Question about weights and cardio.

mommymeg2

I am going to start lifting weights soon. I am buying into the whole concept of heavy lifting for women. I plan to fuel my body properly and lift regularly. I know some people that disregard all cardio when they take on this mentality and I'm trying to figure out what a good balance for me will be. Does anyone have suggestions as to how much cardio they would aim for weekly? I very clearly still have fat to lose (likely around 30 pounds of it, give or take) so it's not like there is just an extra pound or two of fat sitting on me. Any suggestions would be welcome

Mera_Mera

I do 30-40 minutes every day except Saturdays. On M-W-F (non-consecutive days), I do 15-20 minutes of strength training per muscle group (abs, upper and lower body?. Basically, I do 60 minutes in total of weight training (three times a week) and I run every day for 30-40 minutes. That equals to 180- 240 minutes of cardio. I hope this helped.

lisao62

bump

mskari77

I strength train (heavy weight) 5 days a week, hitting a different body part each day; chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs...in that order with a day off after back and after arms. I work in abs 3-4 days a week in between sets mostly. I also do at least an hour of cardio a day after weight training 6 days a week. It varies from walking on the treadmill, stationary, and stair machine. Always do cardio after weight training, so you have enough energy to get through your workout.

andersonaj88

I am working with a trainer. Who believes a higher heart rate during strength training helps reduce fat faster. I do 20-30 minutes of cardio before lifting. It really seems to be taking off the inches. On my cardio only days, I do a minimum of 60 minutes.

mommymeg2

I know I won't be able to do it every day. As it stands I don't do any (aside from chasing around a 3 and 2 year old all day every day ) but I don't want it to be the focus of my workout either. I guess I might be asking more...is it really THAT necessary.

SteveHunt113

You're going to find a lot of different opinions, so I hope you are ready to weed through them!

I'm curious: why are you looking at doing heavy weights? What are your goals?

Understanding what is you are trying to achieve is important. Cardio should be done if you are trying to create a larger caloric deficit, or if you are trying to improve your cardiovascular health. And the type/amount will depend on your goals.

I spent about 10 years in the gym lifting heavy 3-5 days per week, and doing 30-60 minutes of cardio. Regardless of the combination I was doing, I really didn't see any significant changes. I also had no real goals or plan.

In mid December I decided I needed to lose weight, so I started doing cardio first, and for longer (45 minutes instead of 30). I also reduced my weight since I was now more tired when I started the lifting. I started to lose weight, but then completely changed my routine. Instead of lifting 5 days/week I changed to 3 days/week. Instead of doing heavy weight I do lighter weights in circuits. In between days, I do interval cardio that lasts no more than 35 minutes INCLUDING WARM UP AND COOL DOWN.

I changed because my goals have been refined: reduced body fat, fit muscles (don't need to be huge), and able to have the stamina to do whatever I want to do. My picture is a week old and I'm starting to see the body I want. As for my fitness level, I've never been more fit! My resting heart rate has dropped to 52 from 60.

So, I probably didn't answer your question, but maybe you have something to at least think about.

nutandbutter

I don't do any right now. I might add in 20 minutes of HIIT 1-2 x/wk in a few more weeks. It really depends on if I feel like doing it or not. Cardio isn't necessary as your primary caloric deficit should be coming from your diet. 2 reasons I don't do it: 1) I don't like it and 2) it makes me super hungry. I would rather not run for 20 minutes just so I can have an extra 200 calories to eat. Another note, I set my own calories so I'm not sitting at 1200 calories. I am actually at something more sustainable (1600) since I don't have much to lose (starting a recomp). The best thing you could do for yourself is to figure out your own maintenance calories because then you know what your target calories should be. Google katch mcardle.

getalife9353

I am doing strength training 2 days per week and cardio 2 days per week and participate in "active" life style on the weekends
Strength - Monday and Wednesday
Cardio (intervals) - Tuesday and Thursday
On the weekends I stay active with cycling, kayaking, or hiking. I don't consider it as exercise, but in reality I burn more calories doing my weekend activities then I do with planned "exercise".

mommymeg2

My overall goal is health. Cliche, yes, but it is. My husband and I eat well (well 85% of the time) and by well I mean clean, whole, organic foods. (If you look at my diary this week is not the best example...) Physically I want to look more muscular than thin but don't want to be "rock hard" regardless of muscle size. The 22 pounds I've lost thus far has been on diet alone. I started at eating 1230 and upped it to 1430 and don't mind bouncing around to keep my body guessing.

