Only Cardio or lifting too...????

24

Replies

  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    BOTH!!!!!
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
    Do cardio and Strength.

    Contrary to popular belief, running does not workout or build leg muscles... you need weights for that. So please, start doing squats, lunges, etc... Your running will improve, and when you lose all the weight you need to you will look proportionate instead on toned on top with bird legs.

    totally agree with this. I have noticed how much faster i am since I started lifting heavy with squats and deadlifts.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Lifting "heavy," with a weight that really challenges you in the 5 - 12 repetition range, will do exponentially more in helping you achieve a favorable body composition, particularly if you focus on the major compound lifts: deadlifts, squats, bench press, overhead shoulder press, rows, with pull-ups and dips added to the routine as well.

    Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    I only read the OP. Lift for 45-60 minutes 3 days per week and do cardio the rest. That is the best way to look good naked. Srs.
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
    Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.

    For real??? Oh my, you don't say....cardio is the debil hisself!
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.

    For real??? Oh my, you don't say....cardio is the debil hisself!

    ".... without major strength training."

    Context is important. It's why we're tested in reading comprehension as children.
  • Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.

    For real??? Oh my, you don't say....cardio is the debil hisself!

    ".... without major strength training."

    Context is important. It's why we're tested in reading comprehension as children.

    Smart a** are we....too funny. Thanks for the advice:) There is a lot more lifting in my future:)
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
    Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.

    For real??? Oh my, you don't say....cardio is the debil hisself!

    ".... without major strength training."

    Context is important. It's why we're tested in reading comprehension as children.

    No, I understood you perfectly fine. It just irks me that there's a huge hate-on for cardio on this site.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.

    For real??? Oh my, you don't say....cardio is the debil hisself!

    ".... without major strength training."

    Context is important. It's why we're tested in reading comprehension as children.

    Smart a** are we....too funny. Thanks for the advice:) There is a lot more lifting in my future:)

    Not typically. Good luck. I'm rooting for you.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    Cardio will best be like the devil when it convinces me that it doesn't exist
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
    If you're going to drop anything, drop the cardio. Lift heavy and keep your HR up.

    This
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Funny, I've got friends who do only cardio and they aren't exactly atrophying like they'd been in a body cast, especially the triathletes.
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    Cardio definitely has its place. And no matter what people say, doing cardio is the fastest way to burn fat cells bar none.

    The problem is that the perceived effort of doing cardio for long periods is pretty high and also can be pretty mind numbing which will inevitably put you off doing it. Not to mention that the amount of cardio you need to do to burn fat is at least 10-15 mins and the fitter you get, the longer you have to do cardio for (energy stores in your muscles improve the more you exercise which means it takes longer to deplete them, which means you have to exercise for longer to get to burning fat).

    Which is why people advocate doing weights - the more muscle fibres you have in your body, the higher your resting metabolic rate which means you burn fat more even whilst resting. This has many benefits, not only does it burn whilst resting but it generally feels easier to achieve and tones up your body dramatically.

    There is still a place for cardio in my opinion - but for me that place is definitely at the end of a session when you've already used most of your muscles stored energy so it's straight onto burning aerobically as soon as possible.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you choose only one, strength training is the way to go. This is because you can achieve the caloric deficit required to lose weight from diet alone (no need for cardio) but strength training will help ensure that what you lose is mainly fat and not a lot of lean muscle, that you would lose from cardio alone.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
    Funny, I've got friends who do only cardio and they aren't exactly atrophying like they'd been in a body cast, especially the triathletes.

    Are they eating a deficit and losing weight though?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Cardio definitely has its place. And no matter what people say, doing cardio is the fastest way to burn fat cells bar none.

    How so?

    You can achieve the same deficit with diet alone, and it is deficit that causes weight loss, cardio only would lead to the loss of fat and muscle, strength training will limit the amount of muscle loss.

    during my recent cut phase, I dropped cardio from 2xweek to once, and increased strength training from 3 to 4, and the results were great, at 33 I had my first 6 pack ever. The deficit 250 cals/day (0.5lb/week weight loss goal) is what caused weight loss and the strength training ensured that most of it was fat.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    Over time, doing cardio without major strength training has the same effect on body composition as wearing a body cast.

    For real??? Oh my, you don't say....cardio is the debil hisself!

    ".... without major strength training."

    Context is important. It's why we're tested in reading comprehension as children.

    No, I understood you perfectly fine. It just irks me that there's a huge hate-on for cardio on this site.

    It's more the mentality that "If I run my a&$ off everyday I'll lose tons of weight and be toned at the same time" that's hated on. Look at many marathon runners. Many are skin and bones. Simply doing cardio will not tone a body or build any substantial muscle mass.
  • estrange22
    estrange22 Posts: 210 Member
    If I were you, I'd be lifting 30-45mins then cardio for 15mins. The benefits of resistance training are huge.

    ^^^^This. If your looking to drop fat & reshape your body. Cardio is great for cardiovascular health.

    Ok Lifting is it. Now to look up those websites suggested to find out how to do it...lol I use the machines now and do 3 reps of 10. That doesn't take me long enough.

    OH and stop using the machines. do free weights to help work your stabilizer muscles....

    ALSO if you're going to do strength & cardio in the same day (which is fine) do strength first, every time.

    Why does everyone say the machines are so bad? Why are they? I am just wondering. I have heard the free weights are better I just am not sure why.

    I also have NO CLUE as to how to work on my abs without the ab machines.

