Lifting or Cardio???

Options
dujennifer
dujennifer Posts: 162 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So am pretty round and squishy so as I get started how should I work out...more cardio focused or more strength training focused. I know it is very important to have a combination of both in a long term fitness plan. However, when first starting back on the workouts, should I focus on cardio first? I ask because I have heard if you have a lot of fat, strength training will just build underneath fat and push it out more. Maybe I need to burn some fat off first and then do strength again.
«1

Replies

  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    I would do twice as many cardio days as weight (I.E. 4 and 2) but that's just me. If your weight training is really some kind of hybrid HIIT training type exercise, then you could do more.
  • missyjane
    missyjane Posts: 188 Member
    Options
    I always focus more on the cardio when I'm at my top weight, but this time around I'm doing workout videos that have a combo of both on them (Jillian MIchael's 30 Day Shred, for example).
  • ebkins7
    ebkins7 Posts: 427 Member
    Options
    I focus on cardio at first, like the first couple of weeks then I slowly incorperate strength training. I think everyone is different and needs to determine what is best for their body. Hope that helps!
  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    i guess i depends on what you want overall - i personally do cardio then strength training then cardio when i work out i just do muscles on different days. I feel that strength training is important because you want to tone the muscle underneath as you lose fat.
  • ChaslovesBrian
    ChaslovesBrian Posts: 13 Member
    Options
    MUSCLE BURNS FAT. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn DOING NOTHING!!!! Build that muscle and watch the fat go away.

    I am lifting heavy weights with ChaLean Extreme (Beachbody.com) and I have lost 2 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I feel stronger, and my arms already look better!

    Don't get me wrong, you need cardio too, but in the long run, your body would be in better shape if you only lifted weights.

    GO HEAVY OR GO HOME. - Chalene Johnson

    - Chastity
  • C_Beesley
    C_Beesley Posts: 9
    Options
    I would do twice as many cardio days as weight (I.E. 4 and 2) but that's just me. If your weight training is really some kind of hybrid HIIT training type exercise, then you could do more.


    i personally agree with this theory.. i do both,as well.. but, when i do my "lifting" i do strength exercises.. b/c i don't want to bulk up; i want to tone up.. so i do less weight and more reps!!! and if you do decide to do Lifting always start it with at least 10min of cardio to get you warmed up.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    MUSCLE BURNS FAT. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn DOING NOTHING!!!! Build that muscle and watch the fat go away.

    I am lifting heavy weights with ChaLean Extreme (Beachbody.com) and I have lost 2 pounds in less than 2 weeks. I feel stronger, and my arms already look better!

    Don't get me wrong, you need cardio too, but in the long run, your body would be in better shape if you only lifted weights.

    GO HEAVY OR GO HOME. - Chalene Johnson

    - Chastity


    that's one way, and yes, that works, but there are others as well. It's true that muscle burns fat, kind of. In general muscle burns available energy, fat is a poor energy source compared to ingested carbohydrates, so the body will burn carbohydrates first, but yes, for every pound of muscle you gain, your metabolic rate will go up about 6 calories per day. Doesn't sound like a lot, I know, but it's cumulative. The problem is 2 fold, you can't really gain muscle mass while on a caloric deficit (basic human anatomy), and building muscle is a slow process. If you work really hard, you can probably gain between 1 and 2 lbs of muscle per month (1 being the more common).
    Why is weight training good for weight loss? Because when you are in a caloric deficit, weight training can force your body to maintain existing muscle tissue, can activate dormant muscle tissue, and will spur bone growth, all of these things temporarily raise the metabolism (for anywhere from 8 to 48 hours depending on the level and type of activity).