So, I guess my goal is to not look "thin" but to look defined. I do want to weigh less, of course, and be down about 30 pounds before we try and have another baby. That would still put me around 150 (I'm okay above that as well, it's just an easy number to focus on) and with muscle and fat loss I feel that is a reasonable weight (I'm 5'6")

NancyNiles

I do a mix of cardio and strength three days a week. My trainer said to do 10 minutes of cardio to start.... that's to get my heart rate up and loosen me up to prevent injury. I don't skip that part. Then I do 30 minutes of circuit weight training, 3 sets of 10 reps on each machine (upper body one day, then lower, then abs). Then I do the fastest mile I can crack out on the recumbent bike. Because you burn more fat going full out for a short period of time (2-5 minutes), than taking an easy pace for an hour. Plus, weight lifting has residual benefits... as your body starts to "repair" your muscles, you continue to burn calories for quite awhile after you finish exercising! Just make sure you eat some protein (half a PB sandwich, Snackwells bar, greek yogurt) within 15 minutes of strength training because your body needs that protein to build lean muscle tissue. For every 3 lbs of lean muscle you add, your body burns an extra 120 calories per day.

That said, I have been at this for a month and haven't lost a single pound. I was frustrated at first, but noticed that my pants are looser and figured out that I was replacing fat with muscle and dropping inches. I'm still holding out hope that next month I'll see some actual poundage loss.

jrusso28

I would do whatever works for you.
Its a great idea to introduce both cardio and strength training into anyone's routine.

If you plan on exercising 2 or 3 days a week, alternate between the two.
One day weights the next cardio.

No matter how you shake it, it will be better than what you have been doing so far.
As you progress, you might add some time to your workouts and do cardio for 30 minutes and then weights to focus on upper body on one day, then cardio for 30 minutes and weights to focus on lower body another day.

Basically work your way through it slowly.

Hope this helped ???

nutandbutter

I don't do any right now. I might add in 20 minutes of HIIT 1-2 x/wk in a few more weeks. It really depends on if I feel like doing it or not. Cardio isn't necessary as your primary caloric deficit should be coming from your diet. 2 reasons I don't do it: 1) I don't like it and 2) it makes me super hungry. I would rather not run for 20 minutes just so I can have an extra 200 calories to eat. Another note, I set my own calories so I'm not sitting at 1200 calories. I am actually at something more sustainable (1600) since I don't have much to lose (starting a recomp). The best thing you could do for yourself is to figure out your own maintenance calories because then you know what your target calories should be. Google katch mcardle.

Actually, just check out this thread.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/491087-my-gift-excel-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-cut-build-and-ma

SteveHunt113

Something else to keep in mind: to make your workout more affective, you want to change them up from time to time. If you stick with the same workout all the time, you body gets good at it and you see less results.

nutandbutter

You're going to find a lot of different opinions, so I hope you are ready to weed through them!

I'm curious: why are you looking at doing heavy weights? What are your goals?

Understanding what is you are trying to achieve is important. Cardio should be done if you are trying to create a larger caloric deficit, or if you are trying to improve your cardiovascular health. And the type/amount will depend on your goals.

I spent about 10 years in the gym lifting heavy 3-5 days per week, and doing 30-60 minutes of cardio. Regardless of the combination I was doing, I really didn't see any significant changes. I also had no real goals or plan.

In mid December I decided I needed to lose weight, so I started doing cardio first, and for longer (45 minutes instead of 30). I also reduced my weight since I was now more tired when I started the lifting. I started to lose weight, but then completely changed my routine. Instead of lifting 5 days/week I changed to 3 days/week. Instead of doing heavy weight I do lighter weights in circuits. In between days, I do interval cardio that lasts no more than 35 minutes INCLUDING WARM UP AND COOL DOWN.

I changed because my goals have been refined: reduced body fat, fit muscles (don't need to be huge), and able to have the stamina to do whatever I want to do. My picture is a week old and I'm starting to see the body I want. As for my fitness level, I've never been more fit! My resting heart rate has dropped to 52 from 60.

So, I probably didn't answer your question, but maybe you have something to at least think about.

Not trying to call you out but according to your profile, you weren't counting calories at the time you were lifting heavy. You were just eating whatever you wanted. You can't really compare results since diet is primary when it comes to weight loss.

nutandbutter

Something else to keep in mind: to make your workout more affective, you want to change them up from time to time. If you stick with the same workout all the time, you body gets good at it and you see less results.

