I do cardio with some increased resistance. I would say keep doing both and just keep watching and see what works best for you Obviously being 120lbs over makes cardio harder, but you'll see it gets easier as your body drops the weight. Good luck!

laneybird

I think what you have in place is perfect. I do cardio every day, whether I go to the gym or not, and strength training when I go to the gym 3-4 days a week. Good luck on your journey!!

AngelikaLumiere

I started out 150 pounds over weight and within two weeks of starting I was doing both cardio and strength. Since last April I have lost about 55 pounds. So based on my experience I would say both works.

mark03264

Sound like you have a great plan in place. Continue doing both.

DannyMussels

The way it worked for me was basically, a strong change in diet yielded a 30-40lb weight loss, then I plateaued.

Then I did moderate cardio (exercise bike) and dropped another 30-40 and again stalled.

Then I really tweaked my diet and hit some serious exercises to get below 'average' weight.

Truth be told, I was my skinniest, but also my weakest. On round 2 of my weight loss, I alternated between body-weight exercises and cardio and 6 months later, was notably stronger, but also quite skinny.

Skinny and weak isn't really that healthy. If you can do your best to maintain muscle, i'd strongly suggest that, as well as everyone else mentioning the health benefits that go along with other forms of exercise.

Just do it safely, and in small steps.

ambermichon

both combined are beneficial however I have been told cardio primarily helps with calorie deficit (you can eat more if you do it) and with heart and lung health. I choose cardio over not doing it to eat more. :-)

DeathIsMyGift

I lost 33 lbs in about 5 months doing 3 days cardio, 2 days weights. However, different things work for different people. When it comes down to it...you need to figure out what works for you. (I started a new weight goal, hence the "4lbs lost" on my ticker) teehee

sundaycormier

congrats on the 32 lbs. i would do the weight training and then do 10 minutes of high intensity cardio after. then stretch. Eat protein with in 15 minutes of weight training. good luck 6 to 7 small meals aday.

linda1243

i hate cardio, so my pt gave me a suggestion. instead of doing 3 days weights and 2 days cardio, she suggested i do 30 min of weights and 30 min of cardio each day and then that would make it not feel as long. It has really helped and now that i am starting to get used to it, i have upped my time on cardio a little.

DizzieLittleLifter

Both, do both! Weight train to build and strengthen muscle. Cardio to burn fat. You don't need to do endless hours of cardio. Even just 30min of interval (low intensity with high intensity bursts) will give you results. You need muscle other wise as Pauline Nordine says you'll just be a smaller version of your current body, but only lifting won't do much. You will strengthen muscle but won't be able to see it under all the excess fat. Look at people on Biggest Loser.... they do both and end up looking awesome! Good Luck! :flowerforyou:

Corruptkitten

When I was heavier I had a personal trainer and she had me on a circuit. Warm up on the treadmill or elliptical for 5-10 minutes then do weights (starting with large muscle groups) alternate legs, arms, & back, but I worked my full body. In between each set of weights I had to do cardio for (30 seconds- 1minute) to get my heart rate back up

Regimen looked something like this:

Warm Up: Elliptical 5-10 minutes
Leg Press: 4 sets 15-20 reps
Elliptical: 30 seconds-1 minute
Shoulder Press: 4 sets 15-20 reps
Elliptical: 30 seconds-1 minute
Walking Lunges: Across the gym
Elliptical: 30 seconds-1 minute
And so on slowly getting to the smaller muscle groups

I lost 50LBS with this and pilates and NO crazy amount of cardio. The ONLY cardio I did was in my circuits. Cardio is good for your heart, but if it is hard on your body do what you can for now. Just push yourself and don't be afraid to lift weights, a lot of women are afraid to lift weights because they don't want to bulk up and get too buff, that won't happen our bodies aren't made that way. The more muscle you have the better it burns more fat. Just make sure that you are lifting correctly in order to prevent injuries.

kadoodle76

Cardio's definitely going to give you, well, cardiovascular benefits - it will strengthen your heart. So regardless of fat removal efforts, it's going to make you a healthier person, and the stronger that baseline gets, the better you'll exercise all around.

the exception:
If you do circuits, however, and your heart rate is significantly elevated / in the fat-burning zone th
rough resistance training, you are getting cardiovascular exercise and can potentially save some workout time. But I would tend to look at it the other way around: if you missed a day of cardio, or knew you would be short on time, make up for it by getting in a tougher circuit (work with a trainer, do a video, etc.) of strength and cardio. Good to throw those in anyway, but I think especially if one of your goals, at 120 lbs overweight, is to make working out a habit, then think about it less as a way to spend less time in the gym at this point, and more as an addition or a way to make up for time you meant to spend but didn't... If that makes sense.

Thank you! I was wondering when someone would mention the poor heart! Regardless of whether people lose weight quicker with cardio or strength training, cardio is necissary for a happy healthy heart. If you lose weight but still are not healthy, what is the point? A little of both is best.