Best exercises to lose fat? (Please!!!!!!!)

MinaAriel

Ok. I just wanna make sure my thinking is right. Cardio gets rid of fat. Weight training builds muscle which can burn more calories. Ideally, a mix of the two is the best.

I'm in the middle of the Shred, 6 days a week. Before that, I had been exercising (usually circuit training videos or elliptical) 3-4 times a week. I've been eating my exercise calories. I have a Polar Ft4 hrm. Weight loss was pretty well stalling out which was disconcerting because I'm only halfway to healthy. I decided to up my calories a bit and change my goal to 1 lb a week. Lost a lb and then this week I gained half a pound. I know it's water weight but it still sucks because I've been at this for 5 months and I'm only half way there and I thought I was following the rules.

So, question, should I up the cardio and stop focusing on strength? I mainly do exercise DVDs because that's what I have. I would eventually love to be able to lift heavy but until I can by a gym membership or a weight bench, I've got to use the Wii and the public library.

If you've been in the situation before, tell me how you got through it. I'm grasping at straws here. Diary is open.

ShrinkinMel

I always think the best exercise we do is the one we DO!

dcmat

Cycling worked for me, down 5 stone

SergeantSunshine_reused

So, question, should I up the cardio and stop focusing on strength?

Absolutely not. That is probably the worst thing you could do. All that would do would increase muscle loss, slow metabolism, and create an undesirable effect on your body composition.

Strength training is very important

engineman312

you should start strength training. start last week if possible.

sheri02r

I've heard interval training is a great way to burn fat. maybe you should give that a try. I would not give up strength training if I were you though! Keep at it. Good luck!

robot_potato

I'm concentrating on strength and doing a little cardio with pleasing results. Muscle mass is important.

Rae6503

No, cardio doesn't get rid of fat. A calorie deficit creates weight loss. However this weight loss is often a mix of fat AND muscle. Strength training and adequate protein intake minimizes muscle loss as much as possible. It won't build very much muscle while you are dieting but it might build some if you are new to it. Cardio is a tool by which you can increase your calorie deficit while eating more food.

heybales

Keep doing them both.

http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/WT&End.html

Wayne Westcott, Ph.D. conducted a study in which 72 over weight individuals participated in an eight week exercise program. The participants were placed in two groups. The first group performed 30 minutes of endurance exercise on a stationary cycle. The second group performed only 15 minutes of exercise on the stationary cycle plus an additional 15 minutes on weight resistant exercises. At the conclusion of the study, the "endurance only" group lost a total of 3.5 lbs.; 3 lbs. of which was fat and a half pound was muscle loss. On the other hand, the "endurance and weight resistive" group lost 8 lbs. with an actual fat loss of 10 lbs. and an increase of 2 lbs. of lean body weight.

figurekat

To be honest a combination is best. Weight training when done properly will increase your metabolism and burn more calories overall. The only calories youburn with cardio are the ones DURING your exercise with the exception of HIIT (High intensity interval training). A good combination would be 30-45 minutes of strength training 3-4 times a week followed by 20-30 minutes of HIIT cardio (an RPE of 9-10 for 30-60 seconds followed by 60-90 seconds of recovery at about an RPE of 4 repeated). If you can't afford a gym membership, I highly suggest resistance bands. Bodylastics makes a great product you can get on amazon for cheap, and you can approximate almost any move you can do with weights or cable machines.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Exactly what Rae said.

Also yes gaining muscle mass can be achieved by strength training. But that includes heavy lifting. 30 day shred is not heavy lifting

Rayman79

Firstly, I had a quick look at your food diary for the last week or so - good job. You seem to be sticking to your cals, but varying the amounts a little so you're not eating the same thing every day (good for sanity )

I completely understand the frustration with not losing the weight, but really all I can say is that every person is different and my main piece of advice is to concentrate 10X harder on the process than you do on the result. You know that when all is said and done, a good diet that is at a caloric deficit and has mostly good wholesome foods is the right thing to do, and you know that regular exercise is the right thing to do. In my opinion keep at it- you know in time it will work. Maybe not as quickl.y as you would like, but it will work!

My personal story, I tend to lose 3-4 lbs at a time, then plateau for up to three weeks without losing a thing, then lose again etc etc. Most recently I had gone for over three weeks with a 1lb net gain. So frustrating... then for some unknown reason the fatloss fairy decided to pay a visit, and the scales went down by 7lbs in 2 weeks.