That's why you add weight to your lifts.

atjays

You're supposed to allow 48-72 hours for your muscles to heal following most lifting programs depending on your age (older takes longer). This will only allow you to do this 2-3 times a week. There is nothing wrong with cardio on the other days. My current schedule I am alternating weights/cardio every day with 1 day off a week. Allows 48 hours for my upper body to recover from weights and 48 hours for my legs to recover from cardio. Works out pretty well for me.

AntWrig

I am going to start lifting weights soon. I am buying into the whole concept of heavy lifting for women. I plan to fuel my body properly and lift regularly. I know some people that disregard all cardio when they take on this mentality and I'm trying to figure out what a good balance for me will be. Does anyone have suggestions as to how much cardio they would aim for weekly? I very clearly still have fat to lose (likely around 30 pounds of it, give or take) so it's not like there is just an extra pound or two of fat sitting on me. Any suggestions would be welcome

The problem is that people use cardio as a means of creating a calorie deficit. Nutrition should be the first choice in creating a deficit. For improving body composition, intense and heavy weight training is the way to go. Another benefit is that weight training provides cardio benefits.

So let's recap:
1. Calorie deficit through diet.
2. Train heavy.
3. Don't use cardio as a means of creating a deficit. If you have to do so, I suggest you check your diet again.

The benefits of walking outweigh any form of intense cardio. With walking you release the fat burning hormones (sensitive lipase and catecholamines).

Now, before anyone says anything. HIIT is not cardio, it's actually ALMOST a weight training session, because it'a an Anaerobic and not an Aerobic exercise.

AntWrig

You're going to find a lot of different opinions, so I hope you are ready to weed through them!

I'm curious: why are you looking at doing heavy weights? What are your goals?

Understanding what is you are trying to achieve is important. Cardio should be done if you are trying to create a larger caloric deficit, or if you are trying to improve your cardiovascular health. And the type/amount will depend on your goals.

I spent about 10 years in the gym lifting heavy 3-5 days per week, and doing 30-60 minutes of cardio. Regardless of the combination I was doing, I really didn't see any significant changes. I also had no real goals or plan.

In mid December I decided I needed to lose weight, so I started doing cardio first, and for longer (45 minutes instead of 30). I also reduced my weight since I was now more tired when I started the lifting. I started to lose weight, but then completely changed my routine. Instead of lifting 5 days/week I changed to 3 days/week. Instead of doing heavy weight I do lighter weights in circuits. In between days, I do interval cardio that lasts no more than 35 minutes INCLUDING WARM UP AND COOL DOWN.

I changed because my goals have been refined: reduced body fat, fit muscles (don't need to be huge), and able to have the stamina to do whatever I want to do. My picture is a week old and I'm starting to see the body I want. As for my fitness level, I've never been more fit! My resting heart rate has dropped to 52 from 60.

So, I probably didn't answer your question, but maybe you have something to at least think about.

Your diet sucks if you are using "cardio to create a calorie defecit". Just stop eating and profit.

lovinmysoldier

To start do 2-3 days of strength and keep it simple. Check out www.intense-workout.com

SteveHunt113

The benefits of walking outweigh any form of intense cardio. With walking you release the fat burning hormones (sensitive lipase and catecholamines).

I think you are a little off on this one. For starters, fat burning will happen no matter what, but lower hear rate exercises do burn I higher percentage of fat burning. Problem is that you have to spend MORE time to burn the same amount of fat as you would doing high intensity cardio.

Second, you do nothing for your athleticism if you are just walking. My wife is a walker, I do interval cardio. She gets tired easy, I don't.

AntWrig

The benefits of walking outweigh any form of intense cardio. With walking you release the fat burning hormones (sensitive lipase and catecholamines).

I think you are a little off on this one. For starters, fat burning will happen no matter what, but lower hear rate exercises do burn I higher percentage of fat burning. Problem is that you have to spend MORE time to burn the same amount of fat as you would doing high intensity cardio.

Second, you do nothing for your athleticism if you are just walking. My wife is a walker, I do interval cardio. She gets tired easy, I don't.

From a pure perfomance standpoint sure high intensity cardio is good. However, are you training for a sport? Is she? No.

