Cardio VS. Weights for all over shrinkage!

agthorn

When you say "lift heavy" do you mean 10 lbs for things like curls rows tris or are you talking heavier? Im going to be starting Jillian Micheal's 30 day shred and I have to buy weights. I was planning on getting 8 or 10 lb should I go heavier or do you think that would be ok. FYI I have church lady arms and thunder thighs and want them gone!!! lol

30 day shred is not lifting heavy, it's circuit training. Which is fine, if you want to do circuit training.

I do a 40lb barbell curl and a 65lb barbell row, to use the examples you gave.

merrillfoster

Also unless you're really strong I'd recommend 5-8lb weights for starting out with something like 30DS. You need something you can do about 20-30 reps with, not 5-8.

Brianabomb

bump for later

LorinaLynn

I love running, but lifting did a lot more for my body than just running. I do both, but I run for fun and mental well-being, and lift because I love the results.

heyjude78

I love running, but lifting did a lot more for my body than just running. I do both, but I run for fun and mental well-being, and lift because I love the results.

Awesome results! You look so tone and healthy!

autumnk921

Bump....For later

lorettatat

Bump

alexis831

Thank you all so much! Im currently on a strict 1900 calorie diet consisting of LOTS of protein and veggies and a good amount of fruits, carbs, and fats. I can actually FEEL the difference from one day of eating crappy. Also when my diet is lacking protein throughout the day, I supplement with a whey isolate to make sure I have roughly 70g of protein daily. I've been carrying 10 extra pounds (in my eyes) around with me for YEARS and I am finally taking every step possible to get lean and mean. I want to see muscle definition and be strong.

Looks like I will be incorporating weight training and cardio together.

How often do you all work out?

If your trying to lose weight and gain a little muscle I am surprise you are taking in so much calories. A good website to check out is the body 4 life site. They help you gain some basic knowledge of how to eat and exercise. Cardio burns calories but so does weights so you need a good split of both. I just do 20 min a day of cardio M/W/F and 20 of weights T/TH/S. You don't really need much more then that. I eat a balance of both carbs and proteins of no more then 1200 calories total a day. Usually I am right around 1000. You need to customize it towards your goal though. I want to lose fat and gain a little lean muscle however, my body is setup where it gains muscle fast so I have to be careful. More protein, more calories, and weights if you want more muscle, less calories, more carbs, and more reps at a lower weight if you don't want much muscle. Both cardio, weights, and a balanced diet is important to achieve any body goal regardless of what it is. Alot of people want to bulk up but then do an hour of cardio... that just eats your muscle right up and is counterproductive.

Oh and FYI... I am here losing my baby weight of my second child (I only gained I think 20 pounds at 39 weeks and was 128 a week post partum). I am already under my pre-prego weight of 114 and have been since 3-4 months post partum (I am actually at 112 now). I am still working out because I am wanting to trim up a little more in a couple of areas before I hit 30 which is in 5 days now and before swim suit season. The picture on my profile was me the last time I did the body for life and I am almost their. Most people see my comments and then my weight loss and dismiss what I say because of that since they think I was heavy before and don't know what I am talking about but no that’s all baby fat!

I usually do the body for life once a year prior to babies and then I started doing it again after each birth as a way to get back to where I was. Its a great, easy, program that has been around for a long time.

auroranflash

Thank you all so much! Im currently on a strict 1900 calorie diet consisting of LOTS of protein and veggies and a good amount of fruits, carbs, and fats. I can actually FEEL the difference from one day of eating crappy. Also when my diet is lacking protein throughout the day, I supplement with a whey isolate to make sure I have roughly 70g of protein daily. I've been carrying 10 extra pounds (in my eyes) around with me for YEARS and I am finally taking every step possible to get lean and mean. I want to see muscle definition and be strong.

Looks like I will be incorporating weight training and cardio together.

How often do you all work out?

If your trying to lose weight and gain a little muscle I am surprise you are taking in so much calories. A good website to check out is the body 4 life site. They help you gain some basic knowledge of how to eat and exercise. Cardio burns calories but so does weights so you need a good split of both. I just do 20 min a day of cardio M/W/F and 20 of weights T/TH/S. You don't really need much more then that. I eat a balance of both carbs and proteins of no more then 1200 calories total a day. Usually I am right around 1000. You need to customize it towards your goal though. I want to lose fat and gain a little lean muscle however, my body is setup where it gains muscle fast so I have to be careful. More protein, more calories, and weights if you want more muscle, less calories, more carbs, and more reps at a lower weight if you don't want much muscle. Both cardio, weights, and a balanced diet is important to achieve any body goal regardless of what it is. Alot of people want to bulk up but then do an hour of cardio... that just eats your muscle right up and is counterproductive.