I hope that is some consolation for you, or at the very least some affirmation that you are doing the right things, and to just be confident in yourself, and patient for the results. :flowerforyou:

MinaAriel

To be honest a combination is best. Weight training when done properly will increase your metabolism and burn more calories overall. The only calories youburn with cardio are the ones DURING your exercise with the exception of HIIT (High intensity interval training). A good combination would be 30-45 minutes of strength training 3-4 times a week followed by 20-30 minutes of HIIT cardio (an RPE of 9-10 for 30-60 seconds followed by 60-90 seconds of recovery at about an RPE of 4 repeated). If you can't afford a gym membership, I highly suggest resistance bands. Bodylastics makes a great product you can get on amazon for cheap, and you can approximate almost any move you can do with weights or cable machines.

Is there an HIIT video out there so I know what I'm supposed to be doing? I'm not sure what RPE is but I'll look it up. I like the idea of resistance bands. Any particular program you would suggest that I use so I may learn how to use them correctly?

almonds1

Firstly, I had a quick look at your food diary for the last week or so - good job. You seem to be sticking to your cals, but varying the amounts a little so you're not eating the same thing every day (good for sanity )

I completely understand the frustration with not losing the weight, but really all I can say is that every person is different and my main piece of advice is to concentrate 10X harder on the process than you do on the result. You know that when all is said and done, a good diet that is at a caloric deficit and has mostly good wholesome foods is the right thing to do, and you know that regular exercise is the right thing to do. In my opinion keep at it- you know in time it will work. Maybe not as quickl.y as you would like, but it will work!

My personal story, I tend to lose 3-4 lbs at a time, then plateau for up to three weeks without losing a thing, then lose again etc etc. Most recently I had gone for over three weeks with a 1lb net gain. So frustrating... then for some unknown reason the fatloss fairy decided to pay a visit, and the scales went down by 7lbs in 2 weeks.

I hope that is some consolation for you, or at the very least some affirmation that you are doing the right things, and to just be confident in yourself, and patient for the results. :flowerforyou:

"I tend to lose 3-4 lbs at a time, then plateau for up to three weeks without losing a thing, then lose again etc etc"

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fawnia3.htm

Works well for me

figurekat

Exactly what Rae said.

Also yes gaining muscle mass can be achieved by strength training. But that includes heavy lifting. 30 day shred is not heavy lifting

it's also HARD work for every ounce of muscle gained and you very rarely can achieve that working at a defecit.

MinaAriel

Firstly, I had a quick look at your food diary for the last week or so - good job. You seem to be sticking to your cals, but varying the amounts a little so you're not eating the same thing every day (good for sanity )

I completely understand the frustration with not losing the weight, but really all I can say is that every person is different and my main piece of advice is to concentrate 10X harder on the process than you do on the result. You know that when all is said and done, a good diet that is at a caloric deficit and has mostly good wholesome foods is the right thing to do, and you know that regular exercise is the right thing to do. In my opinion keep at it- you know in time it will work. Maybe not as quickl.y as you would like, but it will work!

My personal story, I tend to lose 3-4 lbs at a time, then plateau for up to three weeks without losing a thing, then lose again etc etc. Most recently I had gone for over three weeks with a 1lb net gain. So frustrating... then for some unknown reason the fatloss fairy decided to pay a visit, and the scales went down by 7lbs in 2 weeks.

I hope that is some consolation for you, or at the very least some affirmation that you are doing the right things, and to just be confident in yourself, and patient for the results. :flowerforyou:

Thank you so very much for your thoughtful reply. I will try to be patient, dig a bit deeper, and maybe look into resistance bands as a way to vary my workout after the Shred. :flowerforyou:

wickedcricket

think of resistance bands and not just lifting weights. I've heard great suff about them- mainly as effective or more so than weight lfiting because YOU DO IT.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Exactly what Rae said.

Also yes gaining muscle mass can be achieved by strength training. But that includes heavy lifting. 30 day shred is not heavy lifting

it's also HARD work for every ounce of muscle gained and you very rarely can achieve that working at a defecit.

Yup ^^ thank you for adding that. Some newbies gain muscle while in a deficit, but that is still minimal
I bust my *kitten* at the gym but am not gaining mass because I am in a deficit

MinaAriel

Exactly what Rae said.

Also yes gaining muscle mass can be achieved by strength training. But that includes heavy lifting. 30 day shred is not heavy lifting

it's also HARD work for every ounce of muscle gained and you very rarely can achieve that working at a defecit.

Yup ^^ thank you for adding that. Some newbies gain muscle while in a deficit, but that is still minimal
I bust my *kitten* at the gym but am not gaining mass because I am in a deficit

I am planning on getting the New Rules of Lifting for Women here in the near future in preparation of joining a gym in Spring. I would really like to learn to do the free weights and be stronger. However, I have a couple of months until that can happen and in the meantime I would like to get rid of some of the fat so it will be easier to spot the muscle when I use it. LOL

figurekat

Exactly what Rae said.