As I stated before, for body composition purposes cardio (treadmill, elleptical) etc is not needed. People doing HIIT sessions 3-6 times a week coupled with weight training, actually believe they are doing their bodies good.

Second, you do nothing for your athleticism if you are just walking. My wife is a walker, I do interval cardio. She gets tired easy, I don't.

Well duh, do you know what anaerobic means? Interval cardio is not an AEROBIC exercise. Interval cardio improves your VO2 max. Once again something that is not important for body composition.

heybales

That said, I have been at this for a month and haven't lost a single pound. I was frustrated at first, but noticed that my pants are looser and figured out that I was replacing fat with muscle and dropping inches. I'm still holding out hope that next month I'll see some actual poundage loss.

Congratulations on your great _FAT_ loss.

If you are feeding your workouts, and your muscle can really grow bigger, there is no doubt the increased metabolism will aid greatly in even further fat loss during all your non-exercise daily activities.

Hide the scale!

Katie3784

I definitely spend more time on lifting than on cardio. I also do 30-50 minutes of mat pilates every morning. I lift weights 4 days a week, and I do circuits, meaning I move from one exercise to another without resting. Once I'm done with all exercises I take about a two minute break, then I repeat two more times. This ends up taking between 30 and 40 minutes. After that I do 12-18 minutes of HIIT or tabata on my elliptical. I hate cardio so I like to make it as short as I can. I do cardio 5 to 6 days a week. I have just started lifting heavier weights, so I can only do between 8 and 12 reps. I think it' working. I used to do lighter weights, which has given great tone and definition, but I kinda just wanted to step it up a bit and challenge myself. We'll see how it goes.

SteveHunt113

I definitely spend more time on lifting than on cardio. I also do 30-50 minutes of mat pilates every morning. I lift weights 4 days a week, and I do circuits, meaning I move from one exercise to another without resting. Once I'm done with all exercises I take about a two minute break, then I repeat two more times. This ends up taking between 30 and 40 minutes. After that I do 12-18 minutes of HIIT or tabata on my elliptical. I hate cardio so I like to make it as short as I can. I do cardio 5 to 6 days a week. I have just started lifting heavier weights, so I can only do between 8 and 12 reps. I think it' working. I used to do lighter weights, which has given great tone and definition, but I kinda just wanted to step it up a bit and challenge myself. We'll see how it goes.

Sounds like a great workout!

yesthistime

Bump

rockerbabyy

i do three days of lifting, and two days of cardio.. according to my plan im supposed to lift (takes 20-30 minutes) and do 20 minutes of cardio on lifting days, and 40 minute sessions on cardio days. i usually just end up doing lifting, and then 60 minute cardio sessions, but im trying to change that.

mskari77

The problem is that people use cardio as a means of creating a calorie deficit. Nutrition should be the first choice in creating a deficit. For improving body composition, intense and heavy weight training is the way to go. Another benefit is that weight training provides cardio benefits.

So let's recap:
1. Calorie deficit through diet.
2. Train heavy.
3. Don't use cardio as a means of creating a deficit. If you have to do so, I suggest you check your diet again.

The benefits of walking outweigh any form of intense cardio. With walking you release the fat burning hormones (sensitive lipase and catecholamines).

Now, before anyone says anything. HIIT is not cardio, it's actually ALMOST a weight training session, because it'a an Anaerobic and not an Aerobic exercise.

Thank you for this! Gives me a new way to look at it. I do enjoy a good 45-60 min walk on the treadmill.....it is kind of my way of decompressing for the day.

MummaAimz

I do 30 minutes of cardio and switch on and off between upper body and lower body for my strength. I do a 20 minute cardio warm up, 30 minutes of weights for whatever muscle group I'm doing that day, and then 10 minutes of cardio to end my work out to get my heart rate pumping again. I live heavy and its SOOOO worth it. Cuts your arms and legs down so much faster and efficently. I've lost 30 pounds since october, the majority of which when I started lifting. I don't mind being a little bulky though, I've always been muscular dealing with horses on a daily basis so I'm not sure if heavy is the way to go if you want to be lean. Might work, might not. GOOD LUCK!!!

sweetnspiccy

I really enjoyed reading this some good info and good ideas for me to try.
Thanks

suejonestx

Why not split your time between cardio and weights? Cardio to burn fat, weights to strengthen and build fat-burning muscle. You can be muscular and still have fat. In my opinion, cardio and diet is what actually burns the fat.