women trying to lean out with strength...how much cardio?

scpdxb

Exactly what I'm doing... If I didnt do the cardio I'd feel like I haven't done anything and my body fat's not going anywhere!

Picola1984

10-15 mins lifting is a waste of time.

Not really. If you're new to lifting it's quite enough. I limit my lifting due to hypermobility, I have to be so careful with my ligaments and tendons. You shouldn't pass generic judgements like that.

thank you. I wouldn't class it as a waste of time as since I started I have become more defined, so something has been working.

I'm not going to throw myself in at the deep end and lift things I can't and end up pulling an injury

Amy_B

Great replies!

How many pure rest days do you take each week (with no cardio OR strength)? I was thinking one since my hubby made up a strength program for us, but I was wondering if two wouldn't be better.

I will do cardio probably 3-4 days a week just because I love cardio, and I want a super strong heart (mom who died of a heart attack, and dad who has had little heart attacks and quadruple bipass surgery).

Brianf2fusa

if your serious about this follow this guide...

Scroll down for workout plan...

http://www.musclepharm.com/sections/Workout Plans/Live Shredded

paulamarsden

Cardio has a slight advantage burning a bit more calories during an actual workout session...

That being said, lifting weights gives your metabolism a spike for about an hour after a workout. During this time your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover. This means that on average you'll fry an additional 25 percent of the calories you just scorched during your strength session.

For me....strength building wins, but just like your diet your workouts need to have a good balance.

i actually disagree, lifting weights for 25 minutes i burn about 300 cals. this is from my HRM.

biking for the same amount of time, about 200.

i do lift very heavy, and make it so im sweating and hearts pumping.

zafferFL

When we're talking about lifting, how much are we talking (kg)?

I know it's different for everyone, but I have absolutely NO idea what a 'good' weight would be. What does everyone else lift, and how often?

heavy enough that you can't do 10 reps (with good form) of exercise. That's at the very minimum. Once you get comfortable, and joints and tendons get used to it all, then you can aim for less reps (6 or so).

zafferFL

So most of the studies I have read say that if you have a lot of fat to lose, you do predominantly cardio and you can continue with weight lifting in a high intensity interval pattern. So short rests in between reps to continue with the cardio burn. This helps you lose fat more quickly; then it is better to tone with the heavy lifting more and shorten the periods of cardio.

many studies are wrong and biased when it comes to cardio. You can lose all the weight you need with 0 cardio.

kperk91

many studies are wrong and biased when it comes to cardio. You can lose all the weight you need with 0 cardio.

Music to my ears!!! I lift heavy 4x a week and dread cardio. If anything, I do a 10-15min bike after lifting

aprilgicker

Bump for reference!

Picola1984

Ok so after work tomorrow I'm going to bite the bullet and spend at least 20 mins lifting

What will be hard is not doing so much cardio.....

ahavoc

I do both, and when I strength train I do circuit training to incorporate both.

SergeantSunshine_reused

If zumba wasn't so much fun i would do 0 cardio xD

tmfpartyof4

so , as a new memeber i just want to get this straight.

I have a few pounds to lose (ABOUT 100). ( i dont look it, but I do) I am sedentary and only 3 weeks ago, started back at the gym 3-4 days a week faithfully. I have only seen a 8.5 pound loss, and i do recumbent bike and treadmill for 2 hours max (1 hour each) and only 15 minutes max of the strength training machines circuit.

MFP has me at 1900 cals to use, and I am wondering if I should be doing more of the lifting, and weights? and less of the cardio?

This would make total sense, because in 2010, I did 3 5Ks, and although I was fit enough to do them, i never really lost weight,which frustrated me..... and same with the year before when I would be on my treadmill as my only form of workout.

since I go to the gym 3-4 days a week (i can up it if i need to) what should I start with in working out? how many reps, and how much strength (in time) vs cardio? I feel like I have wasted my time for years and struggled, even eating pretty clean for over a year.

any help would be appreciated.

Nopedotjpeg

so , as a new memeber i just want to get this straight.