    Don't need to do ANY extra ab workouts. do compound lifts... go to bodybuilding.com and then rack those weights girl!
  • FieryNikkie
    FieryNikkie Posts: 61 Member
    I just found a program online that I have started to follow and it has tons of advice on lifting heavy for women:

    www.bodybuilding.com/fun/womans_lean_sexy_bible.htm

    I have only done two workouts so far but I am feeling pretty sore today which is my rest day which means something good is going on! I finished my weight training with 30 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill. Oh and I have dropped 4 pounds this week since adding in the weights :)
  • ZombieChaser
    ZombieChaser Posts: 1,555 Member
    Funny, I've got friends who do only cardio and they aren't exactly atrophying like they'd been in a body cast, especially the triathletes.

    Exactly, I don't understand why it HAS to be all or nothing. A good blend of cardio AND strength training is the best of both worlds and won't screw over the OP when race season hits next spring.

    I just hope she doesn't lose all the cardio endurance she's built up so far.
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,284 Member
    Don't drop the cardio. Change up the cardio and do something different everyday. Do however Lift and Lift heavy. Sometimes having a good workout plan will help as well.

    The current workout plan im doing has me do some sort of cardio each day. Let it be walking for 20 mins or running etc etc. Cardio will help burn the fat and lifting heavy will help tone you out.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member

    "Which is why people advocate doing weights".... "it generally feels easier to achieve"

    I lost 27lbs doing cardio and strength training and now I've entered a building phase of hardly any cardio and tons of heavy lifting.

    Do a nice squat set for 12 reps, and then run a mile. Then tell me which one "feels" easier.
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member

    "Which is why people advocate doing weights".... "it generally feels easier to achieve"

    I lost 27lbs doing cardio and strength training and now I've entered a building phase of hardly any cardio and tons of heavy lifting.

    Do a nice squat set for 12 reps, and then run a mile. Then tell me which one "feels" easier.

    If you aren't experiencing discomfort when lifting, you aren't lifting enough
  • Th3Machine
    Th3Machine Posts: 45 Member
    This confuses us! :ohwell:
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member

    "Which is why people advocate doing weights".... "it generally feels easier to achieve"

    I lost 27lbs doing cardio and strength training and now I've entered a building phase of hardly any cardio and tons of heavy lifting.

    Do a nice squat set for 12 reps, and then run a mile. Then tell me which one "feels" easier.

    If you aren't experiencing discomfort when lifting, you aren't lifting enough

    Which is why I quoted that. Apparently some people don't lift enough/correctly. Hence the comparison between squats and running.
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
    Definitely lift too! I was skeptical at first myself, but I have seen better results now that I have incorporated lifting into my workouts.
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    Cardio definitely has its place. And no matter what people say, doing cardio is the fastest way to burn fat cells bar none.

    How so?

    You can achieve the same deficit with diet alone, and it is deficit that causes weight loss, cardio only would lead to the loss of fat and muscle, strength training will limit the amount of muscle loss.

    during my recent cut phase, I dropped cardio from 2xweek to once, and increased strength training from 3 to 4, and the results were great, at 33 I had my first 6 pack ever. The deficit 250 cals/day (0.5lb/week weight loss goal) is what caused weight loss and the strength training ensured that most of it was fat.

    You can achieve a similar deficit with diet alone... However purely doing things with diet alone neglects what are some of the more important features of the bodys energy systems, and results in more often than not a lack of endurance and will eventually result in a plateau effect which will be more difficult to break out of as the energy systems within your body will become more untrained the longer you continue with only training your ATP and at a push your lactic acid system only.

    ATP stores will be there, but the lactic acid/aerobic system crossover will be pretty terrible which will eventually make cardio feel like hell when you do get to doing it.

    It's much better to do weights, then the required amount of cardio to keep your ability to generate energy from lactic acid and aerobic systems in check to make sure that when the time comes you can use your newfound muscles effectively.

    Of course, if you're doing weights in supersets with little rest between then you can negate this and get a pretty decent cardio workout... But more often than not if you're lifting big you're going to need the rest between sets.
  • Funny, I've got friends who do only cardio and they aren't exactly atrophying like they'd been in a body cast, especially the triathletes.

    Exactly, I don't understand why it HAS to be all or nothing. A good blend of cardio AND strength training is the best of both worlds and won't screw over the OP when race season hits next spring.

    I just hope she doesn't lose all the cardio endurance she's built up so far.

    Oh I def will never stop cardio. But during fall/winter I will lessen it. Focus on strength and early spring start cardio like crazy again to train for a half. My goal is a half in May!
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member

    "Which is why people advocate doing weights".... "it generally feels easier to achieve"

    I lost 27lbs doing cardio and strength training and now I've entered a building phase of hardly any cardio and tons of heavy lifting.

    Do a nice squat set for 12 reps, and then run a mile. Then tell me which one "feels" easier.

    If you aren't experiencing discomfort when lifting, you aren't lifting enough

    Which is why I quoted that. Apparently some people don't lift enough/correctly. Hence the comparison between squats and running.
    *shrugs* i can do several reps of squats with and without weights before i feel a thing my limit is really my hand strength since i dont have a barbell and yes i do them correctly i just have a a lot of leg strength and control but do not ask me to run a mile I couldn't do it to save my life at this point
  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member

    "Which is why people advocate doing weights".... "it generally feels easier to achieve"

    I lost 27lbs doing cardio and strength training and now I've entered a building phase of hardly any cardio and tons of heavy lifting.

    Do a nice squat set for 12 reps, and then run a mile. Then tell me which one "feels" easier.

    If you aren't experiencing discomfort when lifting, you aren't lifting enough

    Which is why I quoted that. Apparently some people don't lift enough/correctly. Hence the comparison between squats and running.

    I was agreeing