Fat Loss - 30 Mins to Workout...Cardio or Weights??

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VividSugar
VividSugar Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
Thanks for your advice!! :-)
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  • cally69
    cally69 Posts: 182 Member
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    HI

    I would recommend a bit of both. It's called interval training and I do this 3 times a week for 30 mins at a time.
    The cardio element comes from stepping and I do 3 mins stepping followed by a 1 min interval of weight training and repeat until I've done 30 mins.
    Hope this helps
    X
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Strength training, as you can achieve your desired deficit from diet alone, but will not build or retain muscle without strength training.
  • amybg1
    amybg1 Posts: 631 Member
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    As previous poster mentioned, I'd do a bit of both. Cardio is a good warm-up, gets your heart rate up (which you want) which subsequently burns more calories, a warm-up and cool down is also vital to injury prevention. Weights will allow you to gain muscle which burn a few more calories per pound than fat, muscle will also help get rid of the fat stored
  • polz7
    polz7 Posts: 48 Member
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    I feel like most people will say weights or mix but I personally like cardio and hates weights so for me it's always cardio! Nothing like a nice run outside on a beautiful day. So my vote is do whatever you enjoy more so you can stick with it.

    ETA: vividsugar, I'm drooling over your profile pic... mmm fruit!
  • RmYWarrioR
    RmYWarrioR Posts: 36 Member
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    If you need a workout that will provide a rounded training regimin and good calorie burn while toning. I suggest Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Program. My wife and I use it along with other workouts in our fitness training schedule. However, I do spend 1 to 1 1/2 hours in the gym 5 days a week doing good ole strength training.
  • LouisCyphre
    LouisCyphre Posts: 10
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    Some of my favorite workouts are a mixture of both with circuit training. Perform strength exercises in a non-stop (or as non-stop as possible) circuit - for example, push-up - pull-up - squat. Each exercise works a different muscle or muscle group while the continuous nature of the circuit keeps your heart rate elevated.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
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    Both..

    You can strength train and get your heart rate up to a fat burning/cardio zone while you do it.

    Do things like Mountain climbers, squats, box jumps, step ups with dumb bells, kettle bell swings, burpies, pushups, medicine ball slams, battle ropes, jumping jacks, etc.

    choose 5...
    do each exercise for 60 seconds, rest 60 seconds.. repeat the circuit for your 30 minutes...
  • Jezzabelly
    Jezzabelly Posts: 52
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    Circuit Training!!!!
  • prettygirlhoward
    prettygirlhoward Posts: 338 Member
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    I do both
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    Weights.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    combine them both. try something like grabbing a weight plate or kettle bell, doing 6-8 reps of a few exercises (i like overhead squats, push ups, reverse lunges, reverse woodchops, upright rows) back to back as fast as you can. do 4-6 sets of those
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
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    Strength training, as you can achieve your desired deficit from diet alone, but will not build or retain muscle without strength training.


    boooyah!!! this guy is always on target!!
  • Blessedmommy_2x
    Blessedmommy_2x Posts: 419 Member
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    Personally I am a HUGE fan of Body weight exercises, that require no equipment but you can make them more challenging by adding weights. What I like to do is put together my own workouts Using 5-10 different exercises, deciding the amount of reps and sets I want to complete in that time frame. I try to workout the whole body and you complete it all at once - similar to circuit training. THIRTY minutes is plenty to get results!!!
  • BenBz
    BenBz Posts: 46 Member
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    Run.... Best bang for your buck. Where else can you burn 400-500 calories in a 30 minute period?
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
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    Personally I am a HUGE fan of Body weight exercises, that require no equipment but you can make them more challenging by adding weights. What I like to do is put together my own workouts Using 5-10 different exercises, deciding the amount of reps and sets I want to complete in that time frame. I try to workout the whole body and you complete it all at once - similar to circuit training. THIRTY minutes is plenty to get results!!!

    Exactly what I was talking about :) It's fun to develop your own workouts too!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Run.... Best bang for your buck. Where else can you burn 400-500 calories in a 30 minute period?

    It is easier to eat less then burn more as you should be eating more if you exercise anyway. Following MFP if you burn 400 cals in half an hour you get to eat 400 cals more that same day, which means other then improving your endurance and strengthening your heart, it does nothing for your weight loss.

    Unless you are training for an endurance event you will be better off doing strength training and use diet to control your deficit.
    Cardio is great for heart health and endurance, but for weight loss just allows you to eat more and have the same caloric deficit that you could have from diet alone, by just eating less. there is no substitute for strength training and cardio only will lead to the loss of lean muscle, whereas strenght training retains lean muscle while in a deficit.
  • pregmeg119
    pregmeg119 Posts: 151 Member
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    BUMP

    I too am interested as I've dedicated myself to walking/running every day but need to tone up my belly, leg and arm flab. I have never done strength training and don't even know where to begin.
  • BenBz
    BenBz Posts: 46 Member
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    Run.... Best bang for your buck. Where else can you burn 400-500 calories in a 30 minute period?

    It is easier to eat less then burn more as you should be eating more if you exercise anyway. Following MFP if you burn 400 cals in half an hour you get to eat 400 cals more that same day, which means other then improving your endurance and strengthening your heart, it does nothing for your weight loss.

    Unless you are training for an endurance event you will be better off doing strength training and use diet to control your deficit.
    Cardio is great for heart health and endurance, but for weight loss just allows you to eat more and have the same caloric deficit that you could have from diet alone, by just eating less. there is no substitute for strength training and cardio only will lead to the loss of lean muscle, whereas strenght training retains lean muscle while in a deficit.

    Thanks for your comment Eric - I can only comment on what's worked for me. I've lost 63 pounds walking/jogging and now running. I'm training for a 1/2 marathon and i've had great success with weight loss and controlled diet through MFP by running between 15-25 miles per week. Granted, what works for you and what works for me won't work for everyone.
  • lkcuts
    lkcuts Posts: 224
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    since i have joint problems I love the eliptical. You can used it with no resistance for cardio then add resistance for the strength. I am on medium resistance, push with my arms . go backwards, pull with my arms and sometime twist my waist at the same time. Great workout
  • ShanGirl716
    ShanGirl716 Posts: 1
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    Agreed with a little of both!! When you do strength training it causes an "after burn" which means after you've completed your weights your body will continue to burn calories. The cardio helps increase your heart rate, blood flow for good circulation, and also helps keeps those calories burning while helping your body eliminate unwanted toxins! =)

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