I'll have to say, if you are active in any way, shape or form (as in, get out of bed every day), 1000 calories is far too low, much less if you are trying to maintain any muscle you have built. You will not gain any muscle at such a low calorie intake. Please be careful eating this low, your body will get used to only having 1000 calories and as soon as you try to go back to eating healthy amounts (1500+), you will store it all as fat because you've lost a lot of your lean muscle mass from calorie restriction.

alexis831

Thank you all so much! Im currently on a strict 1900 calorie diet consisting of LOTS of protein and veggies and a good amount of fruits, carbs, and fats. I can actually FEEL the difference from one day of eating crappy. Also when my diet is lacking protein throughout the day, I supplement with a whey isolate to make sure I have roughly 70g of protein daily. I've been carrying 10 extra pounds (in my eyes) around with me for YEARS and I am finally taking every step possible to get lean and mean. I want to see muscle definition and be strong.

Looks like I will be incorporating weight training and cardio together.

How often do you all work out?

If your trying to lose weight and gain a little muscle I am surprise you are taking in so much calories. A good website to check out is the body 4 life site. They help you gain some basic knowledge of how to eat and exercise. Cardio burns calories but so does weights so you need a good split of both. I just do 20 min a day of cardio M/W/F and 20 of weights T/TH/S. You don't really need much more then that. I eat a balance of both carbs and proteins of no more then 1200 calories total a day. Usually I am right around 1000. You need to customize it towards your goal though. I want to lose fat and gain a little lean muscle however, my body is setup where it gains muscle fast so I have to be careful. More protein, more calories, and weights if you want more muscle, less calories, more carbs, and more reps at a lower weight if you don't want much muscle. Both cardio, weights, and a balanced diet is important to achieve any body goal regardless of what it is. Alot of people want to bulk up but then do an hour of cardio... that just eats your muscle right up and is counterproductive.

I'll have to say, if you are active in any way, shape or form (as in, get out of bed every day), 1000 calories is far too low, much less if you are trying to maintain any muscle you have built. You will not gain any muscle at such a low calorie intake. Please be careful eating this low, your body will get used to only having 1000 calories and as soon as you try to go back to eating healthy amounts (1500+), you will store it all as fat because you've lost a lot of your lean muscle mass from calorie restriction.

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw

BAtobe

I am very new at this so bear with my question. I just started doing couch 2 5k, will continue all 9 weeks and then continue running a 5k, 3 days a week. That will count as my 3 days, 30 minutes of cardio, correct? I am not a member of a gym, but I have a couple of weights. Can somebody point me in the right direction for strength training I can do at home (as a busy mom with 3 kids trying to fit this all in). Thanks so much!

alexis831

I am very new at this so bear with my question. I just started doing couch 2 5k, will continue all 9 weeks and then continue running a 5k, 3 days a week. That will count as my 3 days, 30 minutes of cardio, correct? I am not a member of a gym, but I have a couple of weights. Can somebody point me in the right direction for strength training I can do at home (as a busy mom with 3 kids trying to fit this all in). Thanks so much!

Their are TONS of things you can do at home! Check out the animations from the body4life website. They have ones with weights, balls, or just you and the ground/stairs. Hope this helps and I am not a member of a gym either. I do mine at home!

http://bodyforlife.com/library/tools
(click on Exercise Animations)

laurarpa

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw

Even at 5'1" and 115lbs Your "cut" rate is still around 1500 (maybe higher depending on how active you are) Your BMR is close to 1200. If you want to eat 1000, have fun with that, but please don't give other people bad advice.

em435

bump.

auroranflash

I am very new at this so bear with my question. I just started doing couch 2 5k, will continue all 9 weeks and then continue running a 5k, 3 days a week. That will count as my 3 days, 30 minutes of cardio, correct? I am not a member of a gym, but I have a couple of weights. Can somebody point me in the right direction for strength training I can do at home (as a busy mom with 3 kids trying to fit this all in). Thanks so much!

Their are TONS of things you can do at home! Check out the animations from the body4life website. They have ones with weights, balls, or just you and the ground/stairs. Hope this helps and I am not a member of a gym either. I do mine at home!

http://bodyforlife.com/library/tools
(click on Exercise Animations)

Thanks for that site! The animations made me giggle a little bit, but it is helpful.

alexis831

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw

Even at 5'1" and 115lbs Your "cut" rate is still around 1500 (maybe higher depending on how active you are) Your BMR is close to 1200. If you want to eat 1000, have fun with that, but please don't give other people bad advice.

