Lifting Heavy or Circuit Training For Fat Loss?

ehte_h

Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?

tiffaneenicole

Ehte_h - How many days/week do you lift? I would lift heavy 3 days per week and throw in some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 2-3 days per week. You can lift and do cardio on the same day, but I would think about 5 days/week would be good. Hope that helps!

Tiffany
tiffanystaples.com

HOSED49

I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

thinclo

sorry i dont have any advice just wanted to bump for later

SirZee

If fat loss is your main goal, circuit training.

If you want to get very fit and healthy and look at body fat percentage drop as measure of success (as opposed to pounds lost) then do weights.

Ge0rgiana

I've done both. I've seen better results with lifting, honestly. I do about 3 days a week and some cardio on my off days.

Topsking2010

Lifting heavy is the better option!!!!

Jeff92se

I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?

amysj303

depends on how much fat you have to lose:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html

bbygrl5

I understand right where you're at. I just finished up NROLFW and have gone back and forth a bit on what to do next. I have a personal trainer friend who is into Crossfit and he offered to design some workouts for me that involve some heavy lifting, but are more like circuit training than the previous workouts in NROL. He hasn't sent me them yet, but I'd be happy to email you with some ideas if you're interested in doing a mix of both. Hit me up with a PM and I'll get back to you, if you're interested.

stephaneb74

I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?

same here

HeidiMightyRawr

Why not incorporate a mix of both?

If it's one or the other, I'd always choose heavy lifting. A calorie deficit through food only can make you lose fat just as easily as circuit training, as long as the overall deficit is the same for the day

Z_I_L_L_A

Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?

Do em all. Do what you need to burn and also do what makes you happy. I do all of em.

amyy902

circuits, depending on how hard you are willing to work. im a PT and base a lot of my training around circuits because you can do sooo much within them, a good circuit will include lifting, but i would say you need to be doing weight training on top to really boost fat loss so both really but i like circuits best!

kattiek

I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?

Same. This is the only way I do circuits plus maybe 1 or 2 things thrown in to keep my heart rate up like squat thrusts, mountain climbers, etc.

slbeutler

Either one depending on how heavy you lift during the circuits. CrossFit is a form of circuit training, but you use heavy weights and move fast. I would go with what you like or mix it up.

suelegal

Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?

Do em all. Do what you need to burn and also do what makes you happy. I do all of em.

Exctly! Depending on who you listen to you'll get people pushing one or the other. Why not do both!? Heavy lifting is also very good for preventing osteoporosis and the old rule of thumb about women lifting lighter just doesn't apply anymore. Read "New Rules of Lifting for Women" for more info about that.

CanCur

What is the difference between circuit training and heavy circuit training? if any

RunHardBeStrong

I do heavy circuits..just a thought..

I do the same. heavy circuit training. Why does it have to be either/or?

I agree! I love heavy circuits, such an efficient use of my time!

Jeff92se

What is the difference between circuit training and heavy circuit training? if any

The lb value of the weights you are lifting.

Jeff92se

Which is better? The gym staff are really pushing me to do more circuits & running, saying i'll be in greater calorie defecit and lose bf quickly. I still however love heavy lifting & i miss the 'burn/feel' I get when I lift heavy. What should I do?

If the staff is stating one exercise over another as way of losing faster, I'd have to question their knowledge. It's damn hard to exercise yourself into a calorie deficit to lose weight. It's MUCH easier to eat properly into a calorie decifict to lose weight.

It's all good though. You need exercise. I'd say break down your week to do both

Jacwhite22

I did not realize the two were mutually exclusive.. . ...

kdiamond

Like some of the others said, I do heavy circuits. Basically I superset. I'll do a leg and shoulders day, for example.

Set of 8 squats
no rest
Set of 8 shoulder press
Rest 30-45 seconds
Repeat for 3 sets

I'll work different body parts. I don't like to rest. I like to be out of the gym within 45 minutes.

ehte_h

Thanks for the advice everyone for now i'll stick with heavy lifting and mix it up with circuits when I get bored

nealcross1986

Hello there, I agree totally with heavy circuits, do like 4 exercises in a circuit, do 2 upper body and 2 lower body exercises alternated.
Do the circuit 3 to 4 times with 1 min rest, the reps you do should change every 2 week's to keep the body guessing and to keep things fresh, use body weight exercises and weights. I found plyometrics the best