Cardio VS Weight Lifting - The Truth

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  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
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    I run around the block with my shakeweight. This way I get strength and cardio done at the same time. If I wanna make it a hiit routine I'll throw in some sprints!
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    It is best to do both, but not required. You can still burn fat without cardio by just eating a deficit but as you get leaner it becomes MUCH more difficult. Once you get lean, and are trying to cut bodyfat% in the low teens or even lower (for men) or high teens (for women), then it's best to do cardio fasted. HIIT cardio fasted works even better followed by steady state.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I run around the block with my shakeweight. This way I get strength and cardio done at the same time. If I wanna make it a hiit routine I'll throw in some sprints!

    LOL. Shakeweights are so multifunctional!
  • shodaimetruth
    shodaimetruth Posts: 137
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    Man....i love doing some HIIT. It is so demanding and it feels like I'm actually strength training. I started out to high for my current level. I was doing 90 rest 30 full speed and i could only do about 2-3 rounds before I was done. I maybe do 1 a week right now, usually when I do my mile run at work, however I switched it to 10 and 90 till I finish my 1 mile. It's usually about 5 times.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    Man....i love doing some HIIT. It is so demanding and it feels like I'm actually strength training. I started out to high for my current level. I was doing 90 rest 30 full speed and i could only do about 2-3 rounds before I was done. I maybe do 1 a week right now, usually when I do my mile run at work, however I switched it to 10 and 90 till I finish my 1 mile. It's usually about 5 times.

    HIIT cardio has been rumored to provide some of the same spikes in hormones that strength training does...though please don't quote me as I can't find my information to back that.

    The only cardio I currently do, is a 4 minute max effort tabata format row session to warm up for lifting.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    but what about people like this woman? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/601301-ernestine-shepherd-world-s-oldest-female-body-builder

    she runs 10 miles a day. i'd consider that continuous cardio
  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,761 Member
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    I lean towards the cardio rather than weight lifting.

    To me, I weight lift so I can run faster, and run injury free. I don't look forward to it, but I do it.

    When I run, I feel free....but I run outside, I run on trails, I don't ever...EVER...run on the dread-mill. If it's raining, tough *kitten*, run in the rain. I set goals, I hit them, I feel good. I don't feel drained, I feel high LOL
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    This may sound stupid--but isn't part of cardio for your heart...not weight loss? Isn't it part of overall healthy fitness? I may be too old to be in the loop--but I thought the idea was you need both.

    Exactly! Cardio is good for general health, reducing stress, reducing blood pressure and reducing blood sugar levels.

    Also, successful losers incorporate exercise regularly to maintain their losses.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    but what about people like this woman? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/601301-ernestine-shepherd-world-s-oldest-female-body-builder

    she runs 10 miles a day. i'd consider that continuous cardio

    Umm...do you have any idea what else that woman is doing to look like that?

    The rules of nature barely apply...much less physiology.
  • reyopo
    reyopo Posts: 210 Member
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    Zumba is my cardio of choice, because it's fun! I love to dance and it makes me a better dancer. I like the rush, feeling my heart working and blood pumping. Otherwise, I enjoy a gorgeous difficult hike on an incline (preferably ending up at a waterfall!), I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have thousands of spectacular trails. Treadmills and ellipticals make me want to slap somebody!

    I do strength training because I have to. I learned this all on my own, as I gave up my lift and S.E.T. classes last year because my schedule changed. I was doing Zumba and regular yoga only, and started losing my definition and having a hard time keeping weight off. After 15 "mystery" lbs, I realized I needed wight training again, badly. I'm learning to tolerate it, especially if I have a workout buddy.

    But my absolute favorite workout is heated Power Yoga. My 3 favorite teachers have better, stronger, leaner, more beautiful bodies than any trainer at my gym. It is hard work, and no f**king joke...but it also clears my head, inspires, empowers and motivates me better than therapy. For core strength and balance there is nothing better. It also keeps my form, posture and alignment in check for EVERYthing I do. It keeps my muscles from staying sore, even after the toughest weight session, and has no impact on my joints. And I love knowing I will be able to do some form of yoga until the day I die.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I prefer strength to cardio, but do both. I am however, about to embark on a heavy lifting journey, so cardio will probably most likely be reduced to cycling to and from work and the odd zumba class.