Also yes gaining muscle mass can be achieved by strength training. But that includes heavy lifting. 30 day shred is not heavy lifting

it's also HARD work for every ounce of muscle gained and you very rarely can achieve that working at a defecit.

Yup ^^ thank you for adding that. Some newbies gain muscle while in a deficit, but that is still minimal
I bust my *kitten* at the gym but am not gaining mass because I am in a deficit

I am planning on getting the New Rules of Lifting for Women here in the near future in preparation of joining a gym in Spring. I would really like to learn to do the free weights and be stronger. However, I have a couple of months until that can happen and in the meantime I would like to get rid of some of the fat so it will be easier to spot the muscle when I use it. LOL

It's a good book to start with. Just don't be afraid. I used to be so afraid of the gym, of the free weights...I felt so out of place. Once I did overcome that I learned to enjoy myself, and now lifting, and lifting heavy, is the highlight of my day. Oxygen Magazine and Muscle and Fitness hers are also good places to start as both break it down and explain what your'e doing and why. As a matter of fact Oxygen is also big on doing "at home" programs for those who can't afford gym memberships andmake good use of both dumbells and resistance bands. Worth checking out for sure.

rajivdubey

Cycling worked wonders for me! I burnt huge calories and lost huge body fat too.

zenJes

Anything that you love cus they you will stick at it!!

AntWrig

To be honest a combination is best. Weight training when done properly will increase your metabolism and burn more calories overall. The only calories youburn with cardio are the ones DURING your exercise with the exception of HIIT (High intensity interval training). A good combination would be 30-45 minutes of strength training 3-4 times a week followed by 20-30 minutes of HIIT cardio (an RPE of 9-10 for 30-60 seconds followed by 60-90 seconds of recovery at about an RPE of 4 repeated). If you can't afford a gym membership, I highly suggest resistance bands. Bodylastics makes a great product you can get on amazon for cheap, and you can approximate almost any move you can do with weights or cable machines.

Where do I begin?

HIIT is not cardio. It's an ANAEROBIC exercise, basically it's almost like your working out. When cutting bodyfat, dropping weight, anything in a calorie deficit you want to maximize recovery. With your suggestion, you're almost stacking anaerobic activities back to back.

To OP. As some have stated, you're best bet is to be in a calories deficit and do something ANAEROBIC (weight training, sprinting). However, do not use cardio as means of creating a deficit. If you do want to "burn" a few extra calories, I would suggest walking everyday.

I would also like to add, people who suggest such routines are able to do them? Why? It's because that they are taking drugs that are anti-catabolic (clenbutral, etc).

SammyPacks

So, question, should I up the cardio and stop focusing on strength?

Absolutely not. That is probably the worst thing you could do. All that would do would increase muscle loss, slow metabolism, and create an undesirable effect on your body composition.

Strength training is very important

I agree! It's best to burn fat and gain muscle at the same time! Builds your metabolism and in the end... more weight loss. In the beginning I concentrated on running. It worked for me for a while, but it stopped after a while and I was stuck for months doing the same routine. I just got Insanity and WOW is it working wonders for me!!! It is great for building muscle and burning fat! (Toning out basically...) That is the best kind of exercise. High Interval Training

KatieLauren19

Crossfit!!! Cardio & Strengthening with increasing flexibility!

KMPOWELL79

Try crossfit!!!! its awseome
Shock your body into something new!!!!
or try exercises like sport climbing, hiking, power yoga or pilates along with interval fast swimming are all great ways to kick start your body again.

didnt want to overwhelm youve had some intense answers good luck

anneleavesley

i found swimming twice a week has helped with my weight and toned me up all over 20 lengths of the pool is my goal and i feel great keep going its worth it all when you see the results good luck

EmmaShorter

I would like some answers to this also as I am the same.

gazz777au

get off computer reading posts and move. You will burn more than those of us sitting here.

I lost it ALL just walking - when I could not walk I just calorie counted alone.

Caloric Deficit.

Strength training and nutrition makes sure fat is targeted in the burn, not important things like muscle.

heybales

I would like some answers to this also as I am the same.

You should read the posts that have already been written - excellent info to apply.

Akjenn89

get off computer reading posts and move. You will burn more than those of us sitting here.

I lost it ALL just walking - when I could not walk I just calorie counted alone.

Caloric Deficit.

Strength training and nutrition makes sure fat is targeted in the burn, not important things like muscle.

Haha. I like this response most. I am guilty of thinking too much about how I should do something, and not actually doing something. =P