Cardio or weight lifting Which is better for weight loss?

bigguy00

What is the best way to lose weight.

Using Cardio exercises or weight lifting?

Right now I spend 30 min to an hour on an elliptical trainer. I have never really lifted weights before and would like to know what is best.

chrissyh

Both - switch it up.

I do strength 2 times a week and cardio 4 days a week....I'd love to add a strength day but right now I am training for a Half Marathon and need to get my mileage in.

hamiltonba

Both are optimal. However, since you have never lifted before, I would suggest you have someone knowledeable show you what to do. I worked with a personal trainer for several years and it is very easy to have incorrect form and to get injured. I also want to point out that as you age, you lose muscle so it is important that you keep up with it. My first suggestion to you would be do something else besides the elliptical trainer. How about the row machine or tread mill? What level is the elliptical trainer set at? As your body gets used to the exercise, it is no longer working as hard as it should. Changing your routine with just the cardio will help you for now. Hope this helps.

teresa011

Actually, its best to do both..........I do weight training 3 days a week, along with cardio. Both will help you lose those unwanted pounds and get you looking great!! With weight training, you have an advantage, that it helps boost your metabolism...the more fit you get the more you metabolism will increase.. As my trainer told me, with increased muscle, u can be sitting watching TV and will burn calories, but u also need the cardio........good luck!!


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Chadmic

Keep in mind that I am by no means a personal trainer, nor do I claim to know it all. Everything that I have always been told is that it is an even balance. As I understand it, muscle helps your body more efficiently burn fat, so you want to make sure that you are building up your muscle so that you can help your body in this endevor. What I have been doing (which is also what has helped me meet succes in the past) is balancing my lifting and cardio days. I will typically work out 6-7 days a week and alternate with lifting and cardio alternating days. On the 7th day if I decide to work out it will be a cardio day.

Like I said I am not a trainer, this is just what has worked for me.

Hope that this helps and feel free to let me know if you know of anything different that will work for me too!!!

indiankel

Both definitely. I started with a trainer the first of the year and this is how he explains weight loss. You have to build lean muscle, lean muscle helps burn calories and keeps burning. We do weights with cardio mixed. Every exercise I do with wieghts has a movement with it which keeps my heart rate up while lifting. On my weight days I follow up with 30 minutes of cardio and off days do 60 minutes of cardio.

Darkraven

For weight loss you can see on the scale cardio will be best as strength training you will gain muscle and the number on the scale will move alot slower. But doing both is ideal. You want to keep your muscles toned and in shape as you drop inches from the cardio. Also drinking lots of water will help your skin bounce back when loosing inches as well. hehe not that you were asking about water, just use to throwing that out there!

photoman67

Both are equally important! I usually do 3 days a week where I'm weight training for about 40 minutes and running/walking for about 15 minutes. Then I do one day where I just do cardio for about 40 minutes. When you just do cardio you're only burning calories while you're running or walking. When you lift weights you continue to burn calories well after your workout. Hope this helps.

T_R_A_V

Do both....do cardio in the AM...and light weights at night...especially if your targeting weight loss

bigguy00

Thank You all. This will help me out a lot. I will definitly do both cardio and weights. I will also mix it up with the elliptical and maybe the bike and treadmill and or the stair one. Thanks

pannellkat

Combination of both I think. On different days. My schedule:

Monday - at home work out - abs, lunges, squats for 30 minutes
Tuesday - slow and steady cardio at gym (30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill)
Wed - HIIT cardio 20 minutes on elliptical 15 minutes rowing
Thurs - weight training 40 minutes
Friday - jump rope 30 minutes
Sat - weight training 40 minutes
Sun - HIIT cardio again

It has been working so far for me to switch it up like that.

T_R_A_V

Yes...mix up your regime all the time so your body wont get use to the same ol same ol