I have a few pounds to lose (ABOUT 100). ( i dont look it, but I do) I am sedentary and only 3 weeks ago, started back at the gym 3-4 days a week faithfully. I have only seen a 8.5 pound loss, and i do recumbent bike and treadmill for 2 hours max (1 hour each) and only 15 minutes max of the strength training machines circuit.

MFP has me at 1900 cals to use, and I am wondering if I should be doing more of the lifting, and weights? and less of the cardio?

This would make total sense, because in 2010, I did 3 5Ks, and although I was fit enough to do them, i never really lost weight,which frustrated me..... and same with the year before when I would be on my treadmill as my only form of workout.

since I go to the gym 3-4 days a week (i can up it if i need to) what should I start with in working out? how many reps, and how much strength (in time) vs cardio? I feel like I have wasted my time for years and struggled, even eating pretty clean for over a year.

any help would be appreciated.

Conditioning/cardio isn't a waste of time, and I really doubt it's the type of exercise which caused you to not be able to lose weight. Strength training helps build/retain muscle mass. More muscle mass = lower percentage of your weight is body fat. The thing about circuit training and low-weight/high-rep lifting is it isn't doing anything to make you stronger.

All of us that like heavy lifting go ape**** for Starting Strength and Stronglifts (and New Rules of Lifting For Women, but I don't really know what that program is all about). None of these programs are magic. The reason they work (at least in terms of SS and SL) is that you're doing multi-joint, multi-muscle group compound lifts with heavy (heavy being relative to your strength level) weights which stresses your body as a whole and promote the best overall adaptation. You can do this with barbells, dumbbells, or even bodyweight exercises.

Elizabeth_C34

How much cardio do you do if you are lifting, particularly heavy, to lean out? Which is more important...more strength or more cardio?

I do light cardio (HR no higher than 130 the whole time) for no longer than 20-30 minutes. I usually strength train for over 60 minutes 3x per week.

I lift heavy (90-100% max) every time I lift with low reps. I'm working on setting up a scheduled program.

Lifting light doesn't do you any good unless you are working on your form. Don't be afraid to go heavy. As long as you have good form, you will be just fine. A good guide is that if after 8 lifts, you cannot do another, that's a good heavy weight for you for that exercise.

tmfpartyof4

so , as a new memeber i just want to get this straight.

I have a few pounds to lose (ABOUT 100). ( i dont look it, but I do) I am sedentary and only 3 weeks ago, started back at the gym 3-4 days a week faithfully. I have only seen a 8.5 pound loss, and i do recumbent bike and treadmill for 2 hours max (1 hour each) and only 15 minutes max of the strength training machines circuit.

MFP has me at 1900 cals to use, and I am wondering if I should be doing more of the lifting, and weights? and less of the cardio?

This would make total sense, because in 2010, I did 3 5Ks, and although I was fit enough to do them, i never really lost weight,which frustrated me..... and same with the year before when I would be on my treadmill as my only form of workout.

since I go to the gym 3-4 days a week (i can up it if i need to) what should I start with in working out? how many reps, and how much strength (in time) vs cardio? I feel like I have wasted my time for years and struggled, even eating pretty clean for over a year.

any help would be appreciated.

Conditioning/cardio isn't a waste of time, and I really doubt it's the type of exercise which caused you to not be able to lose weight. Strength training helps build/retain muscle mass. More muscle mass = lower percentage of your weight is body fat. The thing about circuit training and low-weight/high-rep lifting is it isn't doing anything to make you stronger.

All of us that like heavy lifting go ape**** for Starting Strength and Stronglifts (and New Rules of Lifting For Women, but I don't really know what that program is all about). None of these programs are magic. The reason they work (at least in terms of SS and SL) is that you're doing multi-joint, multi-muscle group compound lifts with heavy (heavy being relative to your strength level) weights which stresses your body as a whole and promote the best overall adaptation. You can do this with barbells, dumbbells, or even bodyweight exercises.

thanks very much. I just dont know where to start and I do not want to waste more time on stuff that I may be doing wrong... I just want to be more productive in the gym....

littlemili

As a % of body weight can anyone give a rough idea of what area women should look to be lifting at for a few basic lifts? Because I am 93lbs my idea of heavy is obviously not comparable to most and probably looks laughable but I am willing to bet that as a % of body weight we could find some consensus...I know the 8 rep rule and I work by 8-12 reps max since I am working on form. Just curious though.

tmfpartyof4

As a % of body weight can anyone give a rough idea of what area women should look to be lifting at for a few basic lifts? Because I am 93lbs my idea of heavy is obviously not comparable to most and probably looks laughable but I am willing to bet that as a % of body weight we could find some consensus...I know the 8 rep rule and I work by 8-12 reps max since I am working on form. Just curious though.

good luck! I have no answers... I wish I did.

Im hoping the Person I PMed will answer me back.

zafferFL

As a % of body weight can anyone give a rough idea of what area women should look to be lifting at for a few basic lifts? Because I am 93lbs my idea of heavy is obviously not comparable to most and probably looks laughable but I am willing to bet that as a % of body weight we could find some consensus...I know the 8 rep rule and I work by 8-12 reps max since I am working on form. Just curious though.

Here we go, there are well defined standards

Deadlifts for men and women:

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/DeadliftStandards.html


Links to all: http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html

tuffytuffy1

I lift heavy 3 days a week with a trainer, and on those days I warm up with HIIT cardio on the treadmill (about 6 minutes) and warm down with an uphill walk (about 10 - 15 minutes). Two other days a week, I do about 25 - 45 minutes of either HIIT on the treadmill, or an uphill walk in my zone. My trainer said that when I was walking for an hour on the treadmill, it was overkill. He said do no more than 30 - 45 minutes.

GettinMyLifeBck

bump

GettinMyLifeBck

Cardio has a slight advantage burning a bit more calories during an actual workout session...

That being said, lifting weights gives your metabolism a spike for about an hour after a workout. During this time your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover. This means that on average you'll fry an additional 25 percent of the calories you just scorched during your strength session.

For me....strength building wins, but just like your diet your workouts need to have a good balance.

i actually disagree, lifting weights for 25 minutes i burn about 300 cals. this is from my HRM.

biking for the same amount of time, about 200.

i do lift very heavy, and make it so im sweating and hearts pumping.

I agree I burn more calories lifting weights and even after my workout. I find that Im burning a higher number than after a cardio session.

Amy_B

Hubby and I did our first workout today. We did 4 upper body exercises at our max weights for 6-8 reps. I am feeling it already! Tomorrow is lower body.

Nopedotjpeg

so , as a new memeber i just want to get this straight.

I have a few pounds to lose (ABOUT 100). ( i dont look it, but I do) I am sedentary and only 3 weeks ago, started back at the gym 3-4 days a week faithfully. I have only seen a 8.5 pound loss, and i do recumbent bike and treadmill for 2 hours max (1 hour each) and only 15 minutes max of the strength training machines circuit.

MFP has me at 1900 cals to use, and I am wondering if I should be doing more of the lifting, and weights? and less of the cardio?

This would make total sense, because in 2010, I did 3 5Ks, and although I was fit enough to do them, i never really lost weight,which frustrated me..... and same with the year before when I would be on my treadmill as my only form of workout.

since I go to the gym 3-4 days a week (i can up it if i need to) what should I start with in working out? how many reps, and how much strength (in time) vs cardio? I feel like I have wasted my time for years and struggled, even eating pretty clean for over a year.

any help would be appreciated.

Conditioning/cardio isn't a waste of time, and I really doubt it's the type of exercise which caused you to not be able to lose weight. Strength training helps build/retain muscle mass. More muscle mass = lower percentage of your weight is body fat. The thing about circuit training and low-weight/high-rep lifting is it isn't doing anything to make you stronger.

All of us that like heavy lifting go ape**** for Starting Strength and Stronglifts (and New Rules of Lifting For Women, but I don't really know what that program is all about). None of these programs are magic. The reason they work (at least in terms of SS and SL) is that you're doing multi-joint, multi-muscle group compound lifts with heavy (heavy being relative to your strength level) weights which stresses your body as a whole and promote the best overall adaptation. You can do this with barbells, dumbbells, or even bodyweight exercises.

thanks very much. I just dont know where to start and I do not want to waste more time on stuff that I may be doing wrong... I just want to be more productive in the gym....

I'll be honest, I haven't even been able to stick with Starting Strength because keeping form was an issue for me. However, if you have the drive to get into weight lifting it's a great program. Stronglifts 5x5 is another good one. Just google either of them and you can find the gist of the programs. However the Starting Strength book is a great investment if you think the program interests you.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/beginning-workout-plan/ is a good simple routine as well to get started. It's under the "men's workouts", but don't let that deter you. Scooby has the unfortunate viewpoint that men and women need to train differently, when that's not really the case at all.

I would maybe add some kind of overhead press to Scooby's workout, but I'm no expert.

Pebble321

Some good info here, I'll come back and read it all when I have more time.

I spent last year concentrating on building my running endurance and losing weight.
This year I'm aiming to go faster (no necessarily further) and get stronger.

Currently I'm strenght training 2 -3 days a week (some bodyweight stuff and some machines) and running 3 times (2 x intervals and 1 long run). I've only been doing this for a month so I can't say how its going to go in the long term - but I do know that the skirt I put on today is looser round my middle and my running time hasn't suffered.

I've bought and read New Rules of Lifting which sounds great, but as I don't have access to a gym, I'm just working with what I have at home for now and might look at getting more gear or joining a gym later in the year.

Nopedotjpeg

Some good info here, I'll come back and read it all when I have more time.

I spent last year concentrating on building my running endurance and losing weight.
This year I'm aiming to go faster (no necessarily further) and get stronger.

Currently I'm strenght training 2 -3 days a week (some bodyweight stuff and some machines) and running 3 times (2 x intervals and 1 long run). I've only been doing this for a month so I can't say how its going to go in the long term - but I do know that the skirt I put on today is looser round my middle and my running time hasn't suffered.

I've bought and read New Rules of Lifting which sounds great, but as I don't have access to a gym, I'm just working with what I have at home for now and might look at getting more gear or joining a gym later in the year.

Pushups and weighted squats or lunges (if you have some sort of dumbbells/barbells or resistance gear) are two good exercises you can do without a gym.

Picola1984

Well today I did what most people are recommending; heavy lfiting for longer periods of time

I chose the weights that I could only manage about 6-8 reps of each at a time. I didn't have a prolapse, drop the dumbell or fart as I was a little scared of doing

What also made me happy was the fact that my heart rate didn't drop as much as I thought over the 20 minutes i spent lifting (I usually do about 10 with lesser weights)

I even used a new machine, pushed the boat out!

zafferFL

Well today I did what most people are recommending; heavy lfiting for longer periods of time

I chose the weights that I could only manage about 6-8 reps of each at a time. I didn't have a prolapse, drop the dumbell or fart as I was a little scared of doing

What also made me happy was the fact that my heart rate didn't drop as much as I thought over the 20 minutes i spent lifting (I usually do about 10 with lesser weights)

I even used a new machine, pushed the boat out!

good job...careful, it's addictive

osorio1

bump

bahacca

I did a little experiment. I only have 3days at the gym, all in a row. So I did heavy lifting Tues/Thursday and HIIT(REAL HIIT-2 minutes moderate, :30 As fast as humanly possible for a total of 16 minutes) on Wednesday. I stretched before and after these, but no cardio other than the HIIT and NO AB WORK. I wanted to see if what people said about heavy lifting was true.
1/9/2012


2/11/2012


From the side you can tell how much it reduced my belly. I added cardio back in because I have to start training for a 1/2 marathon. I cannot do that without cardio, obviously. I now know that for ME, I need cardio at this time to burn more fat layers away. Once I'm done with my 1/2, I will probably go back to the strength training and HIIT and maybe do a 30-45 min run 1x a week. I continue to strength train now so I'm not losing muscle, but I know I probably won't be gaining any in the next several months.