    I also do a lot of stretching, I enjoy quite good leg flexibility, and am currently working on oversplits, but I also want to get box splits and improve the flex of my back, so I usually stretch quite well after training.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Interval cardio training has it's uses for fat mobilization.

    People should read The Stubborn Fat Solution by Lyle McDonald.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Great post! It made me smile, because I feel the pretty much the exact opposite of everything you said. :laugh:

    I fully admit to being a lifelong "cardio bunny" or whatever term you choose. I love aerobic exercise, and the things I love most about it are the things you dislike. Whether hiking, running, Zumba, step aerobics, biking, or even walking, I love doing it so hard and so long that my body is completely spent. It makes me feel powerful when I've worked my body to quivering pile of jelly. And I love when I don't feel much soreness the next day and I know I'm ready to do it again.

    Weight lifting for me is boring. Lift this X times. up/down/up/down/up/down....zzzzzzz. I admit to not doing enough to get really sore or push myself to the limits. But I have tried that in the past. A friend who is a bodybuilder tried to get me into it years ago. All I got out of it was just sore and bored. That didn't last long.
  • TheDoctor90
    TheDoctor90 Posts: 461 Member
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    Cardio is for your heart, but it's also for weight and fat loss. Both. You can't lose weight and fat with weight lifting only. It also strengthens your lungs, and it's proven to help your brain and creativity, to exercise your mental abilities. It boosts your metabolism and sends endorphins through your body. It's proven to help those who are depressed.

    Weight lifting is to build and tone muscle. When you do this, it speeds up your metabolism. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns while even standing still. Obviously, it makes you stronger. But as you burn fat doing cardio, the muscle you're building will be visible.

    If you don't burn the fat doing cardio, your muscle remains buried and invisible. You may be strong, but you won't have the shapely body of someone who has burned the proper amount of fat.

    Personally, I'm addicted to both.

    Completely and utterly wrong.
  • maryruiz2685
    maryruiz2685 Posts: 7 Member
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    I think cardio and weight lifting go hand in hand and you get the best results when you balance them out. I used to run 5 miles a day 7 days a week. I didn't know anything about anything!! then when i finally tried to lift weights, I got so intimidated because lifting the minimum was soo difficult! i still love my cardio. it's a great stress reliever. i like to challenge myself every now and then to beat my 1 mile time. but i find that my legs get stronger and i'm a better runner when I don't run and when I do more strength training. you have to have various cardio options. i like the elliptical and spin class. I do weight training now more than ever and i'm not intimidated if i'm the only girl up there lifting with all the guys. It's MY workout and i don't let anyone influence me. When I have a badass run, the feeling and excitement goes away pretty quickly. It's when I have a big strength training session or i challenged myself to extra sets or put more weight on there that I walk out of the gym feeling like a champ. You can't choose one over the over. They both have their benefits and they're both necessary no matter what your goals are. and they're important for overall health not just getting in shape. it's just like with eating properly. it's all one big formula. :)
  • shodaimetruth
    shodaimetruth Posts: 137
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    Great post! It made me smile, because I feel the pretty much the exact opposite of everything you said. :laugh:

    I fully admit to being a lifelong "cardio bunny" or whatever term you choose. I love aerobic exercise, and the things I love most about it are the things you dislike. Whether hiking, running, Zumba, step aerobics, biking, or even walking, I love doing it so hard and so long that my body is completely spent. It makes me feel powerful when I've worked my body to quivering pile of jelly. And I love when I don't feel much soreness the next day and I know I'm ready to do it again.

    Weight lifting for me is boring. Lift this X times. up/down/up/down/up/down....zzzzzzz. I admit to not doing enough to get really sore or push myself to the limits. But I have tried that in the past. A friend who is a bodybuilder tried to get me into it years ago. All I got out of it was just sore and bored. That didn't last long.


    I enjoy the drained feelings at times. It was what made me keep doing the boxing training, but it is a real mental exercise just to get up the motivation for the workout. However, now that I've started with weight training, I feel a new found joy for the cardio. It's like I feel that it is not as intimidating as it can be.

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