    Things to note about weight training.
    1. You don't necessarily have to do heavy weight, there are other ways to go, moderate weight and more reps can still deliver performance via the aerobic threshold.
    2. You need to give muscles that you have worked hard time to rest. Recovery is part of weight training. Working a muscle group too hard, too often can cause severely diminished returns, and actually hamper the training.
    3. Don't go overboard with your protein, people tend to over emphasize how much extra protein weight training needs. Focus more on getting a portion of the protein in your daily requirements quickly to muscles after a workout, best to eat some protein within an hour of working out. Make sure you pair that protein with a carbohydrate source, so that the body doesn't divert protein to energy conversion (a 3 to 1, carb to protein ratio is usually sufficient, I.E. eat 21 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein or something like that)
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    I would do twice as many cardio days as weight (I.E. 4 and 2) but that's just me. If your weight training is really some kind of hybrid HIIT training type exercise, then you could do more.


    i personally agree with this theory.. i do both,as well.. but, when i do my "lifting" i do strength exercises.. b/c i don't want to bulk up; i want to tone up.. so i do less weight and more reps!!! and if you do decide to do Lifting always start it with at least 10min of cardio to get you warmed up.

    you won't bulk up. Women have a very difficult time bulking up. You would have to make a very very concerted effort, and not be in any kind of caloric deficit to bulk up. Those female body builders that have lots of muscle? Many of them are on steroids, the rest have a VERY intense regimen that includes months of caloric surplus and weeks of harsh diets to suck all the water and fat out of their body, believe it or not, most of them aren't all that healthy on the inside (that goes for male and female body builders), compared to other performance based athletes that may not look quite as "stacked" but their functional strength is off the charts.
  • AwMyLoLo
    AwMyLoLo Posts: 1,571 Member
    Options
    bump
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
    Options
    I would do twice as many cardio days as weight (I.E. 4 and 2) but that's just me. If your weight training is really some kind of hybrid HIIT training type exercise, then you could do more.
    Ditto.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Options
    I'm like you (round and soft - :laugh: :flowerforyou: ) Right now I'm doing both, however I'm doing only about 10-20 minutes strength training and 50-75 minutes cardio.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    Personally, I don't like doing strength and cardio on the same day. You have diminished results if you do this. The reasoning is very complex, and I can explain it if people like, and it's not set in stone science yet, more theory based on reasonable understanding of how the body works during both types of workouts (it has to do with cortosol, testosterone, HGH, and how the body uses hormones during normal exercise stress periods), but I look at it this way, I KNOW weight training works, I KNOW cardio works, I DON'T know if they work well together, so why risk it?
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Options
    really - even if it's just for 10-20 minutes? and it includes core?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    really - even if it's just for 10-20 minutes? and it includes core?

    yep, even just 10-20 minutes. Because the whole point of weight training is to breach the aerobic threshold (the "burn"), once you achive that, certain hormones are released and that's where the problem occurs. If you don't reach that point, then you might as well be doing targeted cardio as it performs the same function.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Options
    So what's the point of boot camp? DOesn't this mix both cardio and strength training?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    So what's the point of boot camp? DOesn't this mix both cardio and strength training?

    yes and no, boot camp is essentially HIIT training. To be clear, I'm not saying you'll get no results from doing both, I'm saying research has suggested you will diminished results on each end of the exercise. Remember, HIIT training raises EPOC, which is much different than straight cardio.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Options
    D'OH! EPOC, forgot all about that!!:tongue:
    so yeah, umm...
    do you speak engrish?
  • dujennifer
    dujennifer Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    Great thread conversation thanks! I have always avoided cardio because I don't like it as much, but I think I am going to give it more dedication till I get a few of these pounds of first. And I never knew that doing both at one time reduced its productivity. I am going to split them up now. Why not try something new to see if results happen? Its all trial and error till you find what works right?
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Options
    D'OH! EPOC, forgot all about that!!:tongue:
    so yeah, umm...
    do you speak engrish?

    lol, I've been told I'm a wellspring of useless information. :tongue:

    talk to me about baseball or Guitar hero, I'll talk your ear off (I'm 1/2 way through hard for GH World Tour, and I just got GH Van Halen for Christmas! Woo Hoo!)
  • dujennifer
    dujennifer Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    D'OH! EPOC, forgot all about that!!:tongue:
    so yeah, umm...
    do you speak engrish?

    lol, I've been told I'm a wellspring of useless information. :tongue:

    talk to me about baseball or Guitar hero, I'll talk your ear off (I'm 1/2 way through hard for GH World Tour, and I just got GH Van Halen for Christmas! Woo Hoo!)

    If you do leg kicks and knee slides while playing guitar hero, does that count as calorie burning?

Categories