Its not bad its just what works for my body…1200 is about my BMR and I stay anywhere from 1000-1200 calories depending on what I eat that day. Usually in the 1000-1099 range. The last time I did the body for life I was at around 115 pounds with 16-18% body fat which means I have alot of muscle. Someone said it wasn't possible to gain muscle but it works for me (see my profile pic and the abs??).... And if I ate 1500 calories it would take me forever to get to where I want instead of a couple of months. Right now I am at 112 with 18% body fat but I am trying to go leaner instead of bulky muscle which runs heavily in my family so more carbs, less protein, more reps, and so on…

alexis831

I am very new at this so bear with my question. I just started doing couch 2 5k, will continue all 9 weeks and then continue running a 5k, 3 days a week. That will count as my 3 days, 30 minutes of cardio, correct? I am not a member of a gym, but I have a couple of weights. Can somebody point me in the right direction for strength training I can do at home (as a busy mom with 3 kids trying to fit this all in). Thanks so much!

Their are TONS of things you can do at home! Check out the animations from the body4life website. They have ones with weights, balls, or just you and the ground/stairs. Hope this helps and I am not a member of a gym either. I do mine at home!

http://bodyforlife.com/library/tools
(click on Exercise Animations)

Thanks for that site! The animations made me giggle a little bit, but it is helpful.

Yah sorry its a little old but hey its been around for a while and it gives you ideas!

auroranflash

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw

Even at 5'1" and 115lbs Your "cut" rate is still around 1500 (maybe higher depending on how active you are) Your BMR is close to 1200. If you want to eat 1000, have fun with that, but please don't give other people bad advice.

Its not bad its just what works for my body…1200 is about my BMR and I stay anywhere from 1000-1200 calories depending on what I eat that day. Usually in the 1000-1099 range. The last time I did the body for life I was at around 115 pounds with 16-18% body fat which means I have alot of muscle. Someone said it wasn't possible to gain muscle but it works for me (see my profile pic and the abs??).... And if I ate 1500 calories it would take me forever to get to where I want instead of a couple of months. Right now I am at 112 with 18% body fat but I am trying to go leaner instead of bulky muscle which runs heavily in my family so more carbs, less protein, more reps, and so on…

My only problem with this is that "BMR" stands for basal metabolic rate... otherwise known as, the lowest calorie limit for what your body needs to function properly. If you are eating below your BMR, your body is not getting enough calories to function @ 100% capacity, plus if you exercise on top of that, you may actually be netting somewhere in the 700-800 calorie range. Not to mention it is hard to get enough nutrients on so little sustenence...

You WILL lose weight in a large calorie deficit - no doubt about that. And it's good that your family has a good history of muscle mass, that's probably what's helped you preserve what muscle you do have. But eventually this kind of diet will backfire and you will make it harder for yourself to keep weight off in the future because you were not eating enough to maintain your body's functions and you were not losing weight through gradual caloric deficit and exercise...

edit: Leaving work now so I probably won't respond, just wanted to wish you the best and let you know I was just trying to offer a warning on the low calories and how it could end up negatively impacting you and your goals in the future, take care and have a good evenin'.

Aubryleigh

Yep, heavy weights have made a difference for me too. I hired a trainer to show me proper technique, and saw results within the first two weeks. If you're circuit training with weights your heart rate stays elevated, so no need for a separate cardio session! :happy:

3laine75

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw

Even at 5'1" and 115lbs Your "cut" rate is still around 1500 (maybe higher depending on how active you are) Your BMR is close to 1200. If you want to eat 1000, have fun with that, but please don't give other people bad advice.

^^this

alexis831

Nope... always been under and around 115 pounds with usually 16-18% body fat and ALOT of muscle. A blanket 1500 calories is not acurate for everyone and is for the "average" if you will. I am only 5'1 and I don't eat as much as a 6 foot tall guy. btw

Even at 5'1" and 115lbs Your "cut" rate is still around 1500 (maybe higher depending on how active you are) Your BMR is close to 1200. If you want to eat 1000, have fun with that, but please don't give other people bad advice.

Its not bad its just what works for my body…1200 is about my BMR and I stay anywhere from 1000-1200 calories depending on what I eat that day. Usually in the 1000-1099 range. The last time I did the body for life I was at around 115 pounds with 16-18% body fat which means I have alot of muscle. Someone said it wasn't possible to gain muscle but it works for me (see my profile pic and the abs??).... And if I ate 1500 calories it would take me forever to get to where I want instead of a couple of months. Right now I am at 112 with 18% body fat but I am trying to go leaner instead of bulky muscle which runs heavily in my family so more carbs, less protein, more reps, and so on…

My only problem with this is that "BMR" stands for basal metabolic rate... otherwise known as, the lowest calorie limit for what your body needs to function properly. If you are eating below your BMR, your body is not getting enough calories to function @ 100% capacity, plus if you exercise on top of that, you may actually be netting somewhere in the 700-800 calorie range. Not to mention it is hard to get enough nutrients on so little sustenence...

You WILL lose weight in a large calorie deficit - no doubt about that. And it's good that your family has a good history of muscle mass, that's probably what's helped you preserve what muscle you do have. But eventually this kind of diet will backfire and you will make it harder for yourself to keep weight off in the future because you were not eating enough to maintain your body's functions and you were not losing weight through gradual caloric deficit and exercise...

edit: Leaving work now so I probably won't respond, just wanted to wish you the best and let you know I was just trying to offer a warning on the low calories and how it could end up negatively impacting you and your goals in the future, take care and have a good evenin'.

Not a problem ... and I appreciate it!! I have come to the conclusion that my body is crazy weird compared to most and this works for me. Been doing this for years, 10 or so now. Usually I don't lose weight and sometimes gain because I gain so much muscle but I always stay in the 114-116 range year round while loosing 2-4% body fat. I use to do it for just swim season just to trim up a little and it lasts all year through December until after the holidays when I noticed I ate a lot of pumpkin pie (again I don’t gain weight but loose the muscle from not working out and its replaced with a little fat from the holidays and so on) Then I started doing it for fun to win the big fat looser body fat % at work and now this year for the baby weight. Well the baby weight is gone now I am just toning a couple of small areas. I am too busy to workout year around and usually can only do quick bursts of dieting and working out before I lose my will power (props to those who do it year round, not me with 5 kids and working full time!). No negative effects as far as I can see right now. My metabolism is crazy fast still. I am shooting for 16% body fat and I am at somewhere around 18.9 or 18.7 right now... can't remember what I was last week. But anyway there you go! Thanks for being nice about it though auroranflash…. Some people just don’t get that every body is different and what works for one doesn’t for the other and to not be mean about it! I appreciate that! Have a good evening too!

prettygirlhoward

bump

aippolito1

I think you should keep doing both. When I was losing inches AND lbs when I first started about 3 years ago, I was doing cardio 5-6 days a week, and strength training 3 days a week.

BigRedgw2010

TranceGirl,
Low impact cardio will burn the fat and show your muscle tone. With low impact cardio daily and a clean diet your abs will show. I do cardio at least 6 to 7 days a week for an hour. I lift 6 days a week also, but my training is not heavy but extreme high reps. For example, on my leg days I will do 4 set of squats on the Smith Machine. First set will be 50 reps with a 45 lbs on each side. The second will be 40 reps with the same weight, the third set will be 30 reps with 70 lbs on each side and the last set will be with same weight but I will do 20 reps with it and then take off the 25 and finish with my last 20 reps. This will burn your quads, hamstring and glutes like they were on fire....but it feel so good the next day. :-) I will do the same with leg extension, leg curls and seated calf raises.

Train hard, but train safe.

ninerbuff

The majority of my clients have come to me because they were cardio junkies and weren't getting anywhere. Then I MADE them lift heavy weights. They got results and after a while went on their own.
So weights it is......................

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

BAtobe

I am very new at this so bear with my question. I just started doing couch 2 5k, will continue all 9 weeks and then continue running a 5k, 3 days a week. That will count as my 3 days, 30 minutes of cardio, correct? I am not a member of a gym, but I have a couple of weights. Can somebody point me in the right direction for strength training I can do at home (as a busy mom with 3 kids trying to fit this all in). Thanks so much!

Their are TONS of things you can do at home! Check out the animations from the body4life website. They have ones with weights, balls, or just you and the ground/stairs. Hope this helps and I am not a member of a gym either. I do mine at home!

http://bodyforlife.com/library/tools
(click on Exercise Animations)

Those are exactly what I needed! thank you!!

Lakaria

Thank you for this post. I had the same question when I found this. I have been walking a lot lately and don't see results that I am looking for. I will have to try the advice from this.

M1chelles5

Very interesting info! I'm going to start HIIT using the elliptical/or dreadmill and bike on T,Th,S and continue heavy weights on M,W,F.

Keeshaja

how much do you began with if your heavy lifting?

meshashesha2012

how much do you began with if your heavy lifting?

find a weight that's challenging for you to complete 8-12 reps for moderately heavy
for actual heavy lifting use a weight that's challenging for 5 reps.

if you're new you'll need to fiddle with it for a while, but in general i would say try the heaviest way you think you can do for that exercise and then add another 10 pounds to that :laugh: